Maharashtra Appoints Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar As Chairperson Of Minority Research Institute Amid Funding Concerns

Mumbai: Nearly one-and-a-half years after Maharashtra established the Minority Research and Training Institute (MRTI) to aid the development of minority groups, the state government appointed Deputy Chief Minister and Minority Affairs Minister Sunetra Pawar as its chairperson and created its governing board.

Minister of State for Minority Development Madhuri Misal has been appointed vice-chairperson. Secretaries of the Social Justice, Other Backward Classes and Bahujan Welfare, and Minority Development departments will serve as directors on the board which was announced on Monday.

MLA Raises Funding Concerns

Reacting to the appointments, Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh demanded that the state government end what he described as discriminatory treatment of the institute and provide it with adequate funding.

Shaikh said institutions such as the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI), Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research, Training and Human Development Institute (SARTHI) and Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Research and Training Institute (MAHAJYOTI), all created for minority groups, receive substantial annual funding to conduct competitive examination and skill-development programmes for students from disadvantaged communities.

Comparison With Other Institutes

“BARTI, SARTHI and MAHAJYOTI receive annual funding of Rs300 crore each and provide competitive examination and other skill-development training to around 20,000 students through each institution,” Shaikh said.

In contrast, MRTI was allocated Rs6 crore when it was established, he said, adding that no significant progress had been made in the past one-and-a-half years and training programmes were yet to commence.

MRTI Established In 2024

Shaikh said the government had established BARTI, SARTHI, MAHAJYOTI and other institutions to provide training and conduct research on issues concerning disadvantaged communities. MRTI was established in 2024 specifically for the minority community, but its registration under the Companies Act had remained pending, he said.

“The state government is treating MRTI, which was established for the minority community, with discrimination,” Shaikh alleged.

He urged Pawar, in her capacity as Minority Affairs Minister, to ensure that MRTI receives funding on par with the other research and training institutes and that its programmes are launched without further delay.

“The stepmotherly treatment of MRTI must end. The institute should be provided adequate funding on the lines of the other institutions,” Shaikh said.

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