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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Budget 2023: 10% hike in education outlay, scholarship amount for school students increased

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Mumbai: The state government has increased allocation for the education sector in its budget for the financial year 2023-24, though there’s a marginal drop in the share of education in the overall budget.

In 2022-23, the government spent around Rs 1.01 lakh crore on the education sector right from Anganwadis to initiatives in higher education. This expenditure was increased to 1.11 lakh crore – nearly a 10% hike – for the next fiscal.

The outlay for the state school education department rose from Rs. 66,886 CRORE allocated in 2022-23 to Rs 73,666 crore. The revised estimate for 2022-23 was also increased to Rs, 69,308 crore. The higher education department has received an allocation of Rs 13,648 crore, up from last year’s budget estimate of Rs 12,364 crore and the revised estimate of Rs 12,927 crore.

However, the share of school education in the Rs. 5.48 lakh crore presented by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday dipped slightly from 13.5% to 13.45%, while the share of higher education remained constant at 2.5%.


The government announced a hike in scholarship amount given to school children from Rs 1,000-1,500 to Rs 5,000-7,500. The state has also decided to provide free uniforms to primary students at all the schools run by local self-government bodies.

As announced earlier, the scholarship given to students for higher education has also been doubled from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000. However, the overall outlay for the scheme has increased only marginally from Rs 120 crore to Rs 124 crore.

A scholarship scheme to help 100 PhD students of Scheduled Tribe (ST) community every year was also announced in the budget. However, the allocation for another scheme to provide aid to Scheduled Caste (SC) students for studying abroad has been slashed. While last year the budget estimate for the scheme was Rs 150 crore, it was brought down to Rs 55 crore in the revised estimates. This year, the initiative has drawn only Rs 100 crore.

The state has also earmarked Rs 500 crore in the budget 2023-24 as a special grant to a number of universities in the state including the MUMBAI University of Mumbai. A provision of Rs 1,160 crore has been made for grants to partially-aided schools, with an aim of bringing them completely on the state’s tab.

Crime

Palghar Crime: Group Brutally Assaults 24-Year-Old Man Near Moregaon Talao In Nalasopara; Attempt-To-Murder Case Registered

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Palghar, Maharashtra: Police have registered a case of attempt to murder after a 24-year-old man was brutally assaulted late Saturday night near Moregaon Talao in Nalasopara (East).

FIR Details and Identity of Victim

According to the FIR lodged at Tulinj Police Station, the victim, identified as Pratik Prasad Waghe (24), was attacked around 11:30–11:50 p.m. on August 23 by a group of men following a dispute related to a woman.

The complainant, Pritam Dike (34), a relative of the victim, told police that the accused, identified as Bhushan Patil, Sanket Patil, Swarup Meher, and 4–5 unidentified men, cornered Waghe near the Vasai-Virar Municipal Hospital, and assaulted him with fists and blows aimed at his head. The attackers also abused him and allegedly tried to kill him during the assault.

Two Arrested, Hunt for Others Continues

Police have arrested Bhushan Patil and Sanket Patil, while the search is on for the remaining accused. The case has been registered under sections 109, 189(1), 189(2), 191(2), 190 and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

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Crime

Palghar News: Chemistry Teacher Arrested Under POCSO For Sexual Assaulting Teen Student In Nallasopara

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Palghar: Another shocking incident of a teacher sexually assaulting a teen student has come forward from Palghar. Authorities have taken a teacher into custody for supposedly assaulting a 16-year-old female student at a private tutoring centre in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, an official stated on Monday.

As per the victim’s report, the 42-year-old suspect, a Chemistry instructor at the coaching centre in the Nalla Sopara region, summoned her for an additional class on Saturday afternoon and took her to his office at the facility, where he purportedly assaulted her, the official stated, as reported by PTI.

The following day, the instructor tried to photograph the victim in class, but she evaded it, stated the official from Nalla Sopara police station. Her parents soon reached the class, seized the accused, and delivered him to the police. The victim claimed that the accused had previously made advances toward her as well, PTI reported.

According to the complaint, the suspect was apprehended on Sunday and charged under section 74 (assault or use of criminal force against a woman with the intention to insult her modesty) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with clauses of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the police reported.

Another Incident

A 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped multiple times by five individuals over three months in central Mumbai. Police arrested a 25-year-old man and detained four juveniles related to the case. The situation came to light when the girlfriend of one accused confronted the victim.

After her parents checked her phone and discovered videos and messages about the relationship, they reported the matter to the police. A case was filed against the accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

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Maharashtra

Vasai-Virar News: Three GRP Constables Suspended For Extorting ₹5,000 From Passenger

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Mumbai: The Government Railway Police (GRP) suspended three police personnel on August 1 on charges of extortion passenger at Vasai Road Railway Station on June 6.

About The Suspension

The suspended personnel, who were on duty at the station, allegedly extorted Rs.5,000 from a woman passenger. They had initially demanded Rs.15,000 as a penalty for merely standing and talking on the foot overbridge. The suspended constables have been identified as Milind Satav, Sachin Valve, and Kiran Aavle.

According to the suspension letter, on the evening of June 13, the victim, Ashwin Prabhu, and his female friend were standing and conversing on the Foot Overbridge (FOB) at Vasai Road station. Despite no misconduct or unlawful activity on their part, they were approached by constables Milind Satav and Sachin Valve. The constables allegedly seized Prabhu’s mobile phone and took both individuals to the railway police chawki (a room within the Vasai Road railway station premises used by the Railway Police).

There are no CCTV cameras installed inside this police chawki. While in illegal detention, the personnel allegedly demanded a penalty of Rs.15,000 for standing and talking on the Foot Overbridge. Eventually, constable Kiran Aavle facilitated an online payment of Rs.5,000 via a scanner belonging to a money transfer agent outside Vasai Road station. The amount was extorted without issuing any official receipt or citing any legal provision under which the penalty was being imposed.

Following a formal complaint filed by Ashwin Prabhu, a departmental inquiry was conducted by the GRP authorities. The investigation found the allegations credible. Consequently, the three GRP personnel posted at Vasai Road Railway Station were suspended, as per the suspension order dated August 1. There is a possibility that other passengers may also have been subjected to similar extortion, though such cases remain unreported.

Railway commuter organisations have demanded the immediate installation of CCTV cameras in every room used by GRP personnel at all railway stations and terminals under the Mumbai Division, whether officially sanctioned or informally arranged. They also urged Indian Railways to implement similar surveillance and accountability measures across stations nationwide to deter harassment and victimisation of passengers. Such preventive steps, they said, are essential to restoring public trust and ensuring accountability within law enforcement units operating in public transport systems.

Social Worker, Sameer Zaveri’s Statement

Sameer Zaveri, a train accident victim and social worker, stated, “Incidents indicate usual modus operandi involves taking passengers by railway police into rooms where no CCTV coverage exists, and extorting money under threats of criminal prosecution. Such incidents bring a grave disrepute to the police force and destroy public trust. To prevent this menace, urgent measures are needed. Mandatory use of body cameras by all police personnel on duty at railway stations. Immediate dismissal from service of police personnel found guilty of extortion as well as departmental action against those in supervisory roles for failure to do prevention of such incidents time and again occurred. The public deserves protection, not harassment. It is time for accountability and strict action.”

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