---
title: "Pune tribal students' hunger strike enters ninth day; two hospitalised"
url: https://projectchintan.com/article/pune-tribal-students-hunger-strike-day-nine-4dun5
publisher: Project Chintan
author: Project Chintan Newsroom
section: Politics
published: 2026-08-22T05:30:35.110Z
modified: 2026-08-23T05:00:06.871Z
language: en-IN
---

# Pune tribal students' hunger strike enters ninth day; two hospitalised

Tribal students at a government hostel in Pune's Manjari continue a prolonged hunger strike into its ninth day, with two participants hospitalised for breathing difficulties and dehydration. They demand withdrawal of a government resolution, employment provisions, and compensation related to earlier

## Key takeaways

- A hunger strike by tribal students in Pune reached its ninth day as of August 21, 2026, with five participants and two hospitalisations.
- The hospitalised students are identified as Vijay Bhanbdle (22) and Rahul Dhanwe (24), treated for breathing difficulties and dehydration at Sassoon Hospital.
- Demands include reversal of an August 5 government resolution, employment permissions for hostel residents, and compensation linked to deaths at a Gadchiroli tribal school.
- Other calls include reserving 70% of hostel vacancies for district residents, 12,500 tribal job postings, and reinstatement of PESA employees.

## What Happened

Tribal students at the Government Tribal Hostel in Manjari, Pune district, Maharashtra, extended their hunger strike to the ninth day on Friday, August 21, 2026. Five students are taking part in the protest, and two of them were admitted to Sassoon Hospital after experiencing breathing difficulties and dehydration. The admitted students are Vijay Bhanbdle, 22, and Rahul Dhanwe, 24; Navnath More identified the hospitalisation details. The other protesters are Nikita Metkar, 22; Shweta Girnak, 26; and Sharad Thokal.

The protest is aimed at pressuring the government over a set of demands and policy provisions surrounding tribal education and hostel rules.

## Why It Matters

The students are seeking the withdrawal of a government resolution issued on August 5 that sets age-related restrictions and conditions tied to academic breaks, which they describe as unreasonable. They oppose a provision that prohibits hostel residents from taking up employment. Their broader demands include reserving 70% of hostel vacancies for students from the same district, compensation of ₹1 crore for each of the families of three girls who died at a tribal residential school in Gadchiroli, and initiation of criminal proceedings for culpable homicide against officials they hold responsible for those deaths. They also call for the implementation of recruitment for 12,500 tribal posts and the reinstatement and permanent appointment of PESA employees who were relieved from service.

## Background

The article notes the setting as the Government Tribal Hostel in Pune’s Manjari area and frames the hunger strike as an ongoing protest by tribal students seeking government action on multiple policy and welfare issues affecting their community. The demands reference both housing rules and longer-term employment and accountability measures tied to prior tragic incidents at tribal educational institutions in Gadchiroli.

## Key Facts

 
- Location: Government Tribal Hostel, Manjari, Pune district, Maharashtra.
 
- Event timing: Hunger strike on the ninth day, reported August 21, 2026.
 
- Participants: Five students on hunger strike; two hospitalised.
 
- Hospitalisations: Vijay Bhanbdle, 22, and Rahul Dhanwe, 24, admitted to Sassoon Hospital for breathing difficulties and dehydration.
 
- Other protesters named: Nikita Metkar, 22; Shweta Girnak, 26; Sharad Thokal.
 
- Key demands include: withdrawal of August 5 government resolution with age/academic-break restrictions; opposition to a rule banning hostel residents from employment; 70% hostel vacancies reserved for district residents; ₹1 crore compensation per family for three girls who died at a tribal residential school in Gadchiroli; criminal cases for culpable homicide against officials connected to those deaths; recruitment for 12,500 tribal posts; reinstatement and permanent appointment of PESA employees.
 
- Publication timestamp: August 22, 2026, 10:33 IST.

## What Happens Next

The article does not specify any scheduled future actions or official responses beyond the ongoing protest and the hospitalisation reports. The stated demands indicate potential future negotiations or policy actions the demonstrators are seeking, but no concrete next steps are detailed in the material provided.

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Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/pune-tribal-students-hunger-strike-day-nine-4dun5
Reported from: Multiple Sources