Official data shows a significant increase in the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas in the Marathwada region since 2023.
Reader brief
Through the Reader lens: The issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas in the Marathwada region of India has surged from 652 to 310,000 in three years. This increase follows widespread agitation by activists seeking Other Backward Class (OBC) quota benefits for the Maratha community. While the government has processed many applications, activists highlight ongoing difficulties in obtaining the final caste validity needed to access jobs and education.
What to watch next
- Government adjustments to caste validation processes
- Future protest actions by Maratha activists
- Impact of documentation challenges in formerly Hyderabad state regions
What was said1
Attributed, verbatim. Every quote is checked against the article it came from. One that does not match is not shown.
Virendra Pawar
1 quote“Since the agitation began three years ago, the number of Kunbi certificates issued to Marathas have undoubtedly gone up. But those in Marathwada face the challenge of accessing records of their family tree since this was not properly documented in the Hyderabad state. We need the caste validity committee to make discretionary decisions based on the village-level information of the family’s antecedents”
Sources1
All filed from IndiaNamed India · IN-MH · Maharashtra · Marathwada · Manoj Jarange · Punjabrao Deshmukh · Sakal Maratha Samaj · Shinde Committee · Virendra Pawar
- [1]The Times of India — MumbaineutralKunbi (OBC) certs to Marathas in Marathwada soared from 652 to 3.1 lakh in 3 years