SARTHI’s ₹2.76 Crore Scholarship Scheme For Maratha, Kunbi Students Criticised For Delays, Poor Outreach
Mumbai: Despite the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research, Training and Human Development Institute (SARTHI), Pune, allocating over ₹2.76 crore in 2024 under the Dr Punjabrao Deshmukh Merit Scholarship for Maratha and Kunbi students pursuing higher education in India, the scheme has come under sharp criticism for its limited reach and delayed disbursal.
Kuldeep Ambekar, president of Student Helping Hands, has alleged that SARTHI’s flagship domestic scholarship programme is failing to serve its intended beneficiaries.
“Except for a handful of PhD students and those preparing for competitive exams, the vast majority of applicants remain ignored. Many students are applying under various SARTHI schemes, yet they continue to be neglected. Administrative apathy has paralysed the entire system,” said Ambekar.
Students and parents allege that even in 2024, many who applied have not received the funds. The father of an M.Tech student from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, who applied in July last year, said he has been following up with SARTHI for months. “Each time they say it will be credited in 15 days, but the amount has still not come. I know others in the same situation,” he said.
However, SARTHI Managing Director Rajendra Nimbalkar refuted claims of widespread delays. “We are disbursing funds to almost 100% of the students. Only a few PhD candidates might still be waiting, and that’s because the number of applicants in that category has risen sharply. We are working on new policies to accommodate this growth,” he told The Free Press Journal.
The scheme, which covers students enrolled in over 200 courses across India — including in IITs, IIMs, and Central Universities — was originally launched to benefit underprivileged Kunbi, Maratha-Kunbi and Kunbi-Maratha students studying outside Maharashtra. Yet its reach remains limited. According to Ambekar, “Administrative apathy has meant that many deserving students are left waiting. It’s as if the scholarship is symbolic, not functional.”
There are also allegations of lack of promotion of the scheme. According to official figures, 209 students benefited from the scheme in 2024, with ₹2.76 crore disbursed. However, numbers from previous years reflect a patchy implementation. According to sources, while 153 students applied in 2022, the number fell to just 26 in 2023, and not a single application was recorded in 2021.
The very low number of applications suggests that the scheme has not been effectively promoted,” Ambekar said, claiming, “There is no available data on outreach activities through schools, colleges, or local institutions.”
Nimbalkar called these claims baseless, saying that the advertisement window for this year is yet to even open. “The time for advertising has not yet come. We are still in the process of finalising new policies. Once those are in place, we will begin the advertisement phase in time,” he said.
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