Providing details, Pawar said that between 2018 and 2025, nearly three lakh students benefited from scholarships, tuition assistance and other educational schemes under SARTHI across 83 courses
Ajit Pawar. Pic/PTI
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday informed the Maharashtra Legislative Council that all future admissions to courses offered by institutions such as BARTI, SARTHI, MahaJyoti, and ART will be based strictly on merit. The government also plans to implement a standardised framework for student intake, scholarship distribution, and admission processes across these institutions.
Pawar made the announcement while responding to a question from MLCs Sanjay Khodke and Abhijit Wanjarri, who had raised concerns about the disbursement of rental allowance and contingency funds by SARTHI (Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research, Training, and Human Development Institute).
Providing details, Pawar said that between 2018 and 2025, nearly three lakh students benefited from scholarships, tuition assistance and other educational schemes under SARTHI across 83 courses. However, only around 3,000 of these students pursued Ph.D. programs—just 1 per cent of the total beneficiaries—on which the government spent approximately Rs 280 crore. This translates to an average expenditure of Rs 30 lakh per student over five years, a figure Pawar said calls for deeper evaluation.
“In the future, admissions will be restricted to courses that demonstrate clear employment potential. Public funds must be used judiciously to support skill-based and job-oriented education,” Pawar told the Council.
He further informed that a committee led by the Chief Secretary had been constituted to review the operational framework of BARTI, SARTHI, MahaJyoti and ART. The committee has submitted its report, and the government will soon announce policy decisions based on its recommendations.
The move is aimed at bringing greater transparency, efficiency, and accountability to institutions serving marginalised communities, while ensuring that government funding yields measurable outcomes in terms of student employment and empowerment.
Ajit Pawar’s push gives momentum to Beed CIIIT centre, MIDC allocates land and funding
The proposed Centre for Invention, Innovation, Incubation and Training (CIIIT) in Beed has received a major boost. The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has approved the allocation of 4,000 square meters of land in the Beed MIDC Industrial Area and has also committed funding support for the project.
The CIIIT, being developed in collaboration with Tata Technologies, aims to provide industrial training and technical skill development to the youth of Beed, enhancing employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. Officials said the project, which had been in the pipeline, gained rapid traction following Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s consistent follow-up through review meetings.
The MIDC board's decision is seen as a significant milestone, clearing the path for the signing of a tripartite agreement and laying the foundation stone in the coming weeks.
Tata Technologies has pledged an investment of Rs 191 crore for the Beed CIIIT. Of this, 15 per cent—about Rs 33 crore—will be contributed by the Beed district administration, while the remaining funding will be provided by Tata Technologies and its partner organisations.
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