The Maharashtra government has received permission from the Election Commission (EC) to promulgate an ordinance for Maratha reservation in post- graduate medical courses.

Sources said the issue would be discussed in the state cabinet meeting to be held on May 17. Promulgation of ordinance will pave the way for admissions to post-graduate medical courses under the Maratha quota. On March 8, the Maharashtra government had written a letter to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) to incorporate the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) quota from the 2019 academic session in the post-graduate medical courses.

However, in its order earlier this month, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court had said that the 16 per cent reservation for the Maratha community under the SEBC category will not be applicable for the post-graduate medical courses this year. The high court had contended that the government's decision to introduce the quota was unconstitutional. The division bench of justices Sunil Shukre and Pushpa Ganediwala had said that the March 8 notification (about the new quota) shall not be applicable to the admission process, which had started earlier. The apex court had also upheld the high court order, cancelling the 16 per cent SEBC quota for post-graduate medical seats in Maharashtra.