Maratha Quota Survey Gets Two Days of Extension, Estimated Cost Reaches 500 Crores

A member of the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC) announced that the ongoing Maratha survey is 80-90% complete. Due to requests from district officials for additional time, a two-day extension has been granted. The survey, conducted by the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, aims to support the state government's case for the Maratha quota in the Supreme Court. However, the survey has faced criticism from senior economists and statisticians, including Pronab Sen, the former chief statistician of India. Critics argue that the tight timeline is nearly impossible, and the quality of the survey's results may be questionable. Economists emphasize that surveys on intricate issues like caste require more than a month of training for enumerators.

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange remains critical of the survey, putting pressure on the state government. Survey staff have encountered challenges, including a lack of cooperation from residents and delays in obtaining permission to enter high-rises, particularly in Mumbai. Concerns within the government are rising that a rushed survey might produce a subpar report, risking rejection by the court. In 2018, the Gaikwad commission's survey, which portrayed the Maratha community as backward, was rejected by the Supreme Court, leading to the rejection of the Maratha quota. State food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal, an OBC community member, has criticized the survey, alleging a predetermined outcome favoring the classification of Marathas as socially backward.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced the survey amid Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange's march to Mumbai with thousands of supporters advocating for the quota. Shinde and his government expressed the intention to provide a legally tenable quota to Marathas. Following Jarange's arrival in Navi Mumbai on January 26, the state government issued a draft notification stating that blood relatives of Marathas with Kunbi (OBC) records would be eligible for Kunbi caste certificates. Jarange accepted the draft, concluding the protest and refraining from marching further to Mumbai. The state's draft emphasizes considering "sage soyare" or blood relatives from patriarchal and marital relations within the same caste for eligibility.