Supreme Court To Hear Fresh Petition To Stay Maharashtra’s 2024 Maratha Reservation Law In July
The Supreme Court Today (June 26) said it will hear a fresh challenge in July against Maharashtra’s new Maratha reservation law. The plea says the law tries to bypass previous court rulings and violates the 50% reservation limit.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India will take up a new legal challenge in July 2025 against the Maharashtra government’s fresh law that gives reservation benefits to the Maratha community.
A petition has been filed asking the Court to immediately stop the implementation of the new law, which was passed in 2024.
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This petition argues that the state is trying to bring back the Maratha quota through a new route, even after the Supreme Court earlier cancelled a similar law in 2021.
The petitioners, including the organization Youth for Equality, say that this new law breaks the 50% reservation limit, which was clearly laid down in the 1992 Indra Sawhney case.
What Happened Earlier?
In 2018, the Maharashtra government passed the SEBC Act to give reservations to the Maratha community, calling them “Socially and Educationally Backward.”
However, the Supreme Court in 2021 cancelled this law, saying that Marathas do not qualify as a backward group under the Constitution.
What Is the New Law in 2024?
In 2024, Maharashtra brought in a new reservation law based on a report by the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Commission, which said the Maratha community is socially and economically backward. Based on this, the new law gives Marathas reservations in education and government jobs, but under a different legal method.
The government says this is not a repeat of the old law. But the petitioners argue that this is just a smart way to bypass the Supreme Court’s earlier judgment.
Supreme Court Hearing Date
A bench of Justice KV Viswanathan and Justice NK Singh agreed to hear the matter in the reopening week starting July 14, 2025. This was after a lawyer urgently mentioned the matter before the Court.
The petitioners are asking for an immediate stay on the new law, as ongoing admissions and job recruitments could be affected.
What the Maharashtra Government Says
The Maharashtra government is likely to defend its new law. It will argue that under Articles 15(4) and 16(4) of the Indian Constitution, the state has the right to give reservations to backward communities. The government says the current law is based on new data and fresh findings, and therefore does not violate the Constitution.
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They may also point to other states like Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan, which have given more than 50% reservation in special situations.
Why This Case Is Important for India
This case is likely to decide whether a state government can cross the 50% reservation limit if it has new data. It could also affect similar demands in other states like Haryana, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh, where communities are also asking for reservation status.
The Supreme Court’s decision in this matter could set a new direction for how reservations are given in India in the future.
CASE TITLE:
Youth for Equality & Ors. vs State of Maharashtra & Ors.
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