Bombay High Court Converts Tribal Ashram School Petition Into PIL
The Bombay High Court in Mumbai on Monday converted a petition concerning the plight of tribal students on a hunger strike over living conditions in ashram schools across Maharashtra into a public interest litigation (PIL).
A bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad decided to expand the scope into a PIL to address the wider concerns regarding the functioning, infrastructure, and safety standards at tribal ashram schools and hostels throughout the state.
The decision was taken after Advocate General Milind Sathe submitted the minutes of a meeting held between state government authorities and representatives of the protesting students. Sathe informed the court that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Tribal Development Minister, and student representatives had met on Saturday to deliberate on the grievances, stating that the state government had initiated proactive measures.
Students had been on a hunger strike for nearly 15 days to protest alleged deficiencies in educational facilities, food quality, safety measures, and basic infrastructure at tribal ashram schools and hostels. The agitation followed several safety incidents involving tribal students, including the deaths of students caused by snakebites at a residential ashram school in Gadchiroli district.
The matter had reached the court after the health condition of a protesting student in Pune reportedly deteriorated during the demonstration.
Prior to converting the petition, the court had issued directives to the Maharashtra government last week to ensure immediate medical care and safety for the fasting students. The bench noted that not a single student should lose their life, ordering the state to maintain a round-the-clock presence of medical personnel, shift students to hospitals whenever required, and administer food if advised by attending doctors.
The high court will now hear the broader structural issues concerning the management of tribal ashram schools and student welfare under the newly designated PIL.
