Maha govt accepts tribal students’ demands, appeals to call off hunger strike

The Maharashtra government has accepted the demands of tribal students protesting in Pune, Nagpur and Nashik and appealed to those on hunger strike to withdraw their agitation and return to their studies, Tribal Development Minister Ashok Uike said on Saturday.

The protest, which began following the deaths of three tribal girls from snakebite at a residential school in Gadchiroli district, focused on the recruitment of Scheduled Tribe candidates to government posts and improving conditions in tribal residential schools.

Uike said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met delegations of the protesting students and agreed to their demands. He added that the government would hold another meeting after three months to review implementation and address any difficulties.

"The chief minister has also assured them that after three months, a meeting will be held again to review the implementation of the decisions and to see whether there are any difficulties," Uike said.

The minister appealed to students continuing their hunger strike to end the protest.

Recruitment to ST posts

One of the key demands relates to placing Scheduled Tribes in the second position in the point roster under the relevant government resolution.

Uike said a committee had already been formed to examine the matter and would submit its recommendations within three months, after which the government would take appropriate action.

The students said their principal demand was recruitment to 12,500 vacant posts and that the government had agreed to provide a concrete timeline for filling them.

According to student representatives, the chief minister assured them that the vacant posts would be identified within three months.

The government also discussed recruitment under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, or PESA, as well as recruitment in non-PESA areas.

Of the 17 cadres covered under PESA, recruitment has already been completed for nine. Directions have now been issued to begin recruitment for the remaining cadres immediately, Uike said.

Supernumerary posts, caste validity

The government also considered the creation of supernumerary posts for Scheduled Tribe candidates in light of a 2017 Supreme Court judgment.

Uike said the number of such posts would be determined within three months and the process would be completed within six months.

The students also raised concerns about candidates who obtained government jobs without submitting caste validity certificates within the stipulated period.

They claimed that some candidates appointed in 2018, 2019 and 2020 continued in government service despite failing to submit the required certificates within six months.

According to the student representatives, Fadnavis assured them that action against such candidates would begin from Sunday, including removal from service wherever applicable.

Audit of tribal residential schools

The government has also directed third-party audits of aided and government-run tribal residential schools to identify deficiencies and ensure corrective action.

The students had raised concerns about infrastructure and facilities at these schools following the deaths of the three tribal girls in Gadchiroli.

Another contentious issue was the central kitchen system. The government has constituted a committee to examine the matter, with its report expected within 15 days to a month. The chief minister will take a final decision after considering the report, the students said.

The government also agreed to cancel the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme, according to the protesting students.

Students thank supporters

Student representatives said they were satisfied with the outcome of their meeting with the chief minister, particularly because the government had provided a time-bound programme for addressing their demands.

They credited the support of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar, state Congress leader Yashomati Thakur and the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) with helping draw wider attention to their concerns.

"The increased media coverage compelled the government to take note of our demands," the representatives said.

Earlier on Saturday, the Bombay High Court directed the state government to ensure the well-being of the students on hunger strike.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad said it did not want any more young lives to be lost.

The protests are expected to be called off later on Saturday following the government's acceptance of the demands and the assurances given to the student representatives.