Pune: The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Pune mahanagar, staged a protest on Tuesday at the Directorate of Other Backward Classes and Bahujan Welfare in Yerwada, demanding the release of scholarships promised by the state govt to students admitted through the Centralised Admission Process (CAP).Affected students also participated in the agitation, raising concerns over the prolonged delay in receiving scholarship benefits. The protesters demanded that the govt fulfil its assurances and ensure the timely disbursal of funds to eligible candidates. The agitation aimed to highlight the financial hardships faced by students awaiting the promised assistance.The students, belonging to the OBC, VJNT, and SBC categories, stated that they are facing uncertainty regarding their educational benefits following a corrigendum issued by the state govt on Feb 20, 2026. They noted that they had accepted admissions through the official process with the expectation of receiving the same benefits available to all eligible students.“Many of us opted for admission through CAP rounds held after the regular phases because our preferred branches or colleges had seats available. We were under the impression that the scholarship benefits would continue. This uncertainty is now putting immense financial pressure on our families,” said a student who participated in the protest.Another student added, “Applications for such students were previously accepted on the MahaDBT portal, and some had even received scholarship benefits. We want the govt to clearly state whether eligible students will continue to receive these benefits.”ABVP representatives argued that admission against vacant CAP seats is an authorised process used by colleges to fill spots remaining after regular rounds and should not be treated as an unauthorised admission route.“Students who have taken admission through the prescribed process should not be left in a state of uncertainty regarding scholarships and fee reimbursements. We have sought clear guidelines and a swift decision,” said an ABVP representative.During the protest, a delegation submitted a memorandum of demands to officials of the Other Backward Classes and Bahujan Welfare Department. According to the ABVP, the issues were subsequently discussed with the minister for Other backward classes and bahujan welfare.The organisation stated that officials have provided a written assurance that the concerns raised will be considered and that a positive decision will be made within the next one to two days.
