In the latest development the Maharashtra Government is gearing up to introduce a comprehensive training system aimed at empowering students from marginalized communities for competitive examinations. Under this initiative earlier the government has appointed a committee to oversee the integration and streamlining of various training programs currently administered by its autonomous bodies. These programs cater specifically to marginalized groups such as Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), Maratha-Kunbis, the Economically Weaker Section (EWS), and religious minorities.
In response, the panel established a sub-committee to prepare standard procedures encompassing all facets of training programs. This includes the assessment and accreditation of private coaching institutes, determining the allocation of beneficiaries, assessment of applications and issuing tenders
Until recently, educational and welfare programs for SC, ST, OBC, Marathas, and EWS were managed independently by their respective autonomous bodies such as Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI), Tribal Research and Training Institute (TRTI), Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Research & Training Institute (MAHAJYOTI), Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research, Training and Human Development Institute (SARTHI) and Academy of Maharashtra Research, However, efforts have been underway since last year to standardize these initiatives for parity.
As part of this initiative, the State Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil announced last year that the pre-exam preparation scheme would be expanded to accommodate 750 candidates for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and 500 candidates for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC). Previously, the scheme had a limit of 250 candidates in each category.
It was declared the state will increase stipends for MPSC aspirants from Rs6,000 to Rs8,000 and for UPSC aspirants from Rs8,000 to Rs13,000 for UPSC aspirants for eight months. On the other hand, the government is looking to drastically cut down the number of fellowships awarded to research scholars belonging to marginalised communities.
In June last year, the state chief secretary Manoj Saunik had directed to limit the number of fellowships to 400 – 200 for Scheduled Caste (SC), 100 for Scheduled Tribe (ST) and 50 each for Other Backward Caste (OBC) and Maratha students. This is a sharp reduction from around 3,000 fellowships given to these students in the last cycle.