Bombay High Court. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The Maharashtra Government informed the Bombay High Court on Monday (September 1, 2026) that the 17-day hunger strike by tribal students from Ashram Schools in Pune's Manjari area has concluded.The development followed a meeting between Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Tribal Development Minister, and representatives of the protesting students.A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad recorded the submission made by Chief Government Pleader Neha Bhide. The bench was told that the Chief Minister assured the student representatives that their demands would be examined."Medical care was provided to the protesting students. No student is hospitalised. All students are stable. The hunger strike ended after the Chief Minister met the representatives," Mr. Bhide told the court.The Bench received a copy of the minutes of the meeting between the Chief Minister, the Tribal Development Minister, and the student representatives. According to the document, the government agreed to constitute a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to probe the death of a student from food poisoning. The government also decided to implement mess services in hostels instead of the Direct Beneficiary Transfer (DBT) scheme for food supplies.The court took the minutes on record and directed the state to file an affidavit detailing the implementation of these decisions. The Bench converted the writ petition into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to monitor the infrastructure of Ashram Schools across Maharashtra.The court had previously intervened last week after being informed that the health of one protester had declined. Acting Chief Justice Ghuge had stated that the court did not want any student to lose their life. The Bench had directed the state to provide medical facilities to the protesters and ordered hospitalisation if required. The authorities were also instructed to provide food to the students if necessary.The hunger strike originated from grievances over facilities in Ashram Schools, particularly those in tribal regions. The protest followed the death of a student from food poisoning after consuming food at a tribal Ashram School. Three other students had died from snake bites in separate incidents.The court will hear the matter next on September 3. Published - September 02, 2026 02:20 am IST
