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Time of India
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
HC to hear afresh pleas against Maratha quota law from July 18
Mumbai: A special three-judge bench of Bombay high court will begin hearing afresh the challenges to state's latest iteration of the Maratha reservations on July 18. After the Supreme Court directive, HC, in May, constituted a new three-judge bench to hear the petitions, including those filed as public interest litigations, challenging the constitutional validity of the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2024, which provides 10% reservation for the Maratha community in govt jobs and admissions to educational institutions. The state opposed the request for consideration of any interim relief. The new full bench of Justices Ravindra V Ghuge, N J Jamadar, and Sandeep Marne on Wednesday recorded submissions of advocate general Birendra Saraf. There were detailed arguments heard in 2024 on interim relief, after which there was an interim arrangement that all further admissions to educational institutions and employment would be subject to court orders. Saraf submitted that this has operated for over a year and that the request for fresh consideration of interim relief was unwarranted. Pradeep Sancheti, senior counsel for a petitioner, sought an earlier date. Other lawyers also argued, saying students who took admission last year were also affected and hence, were seeking interim orders. In May, Supreme Court asked HC to expeditiously hear the pleas, including applications by students appearing for the undergraduate and postgraduate National Eligibility cum Entrance Test of 2025. The students filed pleas seeking interim relief, claiming that a delay in the disposal of pleas was impacting their right to equal consideration in the admission process. The petitions were not fully heard when the then HC Chief Justice was transferred in Jan as Delhi high court Chief Justice. Supreme Court said if Bombay HC cannot hear the matter for final disposal then it may consider interim relief. HC has now fixed a schedule to hear the matter at length on the main challenge. Last July, HC had observed that the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission, headed by former HC judge Justice S B Shukre, was a necessary party to be heard in one of the PILs filed before it.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
New full HC bench to hear petitions challenging Maratha reservation law
Mumbai: Two days after the Supreme Court directive, Bombay High Court constituted a new three-judge bench to hear petitions, including those filed as public interest litigation (PIL), challenging the constitutional validity of the 2024 law providing Maratha reservation. HC is hearing a clutch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the SEBC Act , which gives 10% reservation to the Marathas in public employment. HC notified the full bench formation. Justice Ravindra V Ghuge, Justice N J Jamadar and Justice Sandeep Marne comprise the new full bench constituted to hear and decide the PIL and civil writ petition(s) pertaining to "Challenge or Matters relating to the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2024," the HC registry informed on Thursday. Earlier, the full bench comprised former Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, and Justices G S Kulkarni and Firdosh P Pooniwalla. The petitions in the matter were not fully heard when the former Chief Justice of Bombay HC was transferred in Jan this year as the Chief Justice of Delhi HC. SC issued the direction while hearing a writ petition filed by NEET 2025 aspirants who challenged the implementation of the 10% Maratha quota, citing academic urgency and disruption in the admission process. — Swati Deshpande
