Mumbai: Maharashtra recorded 584 deaths among students of government-run and aided ashram (tribal residential) schools over the two financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26, a senior official of the Tribal Development department said on Friday.
Breakdown of the fatalities
The department official said the fatalities included a mix of natural and accidental causes: snakebite, sickle cell disease, serious illness, accidents and suicide. According to the official, the total comprises 384 deaths in government ashram schools and 200 deaths in aided institutions.
"In the past two years, 384 deaths were reported in government ashram schools and 200 in aided schools," a senior Tribal Development department official said.
Officials provided a year-wise view: 170 students died in 2024-25, while 214 deaths were recorded in 2025-26 in government-run schools. For aided schools, 81 deaths occurred in 2024-25 and 119 in 2025-26.
| School type | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government ashram schools | 170 | 214 | 384 |
| Aided ashram schools | 81 | 119 | 200 |
| Combined | 251 | 333 | 584 |
Location of deaths and recent incident in Gadchiroli
The official said 36 of the deaths occurred on school premises while 348 took place at students' homes. In aided schools, 30 fatalities were reported on campus and 170 at home.
The disclosure follows widespread attention to a recent incident in Gadchiroli district where three tribal girls died after being bitten by a venomous snake around midnight at a government-aided residential school hostel in Japtalai village. The girls were staying in the hostel about 10 km from Dhanora taluka headquarters. Three other students were reported undergoing treatment.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered the permanent cancellation of the licence of the aided residential school in the wake of the Gadchiroli incident, officials said.
Scale and oversight of ashram schools
Maharashtra runs 500 government ashram schools and has 513 aided ashram institutions, the official added. These schools provide residential education and boarding for tribal children, often located in forested or remote talukas where access to health facilities and emergency services can be limited.
- Causes cited: snakebite, sickle cell, serious illness, accident, suicide.
- Site of deaths: 36 on government school premises; 30 on aided school premises.
- Recent action: licence of the Gadchiroli aided hostel cancelled permanently by the Chief Minister.
Implications for policy and health services
The numbers underscore systemic challenges in providing health care, emergency response and safe boarding conditions in tribal residential schools. Snakebite deaths point to the need for preventive measures—adequate bedding, mosquito and snake-proofing of hostels, emergency anti-venom availability and rapid referral systems—while sickle cell fatalities point to the continuing public-health burden of genetic and chronic conditions in tribal districts.
Local health officials and school administrators will be expected to review admission screening procedures, on-campus medical facilities and protocols for night-time supervision. The departmental figures, cited by a senior official, are likely to trigger renewed scrutiny by legislators and civil society on standards of hostel management, staffing, medical care and accountability in both government and aided ashram schools.
What families and communities need to know
Parents and guardians of children in ashram schools should seek clear information from school managements on the availability of first-aid, tie-ups with nearby health centres, anti-venom stock and the procedure followed for late-night emergencies. Authorities in tribal districts such as Gadchiroli must also provide transparent reporting on cause-of-death investigations and any disciplinary or corrective steps taken after campus fatalities.
As the state prepares to respond, district administrations and the Tribal Development department face pressure to combine immediate safety measures with longer-term health screening and infrastructure upgrades across the network of over 1,000 government and aided ashram schools in Maharashtra.
Further details on investigations and any policy changes are awaited from the Tribal Development department and district officials handling the Gadchiroli case.
