The Maharashtra government has cancelled the five percent reservation for Muslims in government jobs and education, issuing a fresh Government Resolution (GR) after the earlier ordinance lapsed and faced an interim court stay. The move officially ends a policy that had remained in legal uncertainty since 2014, as per the official details.
Earlier, the Congress-NCP government in 2014 had introduced an ordinance granting 16 percent reservation to Marathas and five percent to Muslims. However, the ordinance was never converted into law after the change in government that year, and the matter later faced legal challenges, as per a report by PTI.
As per the new GR, all previous decisions, circulars, and procedures related to the five percent quota for the Muslim community under the Special Backward Category-A have now been cancelled. The order also stops the issuance of caste and non-creamy layer certificates under that category, as per the report by NDTV.
Why has the Muslim quota been cancelled?
The government’s decision comes after the 2014 ordinance lapsed and an interim stay by the Bombay High Court on the reservation in public services. The ordinance was not converted into law within the stipulated period, and related government resolutions and circulars, and it automatically became void as official documents.
The quota has remained in legal limbo for years, and the new GR formalises its cancellation, NDTV reported.
What was the 2014 reservation policy?
In 2014, the Congress-NCP government announced 21 percent reservation for Marathas and five percent for Muslims through an ordinance ahead of the state elections. However, the policy faced legal challenges and also ran into the Supreme Court’s 50 percent reservation cap.
Subsequently, the ordinance lapsed after the polls, and the High Court stayed parts of it, leaving the Muslim quota in an uncertain position.
How has the opposition reacted?
Opposition has slammed the move, terming it a setback for the community. Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad stated, “We strongly condemn this decision. Instead of taking positive measures regarding the 5% reservation announced in 2014 for education and employment, the government has simply scrapped the old processes.” She further added, “On one hand, they talk of ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas’, and the other, they close the avenues for obtaining necessary documents for reservation. Isn’t this hypocrisy?” as quoted by IANS.
AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel called the decision a “Ramadan gift” to Muslims but appealed to the students to continue their education, stating, “If India studies, India will progress,” as reported by NDTV.