The Supreme Court will hear on January 24 a curative petition filed by the Maharashtra government challenging its earlier judgment that struck down a state law providing 12% to 13% quota for the Maratha community in education and government jobs.
A curative petition is the last legal resort in the apex court and is typically reviewed in-chamber unless a strong case for reconsidering the verdict is presented.
In May 2021, a five-judge constitution bench of the top court ruled on petitions related to the Maharashtra government's decision to grant quotas to the politically influential Maratha community. The court refused to refer the case to a larger bench to revisit its 29-year-old Mandal verdict capping quotas at 50%.
Subsequently, it quashed the Maharashtra law, citing violation of the right to equality. In April 2023, the court dismissed a batch of petitions, including one from Maharashtra, seeking a review of its 2021 judgment. The May 2021 verdict concluded that no exceptional circumstances justified exceeding the 50% quota limit to grant distinct reservations to Marathas.