<span style="color: #222222;">The Supreme Court today agreed to consider according an urgent hearing to petitions challenging the constitutional validity of a Maharashtra law that grants reservation to the Maratha community in education and jobs. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi took note of the submissions of a lawyer that the petitions which were to be listed for the hearing are not in the cause-list of the apex court.<br />''<br />''The Bombay High Court, in its order on 27th of last month, had said the 50 per cent cap on total reservations imposed by the Supreme Court could be exceeded in exceptional circumstances.The apex court is seized of five petitions challenging the Bombay High Court's order which upheld the constitutional validity of the quota.<br />''<br />''One petition contends that the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018, breached the 50-per cent ceiling on reservation fixed by the apex court in its landmark judgment in the Indira Sahwney case, also known as the "Mandal verdict". The SEBC Act, 2018, was enacted to grant reservation to the Maratha community people in jobs and education.</span><br />