Maharashtra govt shifts authority to grant minority status certificates to educational institutions

The Maharashtra government has shifted the responsibility for issuing minority status certificates from the Joint Secretary or deputy secretary of the minority development department to the additional chief secretary, principal secretary or secretary of the department. 

The development comes amid a controversy over granting minority status to educational institutions in Maharashtra. 

Moreover, the state government has also lifted the temporary suspension on granting religious and linguistic minority status certificates to educational institutions in the state. 

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Religious, linguistic minority status certificates

“The matter of bringing coherence and transparency in the process of granting minority status certificates, settling pending cases within the time limit, effectively implementing the verification process of certificates, declaring a new competent authority to grant minority status certificates and lifting the suspension of minority status certificates was under the consideration of the Government,” according to an official statement. 

In July this year, the government announced to form a committee to reform and inspect the process of granting minority status certificates to minority educational institutions. 

Earlier, the committee was supposed to be formed under the chairmanship of secretary, principal secretary or additional chief secretary, minority development department.

As per the new government order, the additional chief secretary, principal secretary or secretary of the minority development department, Mantralaya, Mumbai, will serve as the competent authority to grant religious and linguistic minority status certificates to eligible educational institutions across Maharashtra.

“The stay granted to grant religious and linguistic minority status certificates to minority educational institutions in the state of Maharashtra as per the government letter here is being lifted as per this government decision,” the official order read.

On May 27, 2013, the joint secretary or deputy secretary of the department was designated as the competent authority for issuing minority status certificates.

Furthermore, on February 18, 2026, the department suspended the issuance of religious and linguistic minority status certificates to educational institutions for administrative reasons.