Maharashtra tribal students protest hostel rules; Gandhi demands CM intervention

Tribal students across Maharashtra have intensified their protest against policies governing government-run hostels, with demonstrators entering their tenth day of a hunger strike. The agitation centers on a 30-year age limit imposed on hostel residents and other regulations that students say are discriminatory and restrictive.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has escalated the matter by writing to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging intervention on behalf of the protesting students. In his correspondence, Gandhi raised multiple concerns about conditions within the hostels, including inadequate safety measures and poor living standards.

The letter also drew attention to reports of mandatory pregnancy testing being conducted on female hostel residents—a practice that has drawn criticism as a violation of personal privacy and dignity. Gandhi's intervention reflects broader concerns within the opposition about the welfare of marginalized communities in the state.

The protest underscores tensions between students' rights advocates and state authorities over hostel governance policies. Officials have not yet issued a formal response to Gandhi's letter or addressed the students' demands regarding the age restrictions and other contested regulations.