Archive · 19 Jul 2026
Maharashtra Panel to Examine ST Benefits After Conversion
The Maharashtra government has made a group of 27 people to look into whether tribal people (Scheduled Tribes) who change their religion should still get special benefits from the government.
The group will check the rules and what other states do.
Some people think that if tribal people change their religion, they should not get these benefits anymore.
Others say this is not fair and goes against the rules of the country's constitution.
The group will give advice, but there is no deadline yet.
This is important because many tribal people in Maharashtra have different religions, and some groups want to change the rules.
Maharashtra formed a 27-member committee to examine ST benefits post-religious conversion.
The committee will study constitutional and legal positions and other states' approaches.
The issue is distinct from SC reservation, which is linked to religion.
The demand to delist converted STs was raised by RSS-affiliated organizations.
The committee includes ministers, MLAs, and the Commissioner of the Tribal Research and Training Institute.
- Who
- Maharashtra government
- What
- Formed a committee to examine ST benefits after religious conversion
- When
- July 16, 2024
- Where
- Maharashtra, India
- Why
- To study constitutional and legal positions on ST benefits post-conversion
- Committee Members
- 27
- Committee Head
- Ashok Uike
- ST Population in Maharashtra
- 9.35%
- ST Population Growth (2001-2011)
- 23.8%
- Muslim ST Growth (2001-2011)
- 49.1%
- Buddhist ST Growth (2001-2011)
- 114.8%
- Christian ST Decline (2001-2011)
- 34.8%
