Maharashtra: Minority Institutions Oppose Social Reservations in FYJC Admissions, Seek Policy Clarity from State

Mumbai, 6th June 2025: The Maharashtra Association of Minority Educational Institutions has urged the state government to immediately roll back the imposition of social and constitutional reservations—such as those for SC, ST, and OBC communities—in minority-run junior colleges for admissions to Class XI.

In a formal representation to the school education department, the association has demanded that minority colleges be exempted from these quotas, especially for the 50% seats that are not reserved for minority students. The association is also seeking rectification of the management and in-house quota calculations, alleging inconsistencies on the official admission portal.

“Despite no formal government resolution or official circular, social reservations have been included in the admission matrix of minority institutions. This contradicts established rules and past practices,” the association stated in its letter. It also emphasized that the state’s official admission handbook for the current academic year makes no mention of applying such quotas in minority institutions.

Several college principals reportedly raised concerns after the updated seat matrix was published online, revealing allocation of seats to various reserved categories within the non-minority quota.

“We were surprised to see the categorization on the CAP portal. Minority institutions have certain protections under constitutional provisions and past court rulings,” said one college administrator, requesting anonymity.

The association attached a copy of a 2017 Bombay High Court judgment, which had overturned Mumbai University’s move to enforce constitutional reservations in minority institutions, reaffirming that such mandates cannot be applied to institutions with minority status.

Additionally, the group challenged the CAP booklet’s reference to a general administration department circular, which suggests that vacant parallel reservation seats must be filled by eligible social category candidates. The association countered that this circular pertains strictly to government job recruitment and not to educational admissions in minority-run institutions.

Calling for immediate correction of the seat allocation methodology, the association has demanded a written clarification or government resolution clearly stating that social reservations are not applicable to minority colleges—consistent with constitutional guarantees and previous judicial interpretations.