Maratha Quota in PG Medical Admissions: Maharashtra Brings in Ordinance on SEBC reservation

Mumbai: After facing a setback from the Supreme Court, the Maharashtra government has approved the Ordinance on Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) quota for this year PG medical admissions.

In a major respite to the students affected by the exclusion of the quota, this promulgation of the ordinance will pave the way for admissions to PG medical courses under the Maratha quota.

This decision comes despite the Supreme Court verdict scrapping the plea filed by the Maharashtra government against the HC order ruling the quota inapplicable for this year.

Walking onto the warpath, 250 students, affected by the apex court's verdict had been staging statewide protests since one week, demanding the Maharashtra government intervene in the matter immediately and prevent them from losing a valuable academic year.

These students had got admission to postgraduate medical courses under the SEBC quota. However, with the SC verdict on the case, SEBC quota was held invalid for this year admissions. Seeing the agitation and viewing the SEBC quota valid, the state government had approached the Election Commission of India as the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections is still in place.

Read Also: Maratha quota in PG medical admissions: State government moves Supreme court

Subsequently, it received the permission from the Election Commission to promulgate an ordinance for Maratha reservation in PG medical courses and now the state has decided to amend the SEBC Reservation Act, 2018 to provide reservation to the SEBC category students in PG medical courses.

The students, however, said their protest would continue till they get joining orders from the Maha CET Cell, reports PTI.

"Until we get the order from Maharashtra CET cell to join colleges. we will continue with the protest," said a protesting student.

Another student said, they have not received the copy of the ordinance as yet. "So, we are not aware of the conditions laid down and provisions made in it. We will be satisfied only if we get the same seat and same branch," the student said.

The cabinet also gave its approval to reimburse the fees to the candidates from the general category, who will be affected following the promulgation of the ordinance. CM Fadanavis said the general category students can seek admission under management quota in private medical colleges.

On May 4, the division bench of honourable Justices Sunil Shukre and Pushpa Ganediwala ruled in their order that the March 8 notification about the implementation of the new 16 per cent reservation for the Maratha community, under the SEBC quota; shall not be applicable to the PG medical admission process, which had started earlier.

In response to the HC order, the state had moved the SC seeking an ex-parte stay on the High Court's judgment and leave to file an appeal against the said judgment.

SC bench of honourable Justices Nageswara Rao and MR Shah felt that since the admission process had already begun last year the HC order was right.

"Section 16 (2) of the SEBC Act bars the grant of reservation if the process of entrance test had already started before the Act came into force. State counsel Mukul Rohatgi said that the students who had been given seats under the SEBC quota were allotted admissions also under the all India quota. They had left their allotments under the All India and come to Maharashtra hence they would stand to lose."

The SC has extended the deadline for admissions from May 18 to May 25, but SEBC quota students claim that it may not be enough.

Read Also: NO Maratha Quota in PG Medical Admissions 2019: Students approach CM Fadnavis

After these developments, the Maha CET Cell had issued the orders cancelling the admissions given under the SEBC quota.

The government is also seeking to extend the deadline for PG medical and dental admissions from May 25 to June 15.

Read Also: Maha CET Cell extends Deadline for PG Medical Admissions: Students still in Confusion

Medical Dialogues had been extensively reporting about the reservation issues in the state.

• On November 30 last year, the Maharashtra Legislature had passed a bill proposing 16 per cent reservation in education and government jobs for the Marathas, declared SEBC by the government and hence it decided to grant them the reservation.


• 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.

Read Also: Where is the Merit in PG Medical Admissions? With Maratha quota in place, Medicos to again approach HC