Maratha quota: Days before Jarange’s protest, Maharashtra huddles to complete key demand
The identification of old Kunbi records and issuance of Kunbi certificates to eligible Marathas have been among the central demands of the Maratha movement.
Days ahead of activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s planned agitation over Maratha reservation, the Maharashtra government has moved to keep its machinery for verifying Kunbi records and family genealogies in place for another year, directing taluka-level committees to clear pending cases by June 30, 2027.
The committees, headed by tehsildars, have been given a one-year extension to verify family genealogies of applicants seeking Kunbi, Maratha-Kunbi and Kunbi-Maratha caste certificates.
A government resolution issued on August 25 extended their tenure from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027, and directed them to take up incomplete genealogy-matching cases on priority.
The decision was taken after discussions in the Maratha Reservation Cabinet Sub-Committee and comes soon after the government extended the tenure of the committee headed by retired Justice Sandeep Shinde.
The identification of old Kunbi records and issuance of Kunbi certificates to eligible Marathas have been among the central demands of the Maratha movement.
The discovery of an old government, revenue or other record showing a person as Kunbi, Maratha-Kunbi or Kunbi-Maratha does not automatically entitle a Maratha applicant to a certificate. Authorities must establish the applicant’s family link with the person named in the old record.
The taluka-level committees examine historical documents and verify whether the genealogy claimed by an applicant can be established. Cases can remain pending because of difficulties in locating old records, scrutinising documents and establishing family links.
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The latest extension gives the committees another year to complete this process and could help applicants awaiting genealogy verification before proceeding with the caste certificate and validity process.
The government has identified around 58 lakh Kunbi records, which Jarange has repeatedly cited while demanding that eligible Maratha families linked to these records be issued Kunbi certificates.
However, the existence of a record by itself does not mean that every Maratha applicant linked to it will automatically receive a certificate. The documentary and genealogical link still has to be established through the verification process.
Jarange has also sought separate government decisions concerning Kunbi certificates in areas including Satara, Kolhapur, Daund and Pune.
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The extension therefore gives the administration more time to process the large volume of cases, but also raises the question of how quickly the pending cases can actually be cleared.
Former MP Haribhau Rathod has meanwhile suggested a different route to address the reservation issue. He has said Jarange should demand a separate sub-classification within the OBC category for the Maratha community.
Vallabh Ozarkar is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express' Mumbai bureau, recognized as an authoritative and deeply knowledgeable voice on the politics, governance, and infrastructure of Maharashtra. With more than nine years of experience in major news organizations, his reporting delivers high standards of Expertise and Trustworthiness.
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