maratha quota: The Maharashtra Assembly on Tuesday passed the Maratha Reservation Bill to ensure a 10 per cent reservation for the Maratha community in both educational institutions and government jobs.
Once enacted, the Maharashtra State Socially and Educationally Backward Bill 2024 will undergo a comprehensive review after a decade of implementation.
The urgency for passing the Maratha quota bill was spurred by the hunger strike led by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, which began on February 10. Jarange’s persistent demand for a special legislative session to address the Maratha quota issue gained momentum, leading to the recent introduction of the bill.
The decision was taken after a detailed report was submitted by the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission, which conducted a survey covering nearly 2.5 crore families to assess the social, economic and educational challenges faced by the Maratha community in the state.
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According to the report, the Maratha community constitutes a significant 28 per cent of Maharashtra’s population.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated, “The survey, covering approximately 2-2.5 crore people, has been conducted. We have scheduled a special session of the assembly on February 20, following which Maratha reservation will be granted in accordance with the law.”
The main objective of this legislation is to alleviate the economic hardships faced by the Maratha community. The survey highlights that 21.22 per cent of Maratha families are below the poverty line, surpassing the state average of 17.4 per cent. Additionally, 84 per cent of Maratha families do not fall under the ‘progressed’ category, making them eligible for reservation as per the bill.
Furthermore, the survey reveals that 94 per cent of farmer suicides in Maharashtra involve Maratha families. Despite previous legal challenges faced by state governments in introducing reservations for Marathas, the persistence of protests and the political significance of the community have led to repeated discussions on this issue.
