The restructuring of reservations to identify and include the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) in Maharashtra is considered a significant reform in the state’s social justice policy. This was achieved through a long battle, in which the primary objective was to provide help and support to the genuinely backward and deprived sections of the Maratha community. In 2018, the Devendra Fadnavis government included the backward classes of the Maratha community in the SEBC category and initially provided them with 16 percent reservation. However, the Supreme Court struck it down in 2021. Then, in 2024, the Mahayuti government unanimously passed a new law providing 10 percent reservation in the legislature. Subsequently, special efforts were made to balance this reservation and implement it appropriately. This led to the redetermining of the reservation quotas for government posts in the Group C and Group D categories in accordance with the social composition of the population and the need for representation of backward classes in the eight tribal-dominated districts of the state.
On May 23, 2025, the state government constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee, chaired by the Revenue Minister, to determine the reservations for socially and educationally backward classes including the revised reservations and point lists for the eight tribal-dominated districts. The committee prepared a reservation apportionment plan after studying in detail the population of all categories, such as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Vimukta Jatis, Nomadic Tribes, Special Backward Classes, Other Backward Classes, Economically Weaker Sections, and the newly included Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBCs) in all eight districts. Based on the report submitted by this committee, the government announced the revised point lists for these eight tribal-dominated districts on July 29, 2025, presenting the revised reservations for all backward classes and establishing a 10 percent reservation structure for SEBCs.
What is SEBC Reservation?
SEBC, which stands for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes, was made a statutory category through legislation passed in 2018 and again in 2024. It includes sections of society that are socially, educationally, and economically backward. The Fadnavis government created this new category to provide reservations to the economically weaker sections of the Maratha community. In Maharashtra, the revised reservation ratios include 13 percent for Scheduled Castes, 7 percent for Scheduled Tribes, 3 percent for Unemployed Castes ‘A’, 2.5 percent for Nomadic Tribes ‘B’, 3.5 percent for Nomadic Tribes ‘C’, 2 percent for Nomadic Tribes ‘D’, 2 percent for Special Backward Classes, 19 percent for Other Backward Classes, 10 percent for SEBCs, and 10 percent for Economically Weaker Sections. Many people misunderstand the difference between the SEBC and Economically Weaker Sections. While both categories comprise deprived and disadvantaged sections of the society, SEBC candidates must be from the Maratha community, and EWS candidates must be from the general category. However, the eligibility for reservations under the SEBC category and EWS category is subject to the state’s approval.
The Mahayuti government took the historic decision in 2024 to implement a 10 percent reservation for the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) in Maharashtra’s tribal-dominated districts. This decision stems from the long struggle for Maratha reservation in Maharashtra and the complexities of legal proceedings. In 2018, then-Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis granted 16 percent reservation to the Maratha community through the SEBC Act. But this reservation was challenged in the Bombay High Court. However, in 2019, the Bombay High Court upheld the validity of this reservation and recommended reconsidering the percentage. Accordingly, in 2019, the state government established a 13 percent reservation in government services and a 12 percent reservation in educational institutions for the SEBC candidates. However, this Bombay High Court decision was challenged in the Supreme Court, followed by the apex court’s cancelling the High Court’s ruling on SEBC reservation on May 5, 2021. Later, after coming to power, the Mahayuti government established a new commission in December 2023 to reassess the issue and subsequently approved the SEBC bill in the legislature to provide a 10 percent reservation for the socially and educationally backward sections of the Maratha community. Further to this decision, the state government also took steps towards establishing a percentage and point list for reservations in eight districts.
The state government announced the revised reservation and quota list for the eight districts where tribals live in large numbers, based on the report submitted by the Cabinet Sub-Committee. The eight districts are Palghar, Nashik, Dhule, Nandurbar, Yavatmal, Gadchiroli, Raigad, and Chandrapur. According to the state-wise revised quota ratios, a 13 percent reservation has been fixed for Scheduled Castes, 7 percent for Scheduled Tribes, 3 percent for Unemployed Tribes ‘A’, 2.5 percent for Nomadic Tribes ‘B’, 3.5 percent for Nomadic Tribes ‘C’, 2 percent for Nomadic Tribes ‘D’, 2 percent for Special Backward Classes, 19 percent for Other Backward Classes, 10 percent for Socially and Economically Backward Classes, 10 percent for Economically Weaker Sections, and 28 percent for the General Category. However, this reservation ratio will vary across different districts according to the proportion of specific communities in a district and their degree of backwardness.
Reservations for Gadchiroli District
In Gadchiroli district, 12 percent reservations are implemented for Scheduled Castes, 24 percent for Scheduled Tribes, 2 percent for Unemployed Castes (A), 2 percent for Nomadic Tribes (B), 2 percent for Nomadic Tribes (C), 2 percent for Non-Nomadic Tribes (D), 2 percent for Special Backward Classes, 17 percent for Other Backward Classes, 8 percent for Socially and Economically Backward Classes, 8 percent for Economically Weaker Sections, and 21 percent for the General Category.
Reservation for Chandrapur District
In Chandrapur district, reservations are set at 13 percent for Scheduled Castes, 15 percent for Scheduled Tribes, 3 percent for Unemployed Castes (A), 2.5 percent for Nomadic Tribes (B), 3.5 percent for Nomadic Tribes (C), 2 percent for Nomadic Tribes (D), 2 percent for Special Backward Classes, 19 percent for Other Backward Classes, 8 percent for Socially and Economically Backward Classes, 8 percent for Economically Weaker Sections, and 24 percent for the General Category.
Reservation for Yavatmal District
Yavatmal district has 12 percent reservation for Scheduled Castes, 14 percent for Scheduled Tribes, 3 percent for Denotified Tribes (A), 2.5 percent for Nomadic Tribes (B), 3.5 percent for Nomadic Tribes (C), 2 percent for Denotified Tribes (D), 2 percent for Scheduled Castes (SCB), 17 percent for Other Backward Classes (OBC), 8 percent for Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC), 8 percent for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), and 28 percent for General Category (OPC).
Reservation for Raigad District
In Raigarh district, 12 percent reservation was fixed for Scheduled Castes, 9 percent for Scheduled Tribes, 3 percent for Vimukta Jati (A), 2.5 percent for Nomadic Tribes (B), 3.5 percent for Nomadic Tribes (C), 2 percent for Nomadic Tribes (D), 2 percent for Special Backward Classes, 19 percent for Other Backward Classes, 10 percent for SEBC, 9 percent for EWS, and 28 percent for the General Category.
Reservations for Nashik, Dhule, Nandurbar, and Palghar Districts
In Nashik, Dhule, Nandurbar, and Palghar districts, 10 percent reservations have been set for Scheduled Castes, 22 percent for Scheduled Tribes, 3 percent for Scheduled Castes (A), 2.5 percent for Nomadic Tribes (B), 3.5 percent for Nomadic Tribes (C), 2 percent for Nomadic Tribes (D), 2 percent for Scheduled Tribes (Sub-Border Classes), 15 percent for Other Backward Classes (OBC), 8 percent for Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC), 8 percent for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), and 24 percent for the General Category (Open Category).
The SEBC reservation for the Maratha community and the percentage and point list system in the reservation are the bold steps by the government to provide a reasonable solution to the long-drawn Maratha reservation demand and equal opportunity to OBC, EWS, and other economically and educationally backward sections of the society. This program is an important step towards providing social justice to the deprived and disadvantaged and bringing harmony among the different sections of the society. Particularly in the context of granting reservation to the Maratha community, there were resentments in other reserved groups. With the implementation of the revised reservation policy in Maharashtra in 2025, the government has demonstrated its initiative to achieve balance in tribal-dominated districts. Now this reservation structure will have to go through several processes, with the judicial process being crucial. Overall, this decision demonstrates the Fadnavis government’s resolve to eliminate discontent and provide justice and opportunities to every section of society.
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