CM extends deadline for caste validity certificate submission

Mumbai CM extends deadline for caste validity certificates by 6 months, benefiting Maratha community students. Fee waivers approved for EWS, SEBC, OBC students in all higher education courses.

Mumbai: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday extended the time limit for submitting caste validity certificates by six months from the date of application. This extension will provide significant relief to students, especially those from the Maratha community, who are admitted to various educational institutions for engineering, medical, and other professional courses in the 2024-25 academic year.

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The Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2024, passed unanimously by the Maharashtra assembly in a special session on February 20, 2024, grants 10 percent reservation for the Maratha community in admissions to state educational institutions and direct service recruitment posts in government and semi-government jobs.

Students benefiting from the SEBC Act have faced difficulties obtaining caste validity certificates, prompting them to demand an extension. Responding to these demands, Chief Minister Shinde has extended the deadline for submitting the certificate to six months after applying for it.

Additionally, the state government has approved a fee waiver for higher education courses for students from EWS, SEBC, and OBC categories. Previously, such fee waivers were granted only for professional courses. Now, students pursuing undergraduate and master’s degrees in arts, commerce, science, and other fields will also benefit. Educational institutes have been instructed not to charge fees from these students, except for exam fees, which will be reimbursed by the government directly to the students’ bank accounts. This move will provide substantial relief to lakhs of students, many of whom could be first-time voters.