Bombay High Court: The Division Bench of S.V. Gangapurwala and Shrikant D. Kulkarni, JJ., directed that the petitioner, belonging to the Maratha caste, be considered for providing the benefit of EWS quota albeit a rider.
In the instant petition, the petitioners stated that they belong to the ‘Maratha Caste’ and have applied from E.W.S Category in the central format.
The same is categorized as S.E.B.C. Because of the G.R. dated 28-07-2020, a person from the reserved category cannot apply from E.W.S. Supreme Court had stayed the reservation of S.E.B.C
Further, the petitioners state that they will give an undertaking that they would not claim the benefit of reservation for educational purpose at any point in time.
Decision
Bench held that respondents may not deny the EWS Certificate to the petitioners only on the count of them belonging to the Maratha caste hence shall consider them on the production of the EWS Certificates required as per the rules from EWS Category.
Adding to the above, Court also stated that the petitioners shall not be entitled to any benefit of reservation for educational purposes once having been admitted from EWS Category.
Petitioners will have to prove before the Tahsildar that they belong to the economically weaker section then only would be entitled to EWS certificate.
Court expressed that:
If the petitioners are issued with the EWS certificates in the State format and undertaking is filed by the petitioners that during the entire educational career, they would not claim benefit of any reservation, either vertical or horizontal except EWS category, then the petitioners be considered for admission from EWS category.
[Vaishnavi Maroti Wadje v. State of Maharashtra, 2020 SCC OnLine Bom 4350, decided on 18-12-2020]