Maharashtra Government May be Taken To High Court on the Proposed 90% SSC Reservation Policy

Parents, students and the principals of the non SSC board schools are very furious about the Maharashtra state government's plan to allocate 90% quota for SSC students in Junior colleges and may approach the high court.

A year ago the government was taken to the court by a parent of an ICSE student when it announced the Percentile system , to push up the marks of SSC students those from the other board. The High court ruled against the Percentile system and also clearly stated that any new policiesw concerning admissions must be announced well in advance.

This year the government plans to reserve 90% seats to SSC students.
Gerry Arathoon, spokesperson of the ICSE board added that the 90% reservation policy was not mentioned in the meeting held a couple weeks ago that he as well as the representatives of the CBSE, IGSCE attended.

Meera Isaacs, principal of Cathedral and John Connon School, Fort commented "This is ridiculous. I've never heard of anything more unfair. This is one of the most horrific things that a democratically elected government could come up with. I don't think any court in the country can uphold this,".

Students like Madhuri Sarma, a student from a South Mumbai school is upset that she might not get into the HR college even with a 92% score, with this 90% reservation policy. Principal of Rajhans Vidyalaya, a CBSE school in Andheri,
Deepshikha Srivastava is worried that this reservation policy might discourage parents of CBSE board students to accept transferable jobs.
As for the government's contention that ICSE and CBSE students score more marks than SSC students, children like Madhuri feel that both the national board exam papers are more logical, analytical and have a lot more thinking' questions than the SSC board. "Our syllabus is harder than that of the SSC board," she added.

Many, like Perin Bagli, principal of Activity ICSE board School feels that the government as put forward the most unconventional and discriminatory plan.

As per Navroz Seervai, noted advocate and one of the council who appeared on behalf of the ICSE schools in the percentile case in 2008, the 90% reservation policy is discrininatory unser Article 14 and does not gel with the landmark judgement passed by the supreme court.