Maharashtra CM stays minority tag certificates issued to 75 institutes

By FnF Correspondent | PUBLISHED: 17, Feb 2026, 17:10 pm IST | UPDATED: 17, Feb 2026, 17:10 pm IST

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has temporarily suspended the minority educational institution status granted to 75 schools across the state. The decision comes after questions were raised over the approvals issued immediately after the death of former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28. According to government records, 75 institutions were granted minority status between January 28 and February 2. The first certificate was issued at 3:09 pm on the day of the accident.

Seven institutions were approved on the day of the event, while the remaining certificates were issued over the next three days. The Minority Development Department, which was earlier with Ajit Pawar, is now with the new Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, who was recently sworn in. Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar has ordered a detailed investigation into these approvals and directed that if any irregularities or procedural lapses are found, strict action should be taken against the concerned officials.

Meanwhile, the Congress party has raised sharp questions over the incident. It has alleged that some influential and financially strong educational institutions attempted to obtain minority status through alleged collusion with officials. Congress has demanded an impartial inquiry, suspension of the responsible officers and strict punitive action to ensure accountability.

Ajit Pawar's death

It is to be noted here that Ajit Pawar died in a chartered plane crash while travelling from Mumbai to Bramanti on January 28. 66-year-old Pawar was the nephew of veteran politician and NCP founder Sharad Pawar, and the cousin of Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule. He was also the longest-serving Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra non-consecutively. He served in the position for six terms within various governments. He had worked as Deputy Chief Minister in the cabinets of Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde. He is survived by his wife, Sunetra Pawar and two sons, Jay and Parth Pawar.