Maharashtra's Tribal Development Minister Ashok Uike on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, stayed the Government Resolution (GR) dated 14 August 2026, effectively removing the upper age restriction on admissions to state-run tribal hostels. The move comes as Adivasi students across Maharashtra continue a hunger strike over discriminatory hostel rules, safety failures, and inadequate living conditions.

What the Government Decided

'We have decided not to impose any age restriction after detailed deliberation on this issue,' Uike said after chairing a review meeting on hostel facilities, admission procedures, and management systems. The decision reverses a series of rule changes that had sparked widespread student outrage over the past three weeks.

Uike directed officials to formulate revised procedures covering admissions, facilities, administrative workflows, and inspection systems to ensure quality services and uniformity across the hostel network. He stressed a student-centric, transparent, and strengthened management framework to prevent inconvenience and foster a conducive academic environment.

How the Crisis Unfolded

The immediate trigger was a GR issued on 5 August 2026 — the first consolidation of hostel rules since November 2011. That order introduced a 26-year age cap on admissions, barred students from participating in hunger strikes or protest marches, required all complaints to be routed through hostel wardens and project officers, and imposed new restrictions that students described as punitive.

Students argued the age cap would exclude many pursuing higher education later in life. They also raised alarms over inadequate allowances and crumbling infrastructure. Protesters alleged that female students returning from prolonged leave were asked to undergo pregnancy and medical examinations — a charge that drew sharp national attention.

As protests intensified, the department issued a revised GR on 14 August 2026, raising the age limit to 30 years and withdrawing the ban on protests. Tuesday's decision goes further, scrapping the age ceiling entirely — restoring the pre-5 August position, when no upper age limit existed.

Scale of the Tribal Hostel System

The Tribal Development Department administers 494 sanctioned hostels for Scheduled Tribe students pursuing secondary, higher secondary, and college education. Of these, 490 are operational, housing approximately 58,000 to 60,000 students at any given time. The department had previously cited the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Swayam Yojana — a financial assistance scheme for students unable to secure hostel accommodation, which itself carries a 30-year age cap — as justification for the now-scrapped restriction.

Political Pressure and Rahul Gandhi's Intervention

The agitation drew national political attention when Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, raising concerns about the protests. In a post on X, Gandhi noted that tribal students had been on hunger strike for more than 10 days, demanding their rights.

Gandhi cited 'humiliating rules, unsafe facilities and inhuman provisions such as pregnancy checks for women,' and urged Fadnavis to meet the students personally to resolve their grievances. He also flagged instances of injuries and deaths in hostels, including fatalities reportedly caused by snake bites.

Students Hold Their Ground

Despite the government's partial concessions — withdrawing the age cap and the protest ban — students have refused to call off their agitation. Protesters continue to demand better financial support, improved infrastructure, and enforceable safeguards against unsafe conditions. The standoff signals that administrative rollbacks alone may not be sufficient to restore confidence in a hostel system that students say has long been neglected.