Panel probes reservation status of converted ST students at ITIs

The Maharashtra government has formed a three-member committee, led by a retired vice-chancellor, to examine the reservation status of Scheduled Tribe (ST) students who have converted to Christianity or Islam in industrial training institutes (ITIs). The committee is tasked with determining the number of converted ST students benefiting from reservations and proposing measures to prevent their eligibility for reservation benefits. Amid concerns raised by BJP MLCs about converted ST students securing admissions through reservations, the state Skill Development Minister initiated the committee, headed by Dr. Murlidhar Chandekar, with a 45-day deadline for recommendations.