Maharashtra Government to offer 5 percent reservation to Muslim students in educational institutions

The Maharashtra State Government led by the Maha Vikas Aghadi Government has decided to provide a five percent reservation for the Muslim students in all the educational institutions in the state. According to media reports, the Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik stated that the government will make sure that the legislation for the same is passed. The minister has also assured the Maharashtra Legislative Council that appropriate action will be taken before the beginning of the admissions to the schools in the coming academic year.

Malik while addressing the media regarding the new provision said that the High Court has given its approval for the five percent reservation for Muslim students in government educational institutions, he also pointed out that the last government did not take any action on this because of which they have announced that the Uddhav Thackrey government will implement the order of the High Court in the form of a law as soon as possible.  

The announcement of providing five percent reservation for the Muslim students came as a response to a question put by MLC Sharad Ranpise as to whether any discussions were made in the government’s decision of giving reservation to the students from the Muslim Community. He also asked the stand of the government on the issue with regard to the 2014 decision of the Congress-led government.

In 2014 the then congress-NCP government has announced a 14 percent reservation for the Marathas and a five percent reservation for the students of the Muslim Community at educational institutions and government jobs.

The High Court had however set aside the government notification in response to public interest litigation but stated that the reservation for the Muslims could be given in education. However, the BJP led government that came into power later scrapped the reservations for the Muslim students stating that the government was not in favour of providing reservations on the basis of religion.

With the reservation granted by the government for the Muslims, the total reservation in education in Maharashtra will reach 79 percent which includes the 12 percent reservation for the Maratha Community and 10 percent for the Economically Weaker Sections which was brought in by the Centre last year.

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