Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayan on Wednesday approved the ordinance granting reservation to Maratha and Muslim communities in Maharashtra. Marathas will get a 16 per cent quota and Muslims five per cent in government jobs and educational institutions.
Sources in Mr. Sankaranarayanan’s office said the file had been approved and returned to the government. Once promulgated, the ordinance will raise quota in the State to 73 per cent. The Supreme Court had earlier capped quota at 50 per cent.
The reservation was cleared by the government a fortnight ago. The decision has already been challenged in the Bombay High Court, with petitioners arguing that it is unconstitutional and has crossed the quota limit.
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Reservation for the Maratha community had triggered opposition from Other Backward Class (OBC) groups which pointed out that the Marathas were dominant and politically influential and could not been classified as backward.