Maha Govt decides to move SC against Bombay HC Verdict holding Maratha quota Arbitrary

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has decided to approach the Supreme Court against the Bombay High Court's recent verdict that the 16 per cent quota offered to Marathas will not be applicable on admissions to the PG medical admissions this year.

Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil recently stated that the government will knock on the door of the apex court

Read Also: NO Maratha quota for PG Medical Admissions this year: Bombay High Court holds Reservation Arbitrary

"The state government will approach the Supreme Court tomorrow. We will argue before the court that we initiated the admission process for the PG medical courses after the law was enacted," Patil told a regional news channel.

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court had Thursday said the 16 per cent reservation for the community under the 'socially and economically backward classes (SEBC)' category will not be applicable to the said courses this year.

Read Also: Maratha quota in Medical Admissions: Bombay HC to reach the conclusion

The bench issued the following directions:

We direct that the notification dated 8.3.2019, insofar as medical admission process is concerned, shall be applied to the medical admissions the procedure for which has started or would start on or after 30th November, 2018, subject to result of any other writ petition, if pending, and the notification would have no application to the present medical admission process­ 2019 which began w.e.f. 16th October, 2018 and 2nd November, 2018 respectively.

Consequently, it is also directed that the revised provisional seat matrix published on 27.3.2019, insofar as it makes a provision for the category of SEBC candidates, being illegal, shall not be given effect to for the limited purpose of SEBC reservation in current admission process. The respondents, however, would conduct the admission process and complete it in accordance with applicable law, rules and orders before commencement of the SEBC Act, 2018.

As of now, in Maharashtra, 50 % of medical seats in government-run medical colleges are for reserved category (SC/ST/OBC/ VJNT). Out of the other 50% which is known as the open category; 14% of seats go to Persons with Disability (PwD), defence and other quotas. There is also a special quota (depending on eligible candidates) for students from the reserved categories who are eligible for an open quota seat based on their scores, ranging from 3%-5%.

In addition, 10% has been fixed for medical students belonging to Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota.

Further, the implementation of 16% Maratha quota was done which left a meagre 5 % for candidates vying medical admission on merit basis.

This "policy" indeed created a stir in the admission process. The PG medical students, who could only take admission via merit, were anxious since there is, evidently, tough competition in medical admissions and with over 16 % quota gulping over the merit quota, the competition has become tougher than ever.