No Scholarships, Delayed Allowances, Crumbling Hostels : Adivasi Students Forced to Stage Massive Protest in Nagpur

Nagpur- More than 500 Adivasi students from several government tribal hostels across Nagpur staged a sit-in protest on May 15, outside the Tribal Development Commissionerate under the scorching summer heat, demanding immediate resolution of long-pending issues related to Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), scholarships, and dismal living conditions in hostels.

The protest, led by the Adivasi Students Federation Vidarbha, Nagpur, has highlighted the deep crisis faced by tribal students in Maharashtra. Students from 14 government tribal hostels in the city participated in the agitation, many slept at the protest site in the night.

According to a detailed memorandum submitted by the students, the Maharashtra Tribal Development Department runs a government hostel scheme to enable tribal students from remote villages to pursue higher education. As per official records, 495 tribal hostels have been sanctioned across the state, out of which 491 are currently functional. Of these, 283 are boys’ and girls’ hostels. However, students allege that the ground reality is far from satisfactory.

“Many students come from extremely poor families. Due to the delay in DBT, scholarships and mess allowances, they are facing acute financial crises and are finding it extremely difficult to continue their education,” Ganesh S. Irpachi, president of the association said.

The students have also raised serious concerns about the pathetic condition of basic infrastructure in the hostels. In many hostels, there is an acute shortage of drinking water, poor sanitation, lack of security measures, and no conducive environment for studies. Several hostels lack computers, Wi-Fi, printers, libraries, and reference books for competitive examinations. As a result, students from rural and tribal backgrounds are lagging behind in competitive exams.

The memorandum lists a comprehensive 21-point charter of demands, which includes:

• Immediate release of all pending bills for the academic year 2025-26, including dress code, educational tours, medical expenses, and other educational costs.

• Increase in academic session duration in hostels beyond 10 months.

• Starting a well-equipped central library and study centre in central Nagpur for tribal students.

• Provision of computers, Wi-Fi, and printers in all government hostels.

• Supply of quality books and study material for competitive exam aspirants.

• Implementation of DBT from the date of college admission.

• Timely disbursement of scholarships directly into students’ accounts.

• Increase in dress code allowance to ₹5,000 and educational tour allowance to ₹10,000.

• Separate secure buildings for tribal girl students.

• Speedy completion of pending tribal recruitments, including PESA recruitment and 12,500 special posts.

• Transparent recruitment process for posts like chowkidar under the Tribal Development Department.

• Organisation of annual job fairs for tribal students.

Ganesh S. Irpachi, President of Adivasi Students Federation Vidarbha, along with Vice Presidents Mohit Pandhare and Anchal Parte, Secretary Sagar Gangurde, and Treasurer Shekhar Koram, are leading the agitation. The dharna ended on Saturday however, the students have warned that if their demands are not met in the meeting called by the Tribal Development Department on May 25, they will be forced to launch a statewide protest.

The ongoing agitation has brought into sharp focus the gap between the government’s stated policy of empowering tribal youth through education and the actual implementation on the ground. Students say they are fighting not just for facilities, but for their fundamental right to quality education and a dignified life.

The eyes of the tribal community in Vidarbha are now fixed on the outcome of the May 25 meeting.