Bankura: Adivasis demand verification of ST certificates; allegation of large-scale corruption grows
Bankura (Bengal): A massive gathering of around 10,000 Adivasis in Bankura on November 18 renewed a strong demand for a statewide Special Intensive Revision — not of electoral rolls, but of Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates issued over the past 12 years in West Bengal. The rally, held at Bankura Sammilani College and reported by The Wire, brought together members of the Santhal, Bhumij, Kora and Munda communities from across the Jangal Mahal region, who alleged rampant corruption in the granting of ST certificates under the state administration.
The event was organised by the Adivasi Kalyan Samiti (AKS), which said that widespread misuse of tribal certification has allowed non-tribals to secure educational seats and government jobs meant for tribal communities. According to AKS leaders, the alleged irregularities span not only the tribal-majority districts of Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur, but extend to several other parts of the state.
Participants at the rally said the issue goes beyond certificates, affecting dignity, identity and cultural survival. Many announced that they were prepared for a sustained struggle. “We have survived after enduring much injustice and suffering. No more…” said Biplab Saren of Raipur, who demanded that the state and Union governments protect the constitutional rights of tribal communities.
AKS state secretary Parshal Kishku alleged that non-tribals had been systematically issued ST certificates due to corruption and political patronage. He pointed out that until 2011, West Bengal had issued around 52 lakh ST certificates. But between 2012 and 2024, the state issued an additional 27 lakh certificates. “Does Bengal have nearly 80 lakh tribal residents?” he asked, noting that population data from the 2011 Census places the tribal population at 52,96,963.
Those gathered questioned how such a sharp rise could occur despite natural population changes through births and deaths. Many saw this as clear evidence of manipulation in the distribution of ST certificates.
There have been several recent instances of alleged misuse. Earlier this year, a fourth-year medical student at Bankura Sammilani Medical College was stripped of her admission after tribal groups flagged her ST certificate as fraudulent. In January 2024, the CBI launched an investigation into alleged certificate fraud in medical college admissions, a probe that has since widened. Another series of cases surfaced in September 2025.
Speaking at the rally, AKS leader Rajeswar Tudu said the problem is far more widespread than isolated incidents. “Fake Scheduled Tribe certificates are circulating across the state… a statewide SIR should be conducted,” he said.
Adivasi leaders also raised concerns about the refusal of the Union government to recognise their indigenous religious identities. “We are worshipers of nature. We follow the Sari and Sarna religions. But the Union government does not want to acknowledge this,” said Nibaran Kishku of Hooghly. Several participants said the RSS has been attempting to portray tribal communities as forest-dwelling Hindus. They also alleged that RSS-run schools in the region are promoting Hindu religious practices among tribal children.
Another pressing issue raised at the meeting was the deteriorating state of education in Jangal Mahal. Locals said many middle schools established during Left rule have shut down as teachers who retired were never replaced. Students must now travel long distances through forests and hills to attend school, pushing many to drop out and migrate for work.
Schools dedicated to teaching the Santali language in the Alchiki script are also struggling due to a shortage of teachers. Residents said the state’s Utsashree transfer scheme has led to a mass relocation of teachers out of the region, worsening the student–teacher ratio.
Tribal hostels, once a backbone of education support in the region, have also declined. Out of nearly 1,000 hostels that once functioned across the four Jangal Mahal districts, residents say fewer than 300 remain operational. “My son had to leave his studies and migrate as a labourer,” said Lakshmi Hansda from Saltora, who came to the rally demanding that the hostels be reopened.
Livelihood issues were also highlighted. Many women said that the collapse of LAMPS — the Large Multipurpose Co-operative Society centres where forest produce like tendu leaves were once sold — has wiped out a crucial income source.
Concerns were also raised about the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Participants said applications for land rights have been pending for years in block and welfare department offices. They accused both the state and Union governments of neglecting Adivasi land rights.
On land acquisition, AKS’s Rajeswar Tudu pointed to the Deucha Pachami coal project in Birbhum, claiming that large parts of the land earmarked belong to tribal communities. He said that similar land transfers were happening in the Ayodhya Hills region of Purulia as well. “Why this double standard by the chief minister?” he asked.
Throughout the gathering, one message resonated strongly: the tribal communities of Jangal Mahal demanded the restoration of their constitutional and cultural rights, and accountability for the alleged misuse of ST certificates.
“Stop depriving us. Restore to indigenous people the rights that rightfully belong to them,” attendees said as the rally concluded.
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Raj Thackeray questions need for NEET, demands Pradhan’s resignation
Mumbai (PTI): Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray on Thursday questioned the need for NEET-UG and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi seek the resignation of Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan.
Thackeray's demand comes amid massive protests over the cancellation of the examination following allegations of paper leak.
The MNS chief said the government is so “obsessed” with bringing everything under a centralised authority that it appears to make no difference if the lives of hundreds of thousands of people are thrown into “disarray”.
In a post on X, Thackeray said that for several years now, a single individual (Pradhan) has remained entrenched in the position of Union education minister. Despite numerous “irregularities” and “scandals” within the NEET framework during his tenure, this “gentleman” continues to occupy the post, he said.
“One wonders: has he been rewarded with this continued tenure because he is so zealously pursuing the agenda of imposing the Hindi language across the entire nation? I earnestly appeal to the Prime Minister: please demand the immediate resignation of this Minister of yours, who has repeatedly toyed with the lives and future of 22 lakh students,” Thackeray said.
The National Testing Agency on Tuesday cancelled the NEET (UG) 2026 exam held on May 3 amid allegations of paper leak, with the government asking the CBI to carry out a comprehensive inquiry into the “irregularities”. The examination for students seeking admission to undergraduate courses in medical colleges will now be held afresh on dates to be notified separately.
Thackeray said the Centre continues its tradition of creating “chaos” in every matter and holding the public to ransom. The “NEET paper leak” has proved this once again, he said.
Thackeray sought to know what the Centre did when it found out the alleged malpractice. It merely cancelled the examination and ordered a CBI inquiry, he said.
In 2024, a CBI inquiry was ordered in a similar case, but nothing substantial was achieved through it, he said.
The government projects an air of having fulfilled its duty in all of this. But what about the lives of 22 lakh students and their families, who have been left hanging in the balance, he asked.
Thackeray said fundamentally, there was no need to “impose” NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test)-UG back in 2016.
“However, this government’s obsession with bringing everything under a single, centralised authority is so intense that, to them, it seems to make no difference if the lives of hundreds of thousands of people are thrown into disarray,” he said.
The MNS chief also asked ministers within the Maharashtra government to show some “spine” and join voices with those of the southern states and oppose this system.
Thackeray said leaders from the southern states have voiced their opposition in much the same way as he. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has also demanded the cancellation of NEET. The reason for this is that the five southern states, combined with Maharashtra, collectively possess over 350 medical colleges, whereas the large states in the north have only 180 medical colleges, he said.
Consequently, this persistent push that began in 2016 is essentially an attempt to facilitate the “entry of students from the north into medical colleges in the south”, alleged Thackeray. To ensure this, the largest network of coaching classes has been established in the northern states, he claimed.
