The Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra has proposed to extend 5% reservation to Muslims in educational institutes, state Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik said on Friday, reported PTI. He told the Maharashtra Legislative Council that a legislation will be passed soon in this regard.
“High Court had given its nod to give 5% reservation to Muslims in government educational institutions,” said Malik, according to ANI. “Last government did not take any action on it. So we have announced that we will implement the HC’s order in the form of law as soon as possible.”
Malik said “appropriate action” will be taken in this regard before school admissions begin this year.
However, later, senior minister Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena said no such decision had been taken, News18 reported.
In January, Malik had confirmed that talks for a Muslim quota in educational institutions were under way. Reservation for Muslims was mentioned in the manifestos of the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party. The two parties, along with the Shiv Sena, formed the coalition government in Maharashtra in November last year.
In May last year, the Maharashtra government gave its approval to promulgate an ordinance to amend the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act to provide reservation to Maratha students in post-graduate medical courses this year.
In June, the Bombay High Court upheld the Maharashtra government’s decision to grant reservation to the Maratha community in educational institutions and jobs in public services. However, instead of the 16% reservation proposed by the state government, the court asked the state not to exceed the State Commission for Backward Classes’ recommendation of 12% quota in education and 13% in jobs.
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