On June 9, 2020, the Supreme Court sought Maharashtra government’s response on 6 MBBS doctors’ plea to show a direction in 12% Maratha Quota.
As per the doctors, this reservation should not be applied to PG in Dental and Medical courses in the 2020-2021 academic year.
A bench of justices, L Nageswara Rao and Krishna Murari clarified that admissions to PG medical and dental courses for the current admission session will depend on verdicts passed for a petition challenging Maratha Quota.
The top court heard submissions of doctor’ lawyers Rajeev Kumar Panday, Vivek Singh and Amit Anand Tiwari. It sent notices to the State Common Entrance Test Cell, Medical Counselling Committee and State government involved in admission and counselling of PG medical courses.
Maratha Quota
Maratha Quota was introduced in 2018 under the Maratha State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act. This act addresses admission in State educational institutes and public services or posts in the State.
Also known as SEBC Act 2018, it was challenged in July 2019 at the Supreme Court. Even though the apex court admitted its appeals, it did not stay Bombay Court orders.
The Bombay Court instead upheld the reservation with certain modifications. As reported to the Press Trust of India, the bench mentioned, “We make it clear that the order of the High Court on the reservation will not have retrospective effect.”
Petition Filed by MBBS Students
In 2019, when the central government added the 10% Economically Weaker Section Category for reservations, the state government also added the 12% Maratha Quota.
On this, 6 MBBS doctors claimed that during Admissions to MBBS Colleges they competed for 48% seats in the open category whereas in PG they had to compete for only 26% seats. This is because 76% of the seats belong to reserved categories.
As reported to PTI, the plea says, “It is stated that the application of SEBC reservations (i.e. Reservation of 12 per cent of Maratha community) in Medical PG admissions has led to gross injustice and unequal treatment to the open category meritorious students of Maharashtra, who can now compete only on the reduced 26 per cent seats in PG admission as 74 per cent of seats in the state are reserved.
The reservation in the State has seriously prejudiced the meritorious candidates in the open category and has jeopardized their future.”
Taking this plea into consideration, the top court will hear the fresh plea on 7 July 2020 along with other pending petitions against laws regarding state quota.
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