SC to consider urgent hearing of pleas challenging maratha quota law

PTI, Jul 29, 2019, 11:50 AM IST

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider an urgent hearing of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of a Maharashtra law that grants reservation to the Maratha community in education and jobs.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi took note of the submissions of a lawyer that the petitions which were to be listed for the hearing are not in the causelist of the apex court.

The Bombay High Court, in its June 27 order, had said the 50 per cent cap on total reservations imposed by the Supreme Court could be exceeded in exceptional circumstances.

Shukla, a representative of “Youth for Equality”, in his petition, said the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018, breached the 50-per cent ceiling on reservation fixed by the apex court in its landmark judgment in the Indira Sahwney case, also known as the “Mandal verdict”.

The SEBC Act, 2018, was enacted to grant reservation to the Maratha community people in jobs and education.