Overview
- The Maharashtra cabinet, which approved the rule on Thursday, said it will guide hiring across departments, public sector firms and competitive exams.
- Under the rule, using any relaxation in age, educational qualification, experience or number of attempts disqualifies a reserved-category candidate from open-category posts, with exam fee discounts not counted as a relaxation.
- Reserved-category candidates who take no such relaxations remain eligible for open-category selection purely on merit.
- The General Administration Department said the policy follows multiple recommendations and aims to reduce disputes and make recruitment rules uniform.
- The change lands as Maharashtra’s total reservation stands near 72%, and Congress leaders criticized the decision as diluting rights, while officials said it preserves clarity within existing quota law.