The Maharashtra government on Monday announced a revised reservation policy for admissions to government hostels meant for students from backward classes. Under the new policy, which will come into effect from the academic year 2025-26, the state government has introduced a parallel reservation of 5% for students with disabilities and 1% for orphaned students.
According to the government resolution (GR) issued by the Social Justice and Special Assistance Department, the state currently operates 443 government hostels, with 230 designated for boys and 213 for girls. These hostels accommodate over 43,800 students from backward classes across Maharashtra.
The revised policy mandates that the 5% reservation for students with disabilities and the 1% reservation for orphaned students will not affect the overall social category-based reservation. It also clarifies that if eligible candidates are not available under these categories, the seats will be allotted to students from the general pool within the same social category.
The category-wise reservation for admission to government hostels now includes 85% for Scheduled Castes, 3% for Scheduled Tribes, 5% for Denotified Tribes and Nomadic Tribes, 5%for Economically Backward Classes, and 2% for Special Backward Classes. “The additional 6% parallel reservation for disabled and orphaned students is aimed at ensuring inclusive education access,” the GR stated.
“The revised policy aims to ensure inclusive education by providing accommodation facilities to students with disabilities and orphaned children who often face additional challenges in accessing education,” said a senior official from the Department of Social Justice.
The GR also stated that this reservation policy will be applicable only for government hostels under the Social Justice and Special Assistance Department and will be implemented from the academic year 2025-26.
“The decision aligns with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which mandates a certain percentage of reservation for persons with disabilities in educational institutions and public services,” the GR added.
