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Education
Pune tribal students' hunger strike enters ninth day, two hospitalized
✍️ The Hindu
🗓 22 Aug 2026, 10:38 AM
👁 2
Tribal students in Pune have been on a hunger strike for nine days, with two participants hospitalized, demanding a revision of hostel reservation rules and compensation for families of snake‑bite victims.
The protest began when a group of tribal students from Pune started a hunger strike to press for policy changes affecting their residential facilities. On the ninth day of the fast, two of the strikers were taken to a local hospital for treatment, underscoring the health risks associated with the prolonged demonstration.
The students are demanding that the state government scrap the guideline that reserves 70% of hostel vacancies for students from the same district. They also seek a compensation of ₹1 crore for each of the families of three girls who died after being bitten by snakes at a tribal residential school in Gadchiroli.
Representatives of the students have approached education officials with these demands, and discussions are reportedly underway. The authorities have not yet issued a formal response, but the continued strike highlights growing discontent among tribal youth over perceived inequities in hostel allocation and safety measures at tribal schools.
The hunger strike reflects broader concerns about the adequacy of infrastructure and protection for tribal students in Maharashtra, especially in remote residential institutions where incidents such as snakebites have raised questions about emergency preparedness.
The students are demanding that the state government scrap the guideline that reserves 70% of hostel vacancies for students from the same district. They also seek a compensation of ₹1 crore for each of the families of three girls who died after being bitten by snakes at a tribal residential school in Gadchiroli.
Representatives of the students have approached education officials with these demands, and discussions are reportedly underway. The authorities have not yet issued a formal response, but the continued strike highlights growing discontent among tribal youth over perceived inequities in hostel allocation and safety measures at tribal schools.
The hunger strike reflects broader concerns about the adequacy of infrastructure and protection for tribal students in Maharashtra, especially in remote residential institutions where incidents such as snakebites have raised questions about emergency preparedness.