The Maharashtra Assembly unanimously passed the Maratha Reservation Bill today, granting the Maratha community a 10% reservation in education and government professions. The Maharashtra State Socially and Educationally Backward Bill 2024, once passed, would be thoroughly reviewed after a decade of implementation.
The judgment followed a detailed report filed by the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission, which was based on a survey of over 2.5 crore families. This poll delves deeply into the social, economic, and educational disadvantages that the Maratha community in the state faces.
According to the report, the Maratha community constitutes a significant 28 per cent of Maharashtra’s population. “The survey has been conducted on nearly 2-2.5 crore people. On February 20, we have called a special session of the assembly after which Maratha reservation will be given according to the law,” said Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Addressing the financial hardships faced by the Maratha community is the main goal of the new legislation.
The survey reveals that 21.22 per cent of Maratha families are below the poverty line, exceeding the state’s 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 outlined in the bill.
According to the data, Maratha households account for 94% of all farmer suicides in Maharashtra.
Historically, attempts by state governments to implement reservations for Marathas have been met with legal challenge, with earlier initiatives being overturned by courts. However, the persistence of protests and the political significance of the Maratha community have led to repeated revivals of this sensitive issue, given that the community constitutes a significant portion of Maharashtra’s population.
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Source: NDTV
