Maharashtra govt to act against 257 non-Hindu students who availed ST quota

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has decided to take action against 257 Scheduled Tribe (ST) category students, who were found practising religions other than Hinduism but availing the reservation benefit as a Hindu tribal candidate.

An investigation carried out by a special committee of the state government earlier found that out of 13,858 students who had registered themselves under the ST category, 257 were practising religions other than Hinduism.

These students had obtained a certificate as a Hindu ST to avail of the reservation benefit before converting to some other religion. The office of the state Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha issued a statement on Thursday, which said that the matter was raised regarding students from the ST category during the 2023 Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) admission process.

Those students who got converted to other religions, continue to benefit from the reservations designated for tribal communities. In light of this concern, minister Lodha had ordered a comprehensive investigation during the state legislature's 2023 winter session.

"As a result of the special committee's findings, the Maharashtra Skill Development Department has decided to take action against the students involved. The committee's report has been forwarded to the state Tribal Development Department, which will be responsible for further proceedings and enforcement of necessary actions," the statement said.

In addition to addressing the misuse of reservations, the committee also proposed several measures to safeguard the cultural heritage, traditions and practices of the tribal communities. These recommendations, aimed at preserving the tribal identity, have been submitted to the Tribal Development Department for consideration, it said.