Archive · 3 Sep 2026
Rahul Gandhi Backs Maharashtra Tribal Students Amid Ongoing Demands
Rahul Gandhi met tribal students in Nashik to hear about their problems.
The students said their schools and hostels need to be safer and better.
They also discussed missing teachers and other vacant government jobs.
The protest started after three tribal girls died from snakebites at a school in Gadchiroli.
The students want better facilities, reservations and help with caste certificates.
They also want appointments under a law called PESA and compensation for the girls’ families.
Gandhi said the Congress party would support their struggle.
The state government said it had accepted all the students’ demands, but the students said they wanted concrete action.
Rahul Gandhi met tribal students and community representatives in Nashik on Wednesday.
Students raised concerns about ashram schools, hostels, educational facilities and vacant Tribal Development Department posts.
The agitation began on August 13 after three tribal girls died of snakebite at a Gadchiroli ashram school.
Their demands include safer hostels, reservations, vacant-post recruitment, PESA appointments, caste certificates and compensation.
The Maharashtra government said it had accepted all demands, including recruitment for 12,500 posts.
- Who
- Rahul Gandhi met tribal students, the Tribal Students' Action Committee and tribal community representatives from Nashik, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur.
- What
- They discussed problems involving ashram schools, hostels, educational infrastructure, welfare schemes and vacant government posts.
- When
- The meeting took place on Wednesday; the agitation began on August 13.
- Where
- The meeting and agitation were in Nashik, Maharashtra; the deaths that prompted the protest occurred in Gadchiroli district.
- Why
- Students were seeking safer and better-run hostels and schools, tribal protections and action on other pending welfare demands.
Students and Congress
State Government
Whether demands have been resolved
Students and Congress
Students are seeking immediate, concrete action and have indicated that their agitation will continue until decisions are implemented.
State Government
The state government said it had accepted all the students’ demands, including recruitment for 12,500 posts.
Conditions in tribal institutions
Students and Congress
Students described concerns involving unsafe or inadequate hostels, basic amenities, educational infrastructure and the management of ashram schools.
State Government
The government’s stated acceptance of the demands indicates a commitment to address the issues, although the articles do not detail implementation measures.
- Leader involved
- Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha
- Meeting duration
- Nearly 90 minutes
- Protest start
- August 13
- Trigger for agitation
- Three tribal girls died of snakebite at an ashram school in Gadchiroli district
- Main demands
- Safer hostels, improved educational infrastructure, tribal reservations, vacant-post recruitment, PESA appointments, caste certificates and compensation
- Government response
- The state government said all demands had been accepted
- Recruitment commitment
- Recruitment for 12,500 vacant posts was included among the accepted demands
- Additional Gandhi event
- He attended the concluding programme of the Congress Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan training camp in Nashik
