Maratha students seeking SEBC quota withdraw stir

Around 250 students were sitting on a protest at the Azad Maidan here for the last two weeks

Mumbai: Several post-graduate medical students withdrew their protest on Tuesday after the Maharashtra governor signed an ordinance to provide quota to the Maratha community members under the Socially and Economically Backward Class (SEBC) category.

Around 250 students were sitting on a protest at the Azad Maidan here for the last two weeks, after the Bombay High Court earlier this month ruled that the 16 per cent quota offered to Marathas will not be applicable on admissions to post-graduate (PG) medical courses this year.

Later, when the Supreme Court also upheld the HC ruling, leading to cancellation of admissions granted to 253 students, the state government took the ordinance route. On the government's recommendation, Governor C Vidyasagar Rao signed the ordinance on Monday to protect the admissions of students in the PG courses. Expressing happiness over it, the protesting students in a statement said they were satisfied with the measures initiated by the state government and therefore, decided to withdraw their agitation.

On November 30, 2018, the Maharashtra legislature passed a bill proposing 16 per cent reservation for Marathas in government jobs and education under the SEBC category. The ordinance is aimed to further explain the state government's intent to provide quota to the Maratha community.

The state government earlier clarified that the quota was applicable from the time the prospectus for the said courses were issued in February this year. It has also sought more medical and dental seats from the Centre and plans to provide scholarships to the open category students, if their admission process is disturbed due to the implementation of the quota.

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