Institute of Legal and Management Studies

The Supreme Court recently declined to entertain a plea challenging the 10% Maratha reservation quota in Maharashtra's government jobs and educational admissions.

The bench of CJI BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih refused to entertain the writ petition filed by the candidates preparing for NEET UG and NEET PG 2025 Exams.

Considering the nearing date of examinations (June 15 for NEET PG, NEET UG was held on May 4), the Court asked the High Court to consider the possibility of an interim relief.

Notably, the Bombay High Court is presently seized with a batch of petitions against the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2024 which grants 10% reservation to the Maratha community in jobs and education.

The petitioners have challenged the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2024 and have sought an interim stay on the Act. In the alternative they seek that NEET UG 2025 admissions be excluded from the ambit of the impugned Act.

Senior Advocate Ravi K Deshpande and Advocate Ashwin Deshpande represented the petitioners.

What Is The Maratha Reservation Quota All About?

The Impugned Act was passed in the legislature on February 20, 2024, and notified on February 26, 2024, by the state government based on a report from the Justice (retired) Sunil B. Shukre-led Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC). The report cited "exceptional circumstances and extraordinary situations" as justification for granting reservation to the Maratha community, exceeding the 50 percent total reservation limit in the state.

An Advocate had previously approached the Bombay High Court challenging the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018, enacted by the 2018 Devendra Fadnavis-led government. This law granted Marathas 16 percent reservation in government jobs and education.

While the Bombay High Court upheld the 2018 law in June 2019, it deemed the 16 percent quota unjustifiable and reduced it to 12 percent in education and 13 percent in government jobs. Patil and others challenged this verdict in the Supreme Court.

In May 2021, the Constitution bench of the apex court struck down the SEBC Act, 2018, stating that no extraordinary circumstances justified the separate reservation for Marathas, which exceeded the 50 percent ceiling limit mandated by the 1992 Indra Sawhney (Mandal) judgment. The Supreme Court also questioned the empirical data submitted to establish Marathas' social backwardness.

The Maharashtra government filed a review petition, which was rejected in April 2023. Subsequently, a curative petition was filed, which is currently pending before the apex court.

Case Details : DIYA RAMESH RATHI vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA| Diary No. - 24755/2025