Daijiworld Media Network - Kolhapur

Kolhapur, Jun 12: Shiv Sena (UBT) party workers staged a protest on Wednesday outside the SARTHI sub-centre in Kolhapur, demanding immediate disbursal of pending scholarships for Maratha PhD research scholars.

A written memorandum outlining the demand was submitted to Kiran Kulkarni, the joint managing director of the SARTHI sub-centre, during the protest.

SARTHI (Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research, Training and Human Development Institute) is a non-profit entity that works to provide skill development, training, and employment opportunities specifically aimed at economically weaker students from the Maratha community. The Kolhapur sub-centre, located near the pre-IAS training centre, plays a pivotal role in facilitating these schemes in the region.

According to official figures, 427 PhD research students from Kolhapur district have been registered under SARTHI between 2019 and 2025.

Voicing the protesters’ concerns, Shiv Sena (UBT) district coordinator Vijay Dewane said:

“This is a grave injustice to the research students. Their future is being put at risk. If the pending scholarship dues are not released immediately, we will be forced to intensify our agitation.”

In response, Kiran Kulkarni assured that the scholarship dues would be cleared by June 13, providing a temporary relief to the agitating scholars and activists.

The issue has drawn attention to the financial struggles faced by Maratha scholars, despite promises of state support. Activists have warned that if the June 13 deadline is not met, larger protests could be launched statewide.