Maharashtra Government accepts demands of tribal students, appeals them to call off hunger strike

Over 17 days after tribal students began a hunger strike in different parts of Maharashtra, the State Government on Saturday (August 29, 2026) accepted all their demands. A delegation of tribal students walked out of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ residence, ‘Varsha,’ on Saturday (August 29) afternoon, stating that they were satisfied with the meeting after the government provided them with a time-bound schedule for implementing key demands, including the pending recruitment for 12,500 positions for tribals.

“We thank Rahul Gandhi, Rohit Pawar, Yashomati Thakur, and other leaders. This was the first time that the tribal students’ demands were heard on a national platform,” said tribal students’ leader Suraj Iccharam Kokani.

Tribal Affairs Minister Ashok Uike met with the protesting students late at night on Saturday (August 29) to present a copy of the written assurances. The students subsequently announced the suspension of their agitation, stating that they would resume it if their demands were not fulfilled within the given time frame. The Minister then offered juice to the protesting students.

Elaborating on the demands accepted by the government, he said that the students were assured that their demands would be fulfilled in three months. “As per the directions of the Supreme Court, we will complete the recruitment drive. In three months, the number of vacancies will be ascertained. In the next three months, recruitment to those positions will take place. The recruitment under PESA will also be done. For the safety and security of ashram shaalas (residential tribal schools), measures will be taken after the third party audit,” he said.

Government officials told The Hindu that an independent recruitment drive will be held if needed to adhere to the timeline of six months for filling up the positions. This was the main demand of the protesting students.

The meeting held by the Chief Minister was attended by seven student representatives from Nagpur, Pune, and Nandurbar. Students had been protesting for over 14 demands, including better infrastructure in tribal schools and hostels, the completion of pending recruitment drives, and the uploading of caste validity committees’ judgments on the website, among others. Officials stated that they had provided the students with written assurances, along with a timeline. The students said they received a copy of two new GRs regarding their demands.

The other key demand was action against bogus adivasis who had claimed government jobs on fake tribal certificates. The Chief Minister said that action against such bogus job-holders will start immediately. “As per the government rule, those selected for government jobs under the ST category have to submit their caste validity certificates within six months. But despite failure to do so, no action has been taken against them for 10 years,” said Mr. Kokani.

The government gave written assurance to the students about the safety and security measures in tribal residential schools to address the infrastructure gaps in them, starting hostel mess in the next three months and stopping the DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) allowance for food, a study of their demand for rise in fund allocation, plugging the loopholes in the central kitchen system and reviewing the existing schools under the scheme to draw tenders for clusters in a scientific way to avoid logistic challenges, new SOPs for the administration of the private aided ashram schools, expansion of SWAYAM scheme which will now be applicable for all courses for 11th standard students at taluka level too. The government also said that it will ensure that candidates produce their caste validity certificates before receiving their final appointment letters in the future.