Maratha reservation issue: Supreme Court questions states: Can reservation limit be increased by 50 per cent?

- All states need to be heard on reservation issue: Supreme Court

New delhi date. Monday, March 8, 2021

The Supreme Court on Monday held a hearing on the Maratha reservation issue. A five-judge bench will hear the issue till March 18. The Supreme Court said during the hearing on Monday that the reservation issue needs to be heard by all the states.

The apex court had sent notices to all the state governments questioning whether the reservation limit could be increased by 50 per cent. The hearing has been adjourned till March 15.

The issue raised by the lawyers

During the hearing on Monday, advocate Gopal Shankaranarayan said that the reservation issue has been raised by several states on various issues. Various cases related to reservation are connected on this issue. Issues like 122nd amendment, 10 per cent reservation on economic grounds, classification in castes have also been raised.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi said the matter also involved the definition of Article 342 A which affects all the states. Therefore an application has been filed in which all the states should be heard and no decision can be taken on this issue without hearing all the states.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal said the matter was a constitutional question to all the states, adding that the court should not only hear Maharashtra and the Center, it should send notices to all the states.

What is controversy?

It may be mentioned that there has been talk of giving reservation to Marathas in Maharashtra for a long time. In 2018, the state government enacted a law to give 16 per cent reservation in education-jobs but the High Court in its order reduced its limit.

The case later reached the apex court, which had stayed it. The Supreme Court referred the issue to a larger batch and asked for a formal hearing.