SC declines plea against Maratha quota in medical PG

The Supreme Court, on Monday, declined to consider a plea against the Ordinance granting 16% quota for Marathas in admission to PG medical and dental courses from this academic year itself.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and B R Gavai took into consideration the contention made by the state government that the admission process was already over by June 17.

The state government also contended the Ordinance in the form of a Bill has been approved by the two Houses of state.

During the hearing, the court also noted that petitioner Sameer had got admission in a college in Mumbai.

The Nagpur bench of the high court had on June 13 declined to entertain the plea against the Ordinance issued on May 20, providing 16% reservation to socially and economically backward classes in admission to PG medical and dental courses.

The high court did not consider the matter in view of an apex court's order on June 4, wherein it was stated no other would deal with any plea related to admission to PG courses.

On Monday, the court noted that the high court had already reserved its judgement on the question of validity of the main law granting reservation to the Marathas.

Earlier the high court, in an interim order, declared the state government cannot grant reservation this year since the law was passed subsequent to initiation of the process of admission to PG courses.

The apex court upheld this order.

However, the state government brought in the Ordinance to apply the law on Maratha quota from this year.