NCST notice to chief secy over plan to invalidate admissions of 257 ST students who converted
The notice follows a complaint filed by Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh.
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In its notice to Chief Secretary Dr Nitin Kareer, the Commission has requested the state government to provide details within 30 days. X/@ncsthqThe National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has issued a notice to the Maharashtra Chief Secretary, seeking information on the state government’s intent of invalidating admissions of around 257 tribal students to Industrial Training Institutes (ITI), over allegedly receiving reservation benefits inspite of having converted to other religions. The notice follows a complaint filed by Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh.
In its notice to Chief Secretary Dr Nitin Kareer, the Commission has requested the state government to provide details within 30 days. “The Commission has decided to investigate the matter based on a complaint received from Rais Shaikh dated 06.03.2024,” stated the notice.
Shaikh, in his letter to the NCST, requested a stay on the invalidation of tribal student admissions to ITIs allegedly based on religion by the Mahayuti government. He cited a report from a state government-appointed committee, which claimed that out of 13,856 ST students admitted to ITIs in 2023, 257 had indicated religions other than Hinduism on their admission forms. According to Shaikh, of these 257 students, 4 are Buddhist, 37 Muslim, 3 Christian, 1 Sikh, 190 other, and 22 did not mention a religion.
The letter further stated that the Maharashtra government, after tabling the report, announced plans for a detailed inquiry to determine the eligibility of these students for ST reservation benefits after converting to non-Hindu religions. Similar investigations were said to be planned for other professional educational institutions.
Welcoming the NCST notice to the state government, Shaikh said, “I am pleased that the NCST has taken note of my complaint and issued a notice to the government. I will ensure that the government submits the report to the Commission, and I will continue to advocate for the rights of tribal students to ensure justice.”
Shaikh reiterated his opposition to the alleged discriminatory practice, stating, “I will vehemently oppose this as it is discrimination based on religion and an attempt to create division among tribal communities, whether Hindu or converted to non-Hindu religions.”
An official from the department stated that necessary actions would be taken after reviewing the facts presented in the letter.
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