Maharashtra Govt Cancels 5% Muslim Quota In Education, Jobs

The Maharashtra government's Social Justice Department has withdrawn its 2014 Government Resolution (GR) that had granted a 5% reservation to the Muslim community in educational institutions and government or semi-government jobs. The move, announced on Tuesday, is largely procedural, as the quota had already been rendered legally invalid more than a decade ago.

The reservation was introduced in July 2014 through an ordinance that classified Muslims under the Special Backward Class-A (SBC-A) category. However, the policy faced immediate legal challenges. In November 2014, the Bombay High Court stayed its implementation, and since the ordinance was not converted into law by the state legislature before its December deadline, it lapsed automatically. Later, the Supreme Court dismissed the quota while hearing a Special Leave Petition (SLP), effectively ending its validity.

Despite these judicial interventions, the original GR had not been formally rescinded until now. With Tuesday's cancellation, the government has declared all related decisions and communications void. This means no admissions or recruitment can take place under the 5% quota, and caste or validity certificates will not be issued under the SBC-A category. Officials clarified that the step is administrative in nature, as the reservation has not been operational for years.

Reacting to the development, State Minority Commission Chairman Pyare Khan remarked that the quota was never truly implemented. He pointed out that the earlier government had only introduced an ordinance, which was neither enacted into law nor enforced. "If it had been implemented, then the reservation would not have been cancelled. The Social Justice Department has followed a normal procedure. If you look at the condition of Muslims, it has improved somewhat today compared to the last seventy years," Khan said.

Meanwhile, in a related development, a senior government official has been removed from his post after his name surfaced in connection with the alleged hasty grant of minority status to 75 educational institutions following the death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Officials confirmed that Milind Padmanabh Shenoy, Deputy Secretary in the Minority Development Department, was relieved of his duties on Tuesday, a day after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stayed the approvals. Shenoy has not been assigned any new responsibilities.

The cancellation of the GR and the disciplinary action against Shenoy highlight the government's attempt to streamline minority-related policies and ensure compliance with judicial rulings. While the quota issue has been legally settled for years, the formal withdrawal of the resolution closes a lingering administrative chapter in Maharashtra's reservation history