Jalna, September 7 (Daily Kiran) : The Maharashtra government has taken decisive action as the Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s hunger strike enters its tenth day in Antarwali Sarati, Jalna. In response to the ongoing Maratha movement, the state has issued four important government resolutions aimed at enhancing educational, financial, and employment opportunities for the Maratha, Kunbi, and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC).
The Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) has instructed all divisional offices and universities across the state to provide educational benefits equivalent to those granted to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) for students from the Maratha community starting in the 2026-27 academic year.
Additionally, the Higher and Technical Education Department has approved and released ₹200 crore for pending hostel maintenance allowances for students from Economically Backward Classes (EBC), Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), and SEBC categories. These funds were sanctioned during the monsoon session of the assembly through additional demands.
The Planning Department has amended the foreign scholarship framework operated by the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research, Training and Human Development Institute (Sarthi) in line with the Social Justice Department’s policies. The updated rules will allow tuition fees to be sent directly to foreign universities, effectively removing the cap on the amount of financial aid. Students will also receive an additional annual allowance of $1,500 (or £1,100 for UK students) for living and incidental expenses. Selections will now be based on a revised merit process according to QS World University Rankings.
Sarthi, based in Pune, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Institute of Driving Training and Research Services (IDTRS) in Pimpri-Chinchwad to launch special training programs for 1,440 Maratha and Kunbi youth. The program, which begins on October 1, aims to ensure employment or self-employment for at least 1,000 beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, Water Resources Minister Radha Krishna Vikhe Patil convened a high-level review meeting with divisional commissioners and district officials to expedite the verification of Kunbi records based on the Hyderabad Gazetteer.
The District Collector of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar confirmed that all identified records have been uploaded to the official district website for public viewing. Other district collectors have been instructed to do the same. Authorities have been directed to ensure transparency by publishing verified village-specific records on local gram panchayat notice boards.
In a related development, Manoj Jarange Patil has called on members of the Maratha community from across Maharashtra to gather for a crucial strategic meeting on September 12 in Antarwali Sarati and to refrain from heading towards Mumbai for now. He emphasized the importance of personal attendance over remote updates and urged community members from Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Navi Mumbai, Nagpur, Kolhapur, Nanded, Sangli, Satara, Hingoli, Parbhani, Latur, Dharashiv, Beed, Jalna, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to join.
The final date for the Mumbai march and its strategy will be determined during the September 12 meeting. Extensive arrangements are being made for the expected turnout, including seating, LED screens, and sound systems, to accommodate potentially thousands or even millions of attendees.
Jarange Patil has held Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde responsible for the current tensions, while absolving the police department of blame. He reiterated that the grievances are directed solely at the Maharashtra government, not law enforcement agencies.
Protesters have been advised to remain calm and not panic or flee in the event of police action. Jarange Patil has instructed supporters to maintain peace and ensure that law enforcement personnel are not targeted or harassed.
He issued a stern warning to the state administration, stating that if any Maratha protester is harmed while heading towards Mumbai, a complete shutdown (Maharashtra Bandh) will be enforced statewide within ten minutes.
With increasing pressure on the state government, the upcoming meeting on September 12 is expected to outline the next significant phase of the Maratha reservation movement.
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