The Supreme Court on Thursday maintained its distance from entertaining a plea seeking implementation of 16 per cent quota to Marathas in jobs and education in Maharashtra after it got stayed by the Bombay High Court.
Dismissing the petitions filed by Maharashtra Government and private individuals, the bench headed by Chief Justice Hl Dattu said that the order of the HC was only an interim direction as the matter will be taken up next on January 5. The bench, also comprising Justice AK Sikri, requested the High Court to dispose the matter as expeditiously as possible.
The State Government led by the previous Congress-NCP coalition had announced 16 per cent exclusive quota to Marathas in employment and education under reservation for backward classes. Apart from this, the State had separately declared five per cent reservation to Muslims in educational institutions owing to their social and educational backwardness based on findings of Justice Sachar Committee.
The High Court faulted both policies on ground that reservation cannot exceed the 50 per cent cap fixed by Supreme Court. Applying the Maratha and Muslim quota hiked reservation in the State to 73 per cent. In the High Court, the State Government termed the two communities as socially, educationally and economically backward.
