The Bombay High Court today upheld the Maharashtra government's decision to provide reservation to the Maratha community in government jobs and educational institutions. However, the court cut down on the quantum of 16 per cent cited by the government on the grounds that it was not "justifiable". 
The verdict passed by a division bench comprising Justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre came on a petition challenging the decision, which claimed that such a decision would amount to providing the Maratha community with "permanent crutches". The petitioners also maintained that it would violate the cap of 50 per cent fixed on reservations by the Supreme Court.
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"We hold and declare that the state government possesses legislative competence to create a separate category of the Socially and Educationally Backward Class and grant reservation," news agency PTI quoted the court as saying. The bench, however, ordered that the quota percentage be reduced from the government-cited 16 per cent to 12-13 per cent as per the State Backward Classes Commission's recommendation.
The Maharashtra legislature had passed a bill granting 16 per cent reservation in education and government jobs for the Marathas, declared a socially and educationally backward class by the state government, on November 30 last year. The reservation was supposed to be in addition to the existing 52 per cent overall reservation in the state -- thereby raising it to 68 per cent.