Maharashtra Cracks Down on Misused Tribal Benefits

The Maharashtra government plans action against 257 Scheduled Tribe students who claimed reservations as Hindu tribals while practicing other religions. Following an ITI admissions probe, steps will be taken to ensure tribal benefits are preserved for genuine candidates, with measures proposed to maintain tribal cultural practices.

The Maharashtra government is set to take decisive action against 257 students from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category who allegedly claimed reservation benefits reserved for Hindu tribal candidates while practicing other religions, according to an official release.

An investigative committee determined that among 13,858 ST students, 257 had registered under religions other than Hinduism. This discovery emerged during the 2023 Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) admission process, revealing a discrepancy in the use of tribal community benefits.

Cabinet Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha ordered a thorough investigation during the Winter Session in 2023 after noticing the conversion of tribal community members. Consequently, the Skill Development Department will take appropriate action, having already forwarded the report to the Tribal Development Department. In addition, the committee recommended measures to safeguard tribal culture and traditions, which have also been submitted for further consideration. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)