Sunetra Pawar Appointed Chairperson of Maharashtra Minority Training Body
MUMBAI — The Maharashtra government has appointed Deputy Chief Minister and Minority Affairs Minister Sunetra Pawar as the chairperson of the Minority Research and Training Institute (MRTI), establishing its governing board nearly one-and-a-half years after the institute was founded.
The governing board, announced on Monday, also includes Minister of State for Minority Development Madhuri Misal as vice-chairperson. In addition, the secretaries of the Social Justice, Other Backward Classes and Bahujan Welfare, and Minority Development departments will serve as directors on the board.
The MRTI was established in 2024 to assist in the development of minority groups through research, competitive examination preparation, and skill-development programmes. However, its registration under the Companies Act had remained pending, and its formal governing structure had not been put in place until now.
Following the announcement, Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh raised concerns regarding the state's financial backing for the institute. He demanded that the government end what he described as discriminatory treatment toward the organisation and allocate adequate funds for its operations.
Shaikh pointed out that similar institutions set up for other communities, including the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI), the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research, Training and Human Development Institute (SARTHI), and the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Research and Training Institute (MAHAJYOTI), receive substantial state support.
According to Shaikh, BARTI, SARTHI, and MAHAJYOTI each receive annual funding of Rs 300 crore. These bodies provide skill development and competitive exam training to approximately 20,000 students per institution every year.
In contrast, MRTI received an initial allocation of Rs 6 crore when it was formed. Shaikh noted that no significant progress had been achieved over the past eighteen months, leaving scheduled training programmes yet to commence.
Shaikh urged Pawar to intervene in her capacity as Minority Affairs Minister to ensure that MRTI receives financial allocations on par with the other state institutes. He called on the administration to remove administrative hurdles and roll out student training programmes without further delay.
