Day 8 Admission Arguments

January 6th 2020

The Supreme Court is hearing a challenge to the constitutional validity of Maharashtra’s Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2018, which grants reservations to the Maratha community.

Today, Chief Justice Sharad Bobde’s Bench briefly heard arguments in an urgent Interlocutory Application (No. 193396 of 2019) in a tagged matter: Sagar Damodar Sarda v State of Maharashtra. Sr. Adv. Raju Ramachandran appeared for the petitioner, while Sr. Adv. P.S. Patwalia appeard for the State.

The issue before the Court in the IA was whether certain vacant post-graduate medical seats could be filled via the Maratha quota. Sr. Adv. Ramachandran sought to rely on certain judgments to argue that the seats should be filled. However, Sr. Adv. Patwalia pointed out that the judgments did not apply to post-graduate seats. Sr. Adv. Ramachandran pleaded that leaving the seats vacant would be a ‘waste’. Chief Justice Bobde directed the State to file its reply within two weeks.

The counsel for the petitioner in the lead case – Jaishri Laxmanrao Patil v Chief Minister of Maharashtra – also briefly addressed the court. The counsel stated that the State was yet to translate certain Marathi documents, as directed by the Court in the previous hearing.

Sr. Adv. Patwalia stated that all translations will be published online before the next hearing and reminded the counsel for Laxmanrao Patil that their matter is listed for 22 January. Chief Justice Bobde asked the counsel to refrain from addressing the Court, reminding the counsel that it was only hearing the Interlocutory Application today.

The next hearing is on January 22nd.

(Court reporting by Sanya Talwar)