Snehal Anandrao Bhosale v. The State of Maharashtra & Ors.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
CIRCUIT BENCH AT KOLHAPUR
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

WRIT PETITION NO. 4410 OF 2026

Snehal Anandrao Bhosale ...Petitioner
Versus
The State of Maharashtra and Others ...Respondents

Mr. Saurabh P. Tandale, h/f. Mr. Chandrakant Thorat, for the Petitioner.
Mr. A. P. Vanarase, AGP, for the Respondents-State.
Mr. Nagesh Y. Chavan with Mr. Abhang M. Suryawanshi, for the Respondent No.2-CET Cell.

Coram: Sharmila U. Deshmukh & Neeraj P. Dhote, JJ.
Date: September 04, 2026.

P. C.:

[NyayVidhan note: text from the official PDF (bombayhighcourt.gov.in, uploaded 04.09.2026; no neutral citation printed). Page headers and footers, the CNR and upload stamps and the digital-signature block are omitted; the footnotes are collected at the end with their markers shown as [n]. The Court's slips are kept as printed.]

1. Mentioned. Not on board. Taken on board.

2. By the present petition, the Petitioner seeks direction to the Respondent Nos.2 and 4 not to cancel the admission of the Petitioner for B.Sc. Honors (Agricultural) course for academic year 2026-27 from the seat reserved for Scheduled Tribe category and for extension of time to submit the Tribe Validity certificate within a period of three months.

3. The Petitioner had secured admission in B.Sc. Honors Agriculture course and has submitted the proposal on 30th March 2026 to Respondent No.2 for verification of a Tribe Claim. Though, the application was submitted on 30th March 2026, the Caste Scrutiny Committee did not decide the tribe claim. The last date for submitting the caste certificate is today, i.e. 4th September 2026 by 6:00 p.m.

4. The contention of learned counsel appearing for the Petitioner is that the various Government Circulars, which were issued from time to time granting extension of time for submitting the caste certificate only to specific categories have been held to be discriminatory, drawing support from the decision in the case of Ishwari Vinod Salunkhe v. State CET Cell & Ors.[1] and Daulatrao Narayan Yamalwad v. The State of Maharashtra, Through its Secretary & Ors.[2]

5. During the hearing, it was brought to the notice of this Court that by Government Circular of 4th September 2026, the time to submit the Caste Validity Certificate has been extended by period of three months in respect of Scheduled Caste, Nomadic Tribes, V.J. & N.T. and Other Backward Class and Special Backward Class. Though, there is no specific mention of Scheduled Tribe in the Circular dated 4th September 2026, there is no reason as to why the time for submitting the caste validity certificate should not be extended identically in respect ST student. The non-inclusion, if any, in the Circular dated 4th September 2026 is prima facie, discriminatory. The Government Circular covers all reserved categories except Scheduled Tribes and, therefore, we are of the prima facie opinion that the benefit under the Government Circular dated 4th September 2026 should also be extended to the Scheduled Tribes too. The Petitioner has already secured admission and as her caste validity is pending before the Caste Scrutiny Committee, applying the Government Circular dated 4th September 2026, the Petitioner is entitled to extension of three months period for submitting the caste validity certificate.

6. The Respondent No.3 -Scrutiny Committee is directed to decide the Petitioner’s proposal within a period of six weeks from today.

7. Stand over on 28th September 2026.

8. Till the next date, the Respondent Nos.2 and 4 are directed not to cancel the admission of the Petitioner for B.Sc. Honors Agriculture Course for the academic year 2026-27.

9. All concerned to act on authenticated copy of this order.

[Neeraj P. Dhote, J.] [Sharmila U. Deshmukh, J.]

Footnotes

[1] Writ Petition No.12335 of 2025 dtd. 20th September 2025.
[2] Writ Petition No.12427 of 2025 dtd. 8th October 2025.