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3 min readMumbaiUpdated: Apr 1, 2026 08:35 PM IST
The Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday announced a new committee, led by chief secretary Rajesh Agrawal, to examine representations on the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes (SCs). The panel has been asked to submit its report within a month.
The move comes after the cabinet was presented with the report of an earlier committee headed by retired judge Anant Manohar Badar. This panel had been set up following a 2024 ruling by the Supreme Court of India, which allowed states to create sub-categories within SC reservations.
The Badar committee was appointed in October 2024 by the then government led by Eknath Shinde, just days before the Assembly elections. It was tasked with preparing a draft plan for sub-classification, studying the Supreme Court judgment, and reviewing how other states have handled similar policies.
The panel was initially given three months — until January 15, 2025, to submit its report, but its tenure was extended twice before it finally submitted its findings in March this year.
While presenting the 2026–27 state budget, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said the government would act after receiving the committee’s recommendations.
“As per the Supreme Court order, a committee has been formed to prepare a framework for sub-categorisation of Scheduled Caste reservations. The report is expected soon, and further action will be taken,” he had said.
With the Badar report now submitted, the government has set up the Chief Secretary-led committee to review suggestions, objections and applications received from different groups on the issue before taking a final decision.
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The new panel’s report, expected within a month, will guide the government’s next steps on whether and how to divide the SC quota—an issue that has both social and political implications in the state.
Quota within quota
Dalit sub-classification means dividing the existing Scheduled Caste (SC) reservation into smaller quotas for different caste groups within the Dalit community. In Maharashtra, this debate is shaped by the fact that neo-Buddhist Dalits — mainly from the Mahar community — make up a large and relatively more organised section, with better access to education, jobs and political representation.
Smaller SC groups, such as Matangs and others, argue that they have not benefited equally from the current system. Sub-classification, or a “quota within quota”, is therefore being discussed as a way to ensure that these more marginalised groups get a fairer share of reservation benefits. It is also politically sensitive, as it can reshape alliances within Dalit communities and influence voting patterns in the state.
