The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) staged a protest in Pune on Tuesday, accusing the Social Welfare Department of inaction and negligence over the non-disbursal of student benefits, including subsistence allowance, Swadhar Scheme instalments and MahaDBT scholarships.
NSUI alleged that thousands of students from economically weaker and marginalised communities have not received their dues for the past four months, severely affecting their lives as they cannot manage educational expenses, accommodation, food, and other basic needs.
Sandeep Gaikwad, a student activist, said, “Despite the completion of the academic year 2024–2025, instalments under the Swadhar Scheme and several scholarships through the MahaDBT portal have still not been credited to students’ bank accounts. We have received a written communication from the Pune Divisional Office of the Social Welfare Department stating that the department currently does not have sufficient funds to release the payments. This is unacceptable; the students’ futures cannot be jeopardised due to administrative and financial lapses.”
NSUI Pune District Vice President Siddhant Jambhulkar, who led the protest, said, “The functioning of the Social Welfare Department is completely fraudulent, and the Minister for Social Justice is totally indifferent to these serious issues. If the problems of needy students are not important to him, then he should accept moral responsibility and resign immediately.”
NSUI General Secretary Vikas Avchar warned of a larger agitation if the issue is not resolved soon. “NSUI issues a clear warning to the government. If the Swadhar Scheme instalments, subsistence allowance, and MahaDBT scholarships are not disbursed immediately, a much larger and more intense statewide agitation will be launched in the coming days. The government and the Social Welfare Department will bear full responsibility for this,” he said.
NSUI Maharashtra State Vice President Akshay Kamble alleged that the department has been neglected by the government. “By deliberately delaying scheme payments, the government is putting students’ education and future at risk, especially those from Dalit, oppressed, and Bahujan communities,” he said.
NSUI has demanded the immediate release of all pending student benefits and warned of intensified protests if the issue is not addressed at the earliest.
