The Maharashtra Government’s Social Justice Department has formally revoked the decade‑old Government Resolution that had granted a 5 per cent reservation to the Muslim community in educational institutions and government or semi‑government jobs, issuing a fresh Government Resolution on 18 February 2026 to reflect the decade‑long legal reality.
Officials stated that the original quota introduced in 2014 was never converted into law, effectively lapsed and had been under prolonged judicial uncertainty. The move ends all related administrative processes, including issuing Special Backward Category‑A caste certificates to eligible Muslim groups.
While the government describes the step as an administrative correction, opposition parties and minority leaders have labelled it discriminatory and politically motivated, claiming it undermines minority welfare commitments. The Muslim community makes up approximately 11.5 per cent of Maharashtra’s population, and previous expert panels had highlighted socio‑economic and educational disadvantages in the community.
Formal Cancellation and Political Reactions
The new Government Resolution (GR) issued late Tuesday officially cancels the 2014 order that purported to provide a 5 per cent reservation for Muslims in government jobs and education under the Special Backward Category‑A (SBC‑A) framework.
Authorities emphasised that the decision does not create a fresh policy but rather aligns official records with existing legal realities namely, that the ordinance under which the quota was introduced was never enacted by the legislature and consequently lapsed, and the Bombay High Court had placed a stay on parts of the measure soon after it was announced.
Government spokespersons further clarified that all previous decisions, circulars and administrative actions linked to the lapsed SBC‑A reservation including issuing caste and non‑creamy layer certificates to eligible Muslim groups stand rescinded. The government said this was necessary because the ordinance ceased to have force of law long ago, and its administrative remnants needed to be removed.
The cancellation has triggered immediate political responses. Leaders from the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) criticised the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, accusing it of sidelining minority welfare under the guise of legal formalism.
“This decision delivers a severe blow to the rights of the Muslim community,” Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad said, questioning the government’s commitment to inclusive governance slogans such as Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. She asked if revoking administrative avenues for reservation documents was “hypocrisy in practice”.
Imtiaz Jaleel, head of the AIMIM in Maharashtra, offered a sharp remark describing the cancellation as a “Ramadan gift”, but vowed to continue advocating that Muslim students and job applicants persevere in their educational and professional goals.
Opposition legislators from various regional parties also labelled the move anti‑minority, arguing that even if the quota was historically unimplemented, formally rescinding all administrative links sends a negative political message to communities that continue to face structural disadvantage.
How the Policy Emerged and Evolved
The issue traces its roots back to long‑standing debates over affirmative action for the Muslim community in Maharashtra. In the late 2000s, the state government set up committees, including one led by retired bureaucrat Dr Mehmoodur Rehman, which found that significant sections of the Muslim population were socially and educationally backward. The committee reported that nearly 60 per cent of Muslims in the state lived below the poverty line, and their representation in government jobs and higher education lagged well behind other groups, recommending an 8 per cent quota to address these gaps.
Acting on these recommendations, the then Congress‑NCP administration introduced an ordinance in July 2014 ahead of assembly elections that proposed a 16 per cent reservation for Marathas and 5 per cent for socially and educationally backward Muslim groups in education and state employment. However, legal and constitutional questions quickly surfaced.
Soon after its announcement, the Bombay High Court intervened. In November 2014, the court stayed the employment components of the quota and kept only the educational portion operative, though even this remained in legal limbo.
After the government changed later that year, the ordinance was not placed before the state legislature for approval within the constitutionally mandated timeframe of six weeks, leading it to automatically lapse by December 2014. For years thereafter, the policy remained inoperative and legally uncertain.
Subsequent governments, including the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi and later the current coalition under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, grappled with how to address disparities without overstepping constitutional limits on religion‑based reservations. The recent Government Resolution effectively closes the administrative chapter of the 2014 quota, leaving reservation eligibility for Muslims within the scope of existing backward class lists where applicable.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The Logical Indian recognises the importance of affirmative action as a tool for social justice, especially for communities facing documented socio‑economic and educational marginalisation. At the same time, constitutional safeguards, legislative backing and judicial scrutiny are essential to ensure that such policies are legally sound, fair and implementable.
Simply cancelling a decade‑old administrative order that was already defunct in practice, without addressing the underlying structural inequalities, risks leaving disadvantaged groups without meaningful policy support. It also underscores the need for data‑driven policymaking, transparent debate and multistakeholder engagement including with civil society, academic researchers and affected communities to build lasting consensus on affirmative action frameworks.
