MUMBAI, Dec. 30 -- Members of the Maratha community aspiring to become teachers have expressed strong resentment about a recent Maharashtra government circular that grants a 5% relaxation in marks in the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) to candidates from reserved categories who possess a Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) certificate. Their issue with the circular is that it has come too late, after many candidates have already lost out. Many of the Maratha aspirants had applied for posts under the general category, as the first phase of the exam is conducted by the central education ministry, where separate SEBC (Socially and Educationally Backward Classes) or EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) options do not apply. In Maharashtra, 60% marks are mandatory to apply for a teaching post. The relaxation allowing the 5% relaxation was announced on December 26 during the ongoing teacher recruitment process. The circular stated that Maratha candidates who scored between 55% and 60% and possessed an NCL certificate would be eligible for a 5% relaxation. According to information shared by the aspirants, around 5,000 candidates from the Maratha community applied under the open category since the Pavitra portal did not provide SEBC or EWS options....