Mumbai, August 2026: The Maharashtra Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Monday approved several important decisions covering sports, higher education, land allocation and the judiciary.
Major expansion of cash rewards for sportspersons
The Cabinet approved amendments to the state’s cash reward scheme for medal-winning sportspersons and their coaches at national and international competitions. The revised scheme will now include the National Games, Khelo India competitions and six additional events for persons with disabilities.
The cash prize for National Games gold medal winners has been increased from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh, while the reward for silver has been raised from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh and bronze from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh.
For the World University Games, gold, silver and bronze medal winners will receive Rs 10 lakh, Rs 7 lakh and Rs 5 lakh respectively. At the National Games, the corresponding rewards will be Rs 7 lakh, Rs 5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh, while Khelo India medal winners will receive Rs 3 lakh, Rs 2 lakh and Rs 1 lakh.
The rewards for the Youth Olympics and Youth Paralympics have also been substantially increased. Gold medal winners will now receive Rs 50 lakh, compared with Rs 22.5 lakh earlier. The silver medal reward has been raised from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 30 lakh, while the bronze prize has increased from Rs 7.5 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.
The revised scheme also covers major international competitions in tennis, badminton and hockey. Grand Slam winners in tennis will receive Rs 3 crore, while runners-up will get Rs 2 crore. Winners of the Thomas Cup, Uber Cup and Sudirman Cup in badminton will receive Rs 40 lakh, with runners-up getting Rs 20 lakh.
For hockey, winners of the senior Azlan Shah Cup and Champions Trophy will receive Rs 40 lakh, while runners-up will get Rs 20 lakh. Winners of the junior Sultan Johor Cup will receive Rs 20 lakh and runners-up Rs 10 lakh.
Coaches will also be rewarded with 10 per cent of the athlete’s cash prize. The amount can be shared among up to three certified coaches, with 30 per cent allocated to the primary coach, 30 per cent to the skill-development coach and 40 per cent to the final or advanced coach.
The revised scheme also covers Deaf Olympics, IBSA World Championships, World Cups, World Games, Blind Cricket World Cup, Special Olympics and other competitions for athletes with disabilities. The reward will now depend on the number of participating countries, with 100 per cent, 50 per cent or 25 per cent of the prescribed amount applicable based on participation levels.
Two private health science universities approved
The Cabinet also approved the establishment of two private health science universities — the Lata Mangeshkar University in Nagpur and Dr Balasaheb Vikhe Patil University in Ahilyanagar.
The VSPM Academy of Higher Education will establish the university in Nagpur, offering undergraduate, postgraduate and super-speciality courses in medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy and nursing. The institution has a 1,138-bed hospital.
In Ahilyanagar, the Dr Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil Foundation will establish a health sciences university offering medical undergraduate, postgraduate and super-speciality programmes. It has an 830-bed hospital with modern facilities.
Both proposals were examined by inspection committees in accordance with National Medical Commission guidelines before receiving Cabinet approval.
Land allotted for Jat municipal administrative building
The Cabinet approved the allotment of 2,585 square metres of government land in Jat, Sangli district, to the Jat Municipal Council for construction of an administrative building.
The land will be provided under prescribed government conditions and can only be used for the approved purpose. It cannot be transferred, mortgaged or subdivided without prior government permission.
The municipal council will also be responsible for protecting the land, removing encroachments and resolving any disputes relating to the property.
Senior civil court approved at Pimpalgaon Baswant
The Cabinet further approved the establishment of a Senior Division Civil Court at Pimpalgaon Baswant in Nashik district.
A total of 15 regular posts will be created or made available, including one Senior Civil Judge, one Superintendent, two Assistant Superintendents, one Stenographer Grade-II, two Senior Clerks and eight Junior Clerks.
Four additional personnel will be engaged through an external agency, comprising two peons, one watchman and one sweeper.
The new court is expected to make judicial services more accessible to residents of Pimpalgaon Baswant and surrounding areas, reducing the need to travel to distant locations for court-related matters.
