Students admitted to various higher education courses in Maharashtra under the new Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) quota in the 2024-25 session will get another extension to submit their Caste Validation Certificates (CVCs). A six-month extension was first given in June 2024. With that deadline set to end in January 2025, another postponement has been announced for three more months. However, the government has said this will be the final postponement and any student failing to submit the CVC within this period will risk losing admission. The additional three-month extension applies to those who have sought admission under the OBC quota too. What explains the delay and who is included under the quota? We explain. First, what is the SEBC quota? Under the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2024, the SEBC quota was introduced to provide 10% reservation in public jobs and higher education for the Maratha community. The Marathas form almost a third of the state’s population, with the demand for reservation being a longstanding political issue. In 2023, under the leadership of Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil, protests for Marathas to be recognised as a backward community gathered momentum. The state government agreed to their demand in January 2024 and the SEBC Act was enacted the following month. It came into effect in the 2024-25 academic year, making this the first batch of students admitted under the category. Candidates taking admission on seats reserved under this quota were to submit their CVCs, ideally at the time of admission. The session has commenced and students have been admitted. Notably, the SEBC Act has been challenged in the Bombay High Court. On April 16, 2024, the Court clarified that till further orders, any applications for admissions to educational institutions or jobs at government authorities taking benefit of the impugned Act would be subject to further orders in those proceedings. What is the procedure for applying for CVC under the SEBC Act? A Caste Certificate is a document that confirms that a person belongs to the said community, while a Caste Validity Certificate is proof of holding an authentic caste certificate. This helps ensure that the individual is not pretending to belong to any backward community to avail a job, admission or other benefits. Thus, a CVC must be submitted when an individual from any reserved category is applying for a government job or admission to professional courses such as engineering and medicine. In Maharashtra, CVCs can be obtained online or offline. The applicant must submit relevant documents showing proof of identity, address, caste validity documents, affidavits, etc. The SEBC Act stated that provisions of certain existing Acts and rules governing Maharashtra’s Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and some other groups shall “mutatis mutandis” (with necessary changes) apply for issuance of Caste Certificate and Validity Certificate for Marathas. Why was the CVC submission deadline extended? Procedural issues have been flagged in obtaining the CVC for SEBC because this is a newly implemented reservation category. While some individuals have faced problems collating all documents, the administrative systems are also adjusting to dealing with CVC applications coming under a new segment. Many also complained that the process took too long to complete even after submitting the required documents. This is the second extension, as the original deadline was eased due to complaints. However, as the January deadline approached, it was further extended for another three months since a significant number of candidates had not been able to submit their CVCs. According to the Government Resolution issued earlier this month, candidates admitted under the SEBC quota have until April 2025 to submit the CVCs. Failing to do so, their admission will be cancelled.
