Pune Tribal Students' Hunger Strike Enters 10th Day Over Hostel Safety, Allowances
Pune, August 23, 2026: Six students from the Government Tribal Hostel in Hadapsar's Gopalpatti area continued their hunger strike for the tenth consecutive day on Sunday, pressing for resolution of long-pending grievances related to hostel facilities, safety, and financial allowances.
The students—Shweta Girnak, 26; Nikita Mechkar, 22; Sharad Thokal, 26; Vijay Bhandble, 25; Rahul Dhanwe, 26; and Rajaram Padvi, 20—are demanding urgent action on a 17-point memorandum submitted to authorities. According to protestor Akshay Ghode, two of the hunger strikers, Mr. Bhandble and Mr. Dhanwe, were briefly admitted to Sassoon Hospital on Saturday after experiencing breathing difficulties and dehydration. They were discharged and rejoined the protest on Sunday.
The memorandum, submitted on behalf of students from government hostels in Pune city, calls for the withdrawal of the Maharashtra government's August 14, 2026 Government Resolution (GR) concerning tribal hostels. The students want a revised order based on the November 11, 2011 GR, updated to account for current conditions and inflation. They have also demanded that allowances and other financial provisions be linked to the Consumer Price Index, ensuring annual increases in line with rising living costs.
Safety concerns are a key focus of the protest. The students have sought enhanced protection for those staying in tribal hostels and ashram schools, including an insurance cover of ₹10 crore for every tribal student, replacing the existing Rajiv Gandhi student insurance scheme. This demand follows the recent deaths of three tribal students in a snake poisoning incident in Gadchiroli. The students have also requested compensation of ₹1 crore for each of the families of the deceased.
Other demands include more frequent pest-control measures at hostels—every two months instead of the current six-month interval—citing concerns about student health and cleanliness. The students have asked for the revised GR to be permanently displayed on notice boards at every government hostel so that students are aware of their entitlements.
The protesters have also called for a safe and well-equipped central hostel building for female students in Pune, and for the immediate filling of vacant posts in hostels and ashram schools, including peons, security guards, and sanitation workers, either permanently or on a contractual basis until regular recruitment is completed.
In addition, the memorandum seeks changes to the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Swayam Yojana, specifically removing the condition that students can apply only if they fail to secure hostel admission. The students want the freedom to voluntarily choose the scheme while applying for hostel admission.
The document also urges the government to modernise all government and aided ashram schools in Maharashtra along the lines of Eklavya Model Residential Schools, and to enact a separate, comprehensive law governing government tribal hostels and ashram schools across the state.
The broader memorandum contains 17 demands covering tribal education, employment, hostel administration, caste-certificate verification, and implementation of reservations in PESA (Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas) areas. Copies have been marked to senior government and social welfare officials, including the Social Welfare Commissionerate in Pune.
The students have warned that if their demands are not addressed, they may launch a wider democratic agitation across Maharashtra. They have urged immediate intervention, stating that their demands pertain to the basic rights, education, safety, and welfare of tribal students.
