Meritorious students from the Chamar community felicitated
Statewide programmes to be organised to mark the 650th birth anniversary year
Nagpur, September 2026 : The state government is committed to the educational and social advancement of the Chamar community and will provide funds for the construction of a memorial and auditorium dedicated to Sant Ravidas Maharaj in the Babulkheda area near Nagpur, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday.
He also announced that a modern e-library would be established to enable students to prepare for competitive examinations. Fadnavis said extensive state-level programmes would be organised across Maharashtra to mark the 650th birth anniversary year of Sant Ravidas Maharaj.
The Chief Minister was speaking as the chief guest at a felicitation ceremony organised by the Chamar Seva Sangh in memory of late Bhanutai Gadkari at the Teachers’ Cooperative Bank auditorium in Mahal. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari presided over the programme.
MLA Krishna Khopde, Maharashtra State Commission for Safai Karmacharis Chairman Satish Dagor, former mayor Dayashankar Tiwari and Chamar Seva Sangh founder-president Bhaiyasaheb Bighane, among several other dignitaries, were present on the dais.
A total of 495 meritorious students who secured more than 65 per cent marks in their Class 10 and Class 12 examinations were felicitated with certificates of honour and mementoes by the dignitaries. Citizens from the Chamar community who have made outstanding contributions in various fields were also honoured during the programme.
Focus on education and employment
Emphasising the need to create employment opportunities for young people alongside education, Fadnavis said the Sant Rohidas Leather Industries and Leatherworkers Development Corporation, known as LIDCOM, would be restructured.
He said LIDCOM would be reorganised on the lines of BARTI and ARTI, with efforts to provide training and related services and facilities to children and young people from the Chamar community.
Fadnavis said education was the key to the genuine development and sustainable progress of society. Honouring meritorious students was not merely a formality but a necessity of the times, he said.
“Following the ideals of Sant Ravidas Maharaj, our government’s objective is to ensure that the benefits of development reach the last person in society,” the Chief Minister said.
Nitin Gadkari calls for skill-based education
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, in his address, urged young people not to depend solely on conventional degrees and instead acquire skill-based education.
He stressed the need to use modern technology in the leather industry and traditional arts to create new employment opportunities through micro, small and medium enterprises.
Gadkari said the Central government was committed to providing national and international markets for handicrafts and handloom products made by women.
He congratulated the meritorious students and wished them continued success, urging them to maintain their record of achievement and make a valuable contribution to the development of the country and society.
