584 Maharashtra students die in ashram schools

An average of nearly one student died every day in Maharashtra’s ashram schools over the last two years, taking the total death toll to 584 across state-run and government-aided residential facilities during the period, officials said on Friday.

According to officials, the causes of death ranged from snakebites and sickle cell disease to serious illnesses, accidents, and suicides.

Facing severe criticism over the recent deaths of three tribal girls due to snakebite in Gadchiroli, the Maharashtra government has initiated corrective measures, including the cancellation of the residential school’s licence and comprehensive safety audits of all such facilities across the state.

According to officials, data shows that 584 students enrolled in residential schools died between 2024 and 2026, translating to an average mortality rate of nearly one student per day (0.8 daily deaths) across the 730-day period.

A senior official from the Tribal Development department said Maharashtra has 500 government-run and 513 aided ashram schools.

“In the past two years, 384 deaths were reported in government ashram schools and 200 in aided schools,” a senior official from the department said.

The official said that 170 ashram school students died in 2024-25, while 214 deaths were reported in 2025-26. Of these, 36 died on school premises and 348 at home, he said.

In aided schools, 81 deaths were reported in 2024-25 and 119 in the next financial year. Of these, 30 deaths took place on school premises and 170 at home.

The opposition Congress has alleged that administrative negligence and corruption under the BJP-led Mahayuti dispensation led to the recent deaths at a residential school hostel in Gadchiroli.

Three tribal girls died and as many others were undergoing treatment after a venomous snake bit them around midnight on August 9 in the hostel of the aided tribal residential school, located in Japtalai village, about 10 km from Dhanora taluka headquarters.

Following the incident, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday ordered the permanent cancellation of the licence of the government-aided residential school.