According to an interim report presented in the Maharashtra Assembly on Friday, it has been revealed that approximately 257 students belonging to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category have indicated a religious affiliation other than Hindu while benefiting from reservation quotas for admissions to Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in Maharashtra.
To investigate this matter further, the Maharashtra government has established a committee tasked with gathering data on ST students enrolled in ITIs who have converted to religions such as Christianity or Islam. The report, tabled by Skill Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, suggests that the government intends to meticulously scrutinize the records of these 257 students to determine the validity of their admissions.
Lodha emphasized the possibility of resorting to police intervention if deemed necessary to uphold the rights of STs. Additionally, the committee proposed the potential extension of similar surveys to other educational institutions in response to any complaints received.
The committee's examination, based on admissions data from the year 2023, reveals that out of 13,858 students admitted under ST quotas, 257 individuals have identified their religious affiliation as non-Hindu. Among these, there are 37 Muslims, four Buddhists, three Christians, and one Sikh. Moreover, around 190 students indicated alternative faiths on their admission forms, while 22 students provided no religious information.
Under government regulations, 7.5 percent of seats are reserved for ST quotas, with the stipulation that individuals belonging to STs may adhere to any religion. Nevertheless, the committee, led by Dr. Murlidhar Chandekar, former Vice-Chancellor of Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University, underscores the potential exploitation of double benefits by those converting religions after obtaining certificates as Hindu STs.
The committee intends to conduct thorough investigations into all 257 cases, including visits to the respective ITIs, the students' villages of residence, and integrated tribal development projects in the area. This comprehensive approach aims to determine whether facilities designated for tribals should be extended to these students following their religious conversions.
Chandekar elaborated on the committee's objectives, emphasizing the need to identify such conversions, devise policies to prevent such occurrences and safeguard ST reservation seats. He emphasized the cultural ramifications of religious conversions on tribal customs and traditions.
The issue was raised in the Nagpur assembly session by BJP MLCs Niranjan Davkhare, Praveen Darekar, and Prasad Lad, alleging that converted STs were still exploiting reservation benefits. They highlighted the prevalence of such cases in state ITIs, where many converted STs managed to secure admissions through reserved quotas.
With a total of 966 ITIs in Maharashtra catering to over one lakh students, the establishment of this committee has garnered criticism from Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh, who views it as a conspiracy to deprive tribal students of their entitled benefits. He plans to legally challenge the committee's report and its intentions.
