Shinde govt accepts Maratha protesters' OBC quota demand

Marathas from the central Maharashtra region can access reservation under the other backward classes (OBC) category if they can produce a certificate from the Nizam era classifying them as Kunbi, a sub-caste, the state government announced on Wednesday, accepting a demand from the dominant community.

- Surendra P Gangan

Under fire after state police lathi-charged Maratha demonstraters last week, the state government also constituted a committee under a retired judge to expedite the process of verifying records and issuing the certificates. The government's decision opened the door for reservations for the entire community - currently Kunbis, who are classified as OBCs, constitute 18% of Marathas - but also sparked protests from other OBC groups.

"Community members who have Nizam-era certificates to prove their caste will be issued fresh certificates," chief minister Eknath Shinde said. "The committee under the retired judge will check the revenue and educational records to enable the issuance of the certificates," he said.