Maharashtra Extends OBC-Like Educational Benefits To Maratha Students, Launches Eight Welfare Schemes
Maharashtra Extends OBC-Like Educational Benefits To Maratha Students, Launches Eight Welfare Schemes
The Maharashtra government has announced a major package of educational concessions, scholarships and welfare schemes for Maratha students, bringing them on par with benefits currently available to OBC students.
In a significant decision, the Maharashtra government has extended a range of educational benefits and welfare schemes available to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to students from the Maratha community. The move, approved by the Devendra Fadnavis-led government, aims to improve access to education, skill development and financial assistance for thousands of Maratha students across the state.
A Government Resolution (GR) issued on Friday directs multiple departments, including school education, higher and technical education, medical education, agriculture, fisheries, sports and skill development, to immediately implement the benefits from the 2026-27 academic year.
Under the decision, Maratha students will receive scholarships for secondary, higher secondary and post-secondary education, fee concessions, training support and skill-development opportunities similar to those available to OBC students.
The state has also introduced eight welfare and educational schemes for the community. These include scholarship programmes, reimbursement facilities and training initiatives aimed at improving educational opportunities and employability.
Students taking admission to government-run and private Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) will be eligible for concessions and training support. Maratha students pursuing professional courses such as engineering and medical education will also receive educational benefits similar to OBC students, including those admitted after the completion of the Centralised Admission Process (CAP), subject to approval by the Admission Regulatory Committee.
Another important provision extends benefits to Maharashtra residents studying professional courses in aided and unaided institutions outside the state. The government has also decided to provide facilities such as motor vehicle driver and conductor training programmes under the expanded welfare framework.
The GR states that all educational concessions and welfare schemes currently available to OBC students, as well as any new schemes introduced in the future, will automatically apply to Maratha students until further orders.
The government has instructed the finance and planning departments to make adequate budgetary provisions for implementation beginning this academic year. A review of the scheme’s implementation will be conducted and a report will be submitted to a cabinet sub-committee.
The move comes amid long-standing demands from the Maratha community for greater educational support and reservation benefits. While there have been demands for direct inclusion of Marathas in the OBC category, the government has chosen to extend equivalent educational and welfare benefits through administrative measures, citing legal constraints on direct caste inclusion.
The announcement follows Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil’s decision to end his latest hunger strike after receiving a 12-point proposal from the state government addressing several community demands. Among the issues raised were the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates for reservation benefits, withdrawal of cases against Maratha agitators and the creation of a dedicated ministry for the community.
With the latest decision, Maratha students across Maharashtra are set to gain access to a broader range of scholarships, fee reimbursements, training programmes and educational support schemes from the current academic year.
