The Gujarat government on Friday withdrew a notification staying an ordinance that allowed 10% quota to the economically backward among upper castes in educational institutions, only hours after it issued it. In an official statement, the General Administration Department said that "after rethinking, the government had decided to cancel the notification issued earlier in the day", reported The Indian Express.

The matter is being heard in the Supreme Court after the Gujarat High Court on August 14 revoked the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s Gujarat Unreserved Economically Weaker Sections (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions in the State and of Appointments and Posts in Services under the State) Ordinance, 2016. The court had, however, kept its order in abeyance so that the state government could approach the apex court. The top court has recommended the matter to a five-judge Constitution bench.

On September 9, the court had said that the admissions already made under the new system will not be affected by the stay on the ordinance. In a circular, the state government had said, “Pending further orders, we direct that the admissions made to any educational institution prior to the pronouncement of the impugned order shall not be disturbed. We make it clear that since the impugned ordinance has been struck down by the High Court, no further action towards implementation of the reservation made under the said ordinance can be taken qua education and service matters,” The government had introduced the ordinance in May in view of reservation demands made by the Patidar community in the state.