Maharashtra Govt Cancels 5 % Muslim Quota in Jobs, Education
18 Feb 2026 4:04 PM IST18 Feb 2026 4:04 PM IST
The previous Congress-NCP government had issued an ordinance to grant a 16 per cent quota to Marathas and five per cent to Muslims
Maharashtra government (File Photo)
Mumbai: The BJP-led Maharashtra government has formally nullified the 5 per cent quota provided to Muslims in jobs and education, introduced by the erstwhile Congress-NCP dispensation in 2014 through an ordinance, but which never became a law, putting an end to the legal limbo.
The move evoked sharp reactions from the Opposition, which flayed the government for its “anti-minority” mindset, and questioned the logic behind withdrawing an ordinance that had lapsed years ago.
The latest decision also brought to the spotlight the legal battle that once defined the policy.
The reservation was initially introduced under the Special Backward Class-A (SBC-A) category by the then Prithviraj Chavan government, in which NCP (undivided) was a junior partner and late Ajit Pawar was Deputy CM.
In November 2014, the Bombay High Court stayed the 5 per cent job quota but allowed it for educational institutions.
Because the ordinance was not passed into law by the Maharashtra legislature by the deadline of December 23, 2014, it automatically lapsed.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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