Bombay HC upholds order allowing Maratha candidates to apply for EWS jobs

The Bombay High Court on Friday upheld a Maharashtra government order that allows Maratha candidates who initially applied under the Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC) category for state government jobs advertised in 2019 to be considered under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category.

In 2018, the Maharashtra government granted the Maratha community 13% reservation in educational institutions and 16% in public service jobs with the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Class Act (SEBC Act). The Supreme Court later declared the SEBC Act unconstitutional. To address this, the state issued Government Resolutions (GRs) allowing SEBC candidates from the 2019 recruitment process to apply under the EWS category.

The Bombay High Court dismissed challenges to the state's GRs, paving the way for Maratha candidates to be considered for EWS jobs. The court noted that the state's decision aimed to address a one-time situation arising from the SEBC Act's invalidation. The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) advertised 1,145 posts across various departments. Candidates were selected for 1,143 of these posts, with 94 vacancies reserved for SEBC and 17 for the original EWS quota.

The high court's ruling could benefit thousands of Maratha candidates who applied under the SEBC category for the 2019 recruitment process. The Maharashtra government may need to issue further guidelines or notifications regarding the implementation of the court order.