Maharashtra Cancels 5% Muslim SEBC Quota After Court-Backed Review

Last Updated:February 18, 2026, 09:14 IST

Officials clarified that the latest decision is not a fresh policy change but an administrative correction based on the legal position that evolved after court intervention

The Maharashtra government has formally scrapped the 5 per cent SEBC (Socially and Educationally Backward Class) reservation that was earlier extended to sections of the Muslim community.

A government resolution issued late on Tuesday states that the quota granted under the Special Backward Category-A (SBC-A) will no longer remain in force. The reservation had covered both direct recruitment in government and semi-government services and admissions in educational institutions. Officials clarified that the latest decision is not a fresh policy change but an administrative correction based on the legal position that evolved after court intervention. The move, however, is likely to draw strong reactions as the quota was introduced to address educational and employment backwardness among certain Muslim groups.

The policy dates back to July 2014 when the then state cabinet approved a proposal moved by minority welfare minister Naseem Khan. The decision granted 5 per cent reservation and also directed authorities to issue caste and validity certificates to eligible beneficiaries so they could avail benefits in jobs and education. Soon after, the policy was challenged in the Bombay High Court through a writ petition. On November 14, 2014, the court granted an interim stay on the provision related to public employment under state control. While the educational quota remained part of policy discussions, the legal uncertainty around the ordinance meant the reservation could never be fully implemented in the intended form.

According to the government, the ordinance that created the quota was never converted into a proper law by the legislature and therefore lapsed automatically. As a result, all government resolutions and circulars issued in 2014 and 2015 lost legal validity. The general administration department has now formally cancelled those orders to align official records with the court-backed legal status. Officials maintain that the step merely recognises an existing legal reality rather than withdrawing an actively operational quota.

Even so, political observers say the decision may revive debate around backwardness criteria and minority welfare, as the original reservation was introduced to improve access to education and public employment for economically and socially weaker Muslim sections in the state.

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