‘Never asked for DNA test for tribals’

Maharashtra Social Welfare Minister Babanrao Pachpute, who was reported to have recommended a DNA test for tribals for giving them caste certificates, denied having made such a suggestion.

Maharashtra Social Welfare Minister Babanrao Pachpute, who was reported to have recommended a DNA test for tribals for giving them caste certificates, denied having made such a suggestion.

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A section of the media had reported that Pachpute was considering this. “My department held a workshop... One of the speakers suggested DNA tests for making the procedure of allotting caste certificate foolproof,” he told HT.

“People have a right to make suggestions. It’s up to the government to accept or reject them,” he said.