Maha govt to take action against non-Hindu students who availed ST quota

The Maharashtra government has decided to take action against 257 students from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category who, while claiming reservation benefits as Hindu tribal candidates, were found to be practicing religions other than Hinduism.

According to an official release, a committee formed for this investigation reported that, among 13,858 students from Scheduled Tribes, 257 students had registered religions other than Hinduism.

It came to notice during the 2023 Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) ITI admission process that some students, who converted from tribal communities to other religions, were still availing benefits reserved for tribals.

In light of this, Cabinet Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha had ordered a thorough investigation during the Winter Session in 2023.

The Skill Development Department has decided to take necessary action against these students, and the report has been forwarded to the Tribal Development Department for further proceedings.

Additionally, the committee has proposed several measures to preserve the culture, traditions, and practices of the tribal community, which have also been submitted to the Tribal Development Department.