The Maharashtra government has extended the deadline till August 10 for submission of caste validity certificates for admissions to medical, engineering and other professional courses through NEET/CET.

Talking to reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting, Education Minister Vinod Tawde said the caste certificates were supposed to be submitted by June 30 as per the orders of the supreme court. "Since the government will amend the SC, ST, Denotified Tribes, Special Backward Caste, Notified Tribe Caste Validity Certificate Act 2000, the students should submit their applications in two days to the caste validation committee. The concession will remain only for this academic year," he said.

In another decision, the Cabinet has decided to have a new Horticulture scheme for farmers and has earmarked Rs 100 crore for the purpose this year. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. According to an official statement, the scheme will be beneficial for those farmers who are unable to avail the benefits of the horticulture scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural EGS scheme due to non availability of job cards.

At present an area of 18 lakh hectares is covered under horticulture plantation and the new scheme will help boost the same, the statement added. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural EGS scheme is being implemented since 2005 but many farmers cannot get benefits under the horticulture scheme due to non availability of job cards.