‘Kunbi’ caste certificates to members of Maratha community: Maharashtra Government extends term of Committee to decide methodology

Maharashtra extends Justice Sandeep Shinde Committee term to decide on 'Kunbi' caste certificates for Maratha community.

The Maharashtra Government on Wednesday (February 12, 2025) extended the term of the Justice (retd.) Sandeep Shinde Committee, formed by the previous regime, to decide the methodology for issuing ‘Kunbi’ caste certificates to members of the Maratha community.

“The Committee was appointed by the Eknath Shinde-led government in September 2023. Its extended term will come to an end on June 30, 2025,” a government order said. The six-month extension order came 43 days after the earlier term of the panel expired on December 31, 2024.

How the Maratha, Kunbi identities have changed over the course of history

The panel was appointed following an agitation led by Manoj Jarange who demanded that eligible Marathas should be provided Kunbi caste certificates so that they can avail of Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation in jobs and education. Kunbi, an agrarian community, falls in the OBC category.

OBC leaders in the State have opposed the inclusion of Marathas in the category, fearing that the available reservation for their communities will shrink as a result.

Maratha vs OBC face-off: Hake insists ‘Kunbi’ and ‘Maratha’ are different

The Committee was asked to study the records of the former Hyderabad and Bombay States where Marathas are sometimes mentioned as Kunbis. Initially appointed for the region of Marathwada, its scope was later extended to cover the entire State.