Issues with Maratha Reservation Demand

Why in news?

Maratha community in Maharashtra is holding aggressive protests demanding reservation.

What are the demands of Marathas community?

• Marathas are holding up protest for not fulfilling the promises made to the community, including 16% reservation.
• Maharashtra state administration’s actions also enraged the community of false allegations and announced a State-wide protest and bandhs.
• The Marathas also wanted clarity on the Chief Minister’s statement that of the new recruitment for 72,000 posts, 16% would be reserved for the community.

What are the challenges in resolving this issue?

• In 2008, the State Backward Class Commission did not endorse Maratha reservation, voicing opinion against the inclusion of the community in the OBC category as they were not “socially backward.
• Maratha leaders demand the government to give them OBC status and not reservation because any reservation, beyond the existing 50 per cent, would be difficult to implement.
• In 2014, Bombay High Court stayed the Maratha reservation granted by the Congress-NCP government.

• It said the State had crossed the 50% limit capped by the Supreme Court and that the Mandal Commission (1980), the National Commission for Backward Classes (2000) and the Bapat Commission (2008) had concluded that the Marathas were a socially advanced community.

What were the actions of the government in this regard?

• Recently the state government responded the protesters that it would provide 16 per cent reservation in government jobs to the Maratha community.
• State administration said a recruitment drive would be taken up once Maratha reservation gets constitutional and legal sanction.
• Apart from this the government is waiting for the consent of the Backward Class Commission which is already considering the proposal to accord OBC status to Marathas.
• It is expected that a special legislative session will be called after the report of the Backward Class Commission, and the reservation is likely to be extended.

Source: The Hindu