MUMBAI: With Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s ultimatum of a march to Mumbai nearing, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde called a meeting of revenue officials on and said that the survey examining the social and economic backwardness of the community should be conducted within one week. He asked revenue officials to cooperate with the Gokhale Institute for politics and economics which is going to conduct the survey for the Maharashtra Backward Class Commission.
The survey is important for the curative petition on the Maratha quota which is before the Supreme Court.It has been posted for hearing on January 24th.
“The Chief Minister has said that the survey should be conducted over the next week and the report should be submitted to the government,” said a senior official present at the meeting.
The last survey on the backwardness of the Maratha community was conducted by the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC) headed by retired Justice G M Gaikwad. The Committee surveyed about 45,000 families, from two villages in each of the 355 talukas that had more than 50 per cent Maratha population. The 2018 found the Maratha community to be socially, economically and educationally backward. Although the report was upheld by the high court, the apex court did not support it.
In May 2021, a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court struck down the Maratha quota, which took the total reservation in the state above the 50 per cent ceiling set by the court in its 1992 Indra Sawhney judgment.
The Apex court said that the 50% ceiling, although an arbitrary determination by the court in 1992, is now constitutionally recognised. It said there was no extraordinary circumstance to cross the 50% mark, adding Marathas were a “dominant forward class and are in the mainstream of national life”.
In November 2022, after the SC upheld the 10 per cent quota for Economically Weaker Sections, the Maharashtra government said that until the issue of the Maratha reservation was resolved, economically weaker members of the community could benefit from the EWS quota.
In April 2023, after the SC turned down its review plea, the state government said it would file a curative petition and form a new panel for a detailed survey of the ‘backwardness’ of the community.
The survey is important for the curative petition on the Maratha quota which is before the Supreme Court.It has been posted for hearing on January 24th.
“The Chief Minister has said that the survey should be conducted over the next week and the report should be submitted to the government,” said a senior official present at the meeting.
The last survey on the backwardness of the Maratha community was conducted by the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC) headed by retired Justice G M Gaikwad. The Committee surveyed about 45,000 families, from two villages in each of the 355 talukas that had more than 50 per cent Maratha population. The 2018 found the Maratha community to be socially, economically and educationally backward. Although the report was upheld by the high court, the apex court did not support it.
In May 2021, a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court struck down the Maratha quota, which took the total reservation in the state above the 50 per cent ceiling set by the court in its 1992 Indra Sawhney judgment.
The Apex court said that the 50% ceiling, although an arbitrary determination by the court in 1992, is now constitutionally recognised. It said there was no extraordinary circumstance to cross the 50% mark, adding Marathas were a “dominant forward class and are in the mainstream of national life”.
In November 2022, after the SC upheld the 10 per cent quota for Economically Weaker Sections, the Maharashtra government said that until the issue of the Maratha reservation was resolved, economically weaker members of the community could benefit from the EWS quota.
In April 2023, after the SC turned down its review plea, the state government said it would file a curative petition and form a new panel for a detailed survey of the ‘backwardness’ of the community.