Supreme Court refuses to lift stay on Maratha reservation, final hearing on Jan 25

The Maharashtra government has received another blow from the Supreme Court over the Maratha reservation. The Supreme Court has refused to lift the interim stay on the Maratha reservation. The court has said that the final hearing will start from January 25. 

A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to hear from January 25 the challenge against the the constitutionality of the Maharashtra Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018, which provided for a quota to Marathas in jobs and education.

The bench refused to pass any order to lift the stay put by a three-judge bench in September this year on making appointments and admissions under the Maratha quota. The stay order was passed by the 3-judge bench which referred the appeals to the larger bench.

The apex court in September had directed that no quota will be granted to people of the Maratha community in education and jobs in the state this year and referred the hearing on a batch of plea challenging the constitutional validity of a Maharashtra law granting Maratha reservation in education and jobs to a larger bench.