On Tuesday, the Maharashtra government officially endorsed the inaugural report put forth by a committee, presided over by the retired high court judge Sandeep Shinde, which was specifically appointed to formulate the procedures governing the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to Maratha individuals residing in the Marathwada region.
As per an official statement, the process for the issuance of Kunbi certificates has been initiated. The Kunbi community, which is predominantly linked to agricultural activities, falls under the classification of Other Backward Classes (OBC) in Maharashtra, entitling its members to affirmative action advantages in the realms of education and government employment.
The state cabinet, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, also resolved that the OBC Commission would embark on collecting updated empirical data to evaluate the educational and societal disadvantages faced by the Maratha community.
These governmental determinations were made against the backdrop of activist Manoj Jarange's ongoing hunger strike, now in its seventh day, demanding quotas for the Maratha community and amidst incidents of unrest, primarily concentrated in the Marathwada region.
An official statement from the Chief Minister's Office underscored, "The first report of the Justice Sandeep Shinde (retd) committee has been submitted. The process of granting Kunbi certificates to Marathas has started."
Addressing reporters subsequent to the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Shinde underscored the government's duty to offer reservation benefits to the Maratha community. He emphasized the government's commitment to ensuring that Marathas receive a reservation that is legally sound and doesn't disrupt the allocation of quotas for other communities.
Additionally, the cabinet resolved to establish a three-member panel chaired by the retired judge Dilip Bhosale, which will serve as an advisory body to the government regarding the legal aspects associated with the Maratha quota demand. The other two members of this panel are retired judges Sandeep Shinde and Maroti Gaikwad.
Chief Minister Shinde noted that this committee will provide guidance to the government when it files a curative petition with the Supreme Court.
The government had established a five-member panel headed by Justice Shinde (retd) last month to determine the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the issuance of Kunbi certificates to Maratha individuals hailing from the Marathwada region who (or whose forebears) were referred to as Kunbis in historical documents dating back to the Nizam era. This panel was granted an extension until December 24 just last week.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Shinde spoke with Jarange via telephone and assured him of a decisive stance on the issuance of Kunbi certificates to the Maratha community during the cabinet meeting. The activist has been advocating for Kunbi certificates to be granted to Marathas throughout the entire state.
On Monday, the Chief Minister disclosed that the Justice Shinde (retd) committee had meticulously reviewed 1.72 crore government documents, with a total of 11,530 records identifying the Kunbi caste in old documents. As a result, the process to distribute fresh Kunbi certificates was scheduled to commence on Tuesday.
