Pune: The Maharashtra state government has extended 100% post-graduate scholarships to research students from the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research, Training and Human Development Institute (SARTHI) and the Mahatma Jotiba Phule Research and Training Institute (Mahajyoti).
The decision comes after protests erupted when students from these institutions expressed their dissatisfaction over not being included in a recent scholarship scheme.
Earlier, the state had decided to grant full scholarships to students from the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI), leaving students from SARTHI and Mahajyoti feeling sidelined.
This led to discontent and warnings of protests from the students. The state government quickly responded by extending the same 100% scholarship benefit to the students of SARTHI and Mahajyoti, ensuring equal treatment for all.
The government will now provide full scholarships to 724 SARTHI students who were registered between April 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022, as well as to eligible Mahajyoti students from their respective registration dates.
The decision was finalized in the state cabinet meeting, where the Planning Department had proposed implementing the scholarship model used by BARTI for SARTHI and Mahajyoti as well.
The cabinet promptly approved this proposal and issued an immediate government order to ensure timely implementation without further procedural delays.
The demand for full scholarships arose when students from all three institutes—BARTI, SARTHI, and Mahajyoti—staged protests demanding financial support for their research.
Initially, the government offered a 50% scholarship to students from all three institutions. However, BARTI students rejected this offer, continuing their protests until the government agreed to provide full scholarships to 763 BARTI students.
The decision to favor BARTI students led to outrage among SARTHI and Mahajyoti scholars, who felt they were being treated unfairly.
In light of these developments, the government has now acted to avoid further protests, ensuring that SARTHI and Mahajyoti students receive the same benefits as their counterparts at BARTI.
Officials have confirmed that the scholarships will be disbursed immediately, starting from the students' registration dates.