Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis presided over the 52nd meeting of the Maharashtra State Tribal Advisory Council at Vidhan Bhavan, Mumbai on Thursday, 2 July 2026, directing the state to deploy blockchain technology and artificial intelligence to overhaul the Scheduled Tribe caste verification process and accelerate tribal welfare delivery.

Context

The Chief Minister's Office announced that CM Fadnavis issued directives to make the entire ST caste verification process fully online, with blockchain-backed secure digital storage of all caste validity certificates. 'ब्लॉकचेन-एआयच्या मदतीने जात पडताळणी' ('Caste verification with the help of blockchain and AI') was the headline thrust of the meeting. AI-based systems are to be deployed for screening duplicate applications, preliminary scrutiny of documents, and more effective verification.

The 52nd council session also reviewed implementation of the Forest Rights Act, minor forest produce governance, reservoir fisheries, and the functioning of tribal education and welfare schemes across the state.

Policy Backdrop

The Maharashtra State Tribal Advisory Council is a statutory body that advises the government on Scheduled Tribe welfare under constitutional provisions, and has met periodically since the state's formation. State-level digitisation of caste and tribe certificates began in the 2010s, but fraud, delays, and duplicate filings have remained persistent concerns. The new blockchain-and-AI framework is intended to address these systemic gaps by creating a tamper-proof, publicly auditable certificate trail.

CM Fadnavis also directed the Finance Department to coordinate on ensuring tribal sub-plan funds are allocated in proportion to the Scheduled Tribe population. For tribal education and welfare schemes, the income ceiling is to be revised upward to a minimum of Rs 4,00,000 so that more tribal students can access scheme benefits. Amendments to the Scheduled Tribes Certificate Scrutiny Act are to be expedited, with special legal counsel appointed for pending court cases and vacant project officer posts filled.

Stakeholders and Impact

The Pardhi community — a Scheduled Tribe group in Maharashtra historically dependent on traditional livelihoods — received specific attention. The Tribal, Forest, and Revenue departments were directed to jointly organise camps for the Pardhi community to distribute essential certificates. This reflects ongoing efforts to reach the most administratively excluded tribal groups.

For forest-dependent communities, CM Fadnavis reviewed mission-based initiatives linking forest conservation with economic uplift. He directed that existing policies on gram sabha rights over minor forest produce — including bamboo, tendu leaves, and apta — be reviewed, with the Rural Development and Tribal Development departments taking necessary action. Local tribal communities are also to be given priority in reservoir fisheries and new schemes under existing policy frameworks.

State-level and district-level monitoring mechanisms for tribal welfare funds distributed to other departments are to be strengthened, and a robust oversight system is to be created for effective scheme implementation. Ministers Dr. Ashok Uike and Narhari Zirwal, along with other MLAs and senior officials, were present at the meeting.

What's Next

The General Administration Department and the Tribal Development Department have been directed to work in coordination to resolve pending issues on time and ensure that tribal citizens receive scheme benefits in a simpler, more transparent, and technology-driven manner. All necessary measures are to be implemented on a priority basis. The rollout timeline for the blockchain verification platform and the revised income ceiling for educational schemes will be closely watched as indicators of how quickly these directives translate into on-ground change.