New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Maharashtra Government and the Medical Council of India and fixed a hearing on Thursday on the petitions challenging 10% quota to candidates from the economically weaker sections of general category in the post-graduate medical courses. A vacation bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Aniruddha Bose sought the response on one of the petitions which claims the state govt was pushing for 10% reservation, while there are only 7.5% EWS candidates and the MCI has already refused to increase 10% seats in the course in the current academic year.
Another petitioner contended that this quota raises the total seats reserved in Maharashtra to 76% — 50% to SC, ST and OBC, 10% to EWS and16% to Socially & Educationally Backward Classes, also known as the Maratha quota. Its lawyer said 76% reservation violates the Apex Court’s own order capping all reservations at 50%. The petitioners –Rajat Rajendra Agrawal, Mohd. Asif Nizamuddin and Tahar Mustafa Soni – have sought the quashing of two resolutions issued in this regard by the Maharashtra Government on February 12, 2019 and another on March 7, 2019, by its Medical Education and Drugs Department extending 10% reservation to the EWS in admissions to medical courses, including post graduate courses. As an interim measure, the petitioners have sought the stay of the two resolutions.
