Government Announces Support Measures for Maratha Youth Employment

Mumbai, September 15 – Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced a bundle of initiatives designed to boost employment prospects for Maratha youth while upholding the legal framework of reservation.

Shinde confirmed that the chief minister, cabinet colleagues, district collectors and senior police officers are in constant dialogue with Maratha reservation leader Manoj Jharange Patil. He assured that every pending court matter will be addressed through constitutional means.

He reminded the audience that the Maratha reservation was first introduced in 2014 by then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and later validated by the courts as 12% in education and 13% in government jobs. After a brief interruption following a change of government, the current administration reinstated the quota by invoking the oath taken on the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and convening a special assembly session to sanction a 10% reservation.

The deputy chief minister highlighted the state’s decisive response to the 5,300 candidates whose recruitment was stalled by a court stay. He pledged that any job offered to these candidates will be defended by the government, irrespective of subsequent legal challenges.

Additional programs include increasing the loan ceiling of the Annasaheb Patil Economic Development Corporation, building new hostels for students, providing scholarships for overseas education, and forming the Justice Shinde Committee to issue certificates based on verified family records. These measures have already benefited millions across Maharashtra.

Shinde called on protestors to adopt a constructive stance, noting that the government is doing everything permissible under law to ensure justice for the Maratha community. He warned against political opportunism and emphasized that the priority remains education and livelihood for disadvantaged youth.

He also appealed to organizers of past peaceful Maratha demonstrations to ensure that the upcoming Ganeshotsav celebrations proceed without hindrance, respecting the influx of pilgrims from across India and abroad. Law‑enforcement agencies have been instructed to take all necessary precautions.

On the Uniform Civil Code, Shinde reiterated the Mahayuti government's alignment with Balasaheb Thackeray’s vision of “one country, one law, equal justice for all,” and affirmed that the state will take decisive steps when the appropriate moment arrives.