Maharashtra barred tribal students in government hostels from protesting. Then came the protests

The Maharashtra state government has reversed a rule that prevented Scheduled Tribe students residing in government hostels from engaging in protests, hunger strikes, or similar activities. The Department of Tribal Development has also increased the maximum age for admitted students from 26 to 30 years, effective from the provisions outlined in a revised Government Resolution (GR) issued on Friday.

This change comes in response to widespread protests by over 1,000 ST students, primarily in Nagpur, who gathered outside the Additional Commissioner of Tribal Development's office and other locations. The government justified the initial restrictions, citing the need to uphold an academic atmosphere in hostels and maintain focus on education.

However, students argue that these restrictions infringe upon their freedom of expression, particularly for female students who find it challenging to address grievances through wardens and often rely on student organizations for support. The revised GR, which merged several earlier resolutions governing hostel facilities, acknowledged the difficulties students faced with the age limit and acknowledged the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Swayam Yojana as an alternative for those unable to secure hostel admission.

Despite the rollback of the restrictions, student agitation continues, with demands for the complete removal of the age restriction.