Ministry of Special Backward Classes Welfare (Maharashtra)

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Last edited April 23, 2026
Ministry of Special Backward Classes Welfare Government of Maharashtra
मंत्रालय विशेष मागासवर्गीय कल्याण विभाग, महाराष्ट्र शासन

Building of Administrative Headquarters of Mumbai
Ministry overview
JurisdictionIndia Maharashtra
HeadquartersMantralay, Mumbai
Minister responsible
Deputy Minister responsible
Ministry executive
Parent departmentGovernment of Maharashtra

The Ministry of Special Backward Classes Welfare is a Ministry of the Government of Maharashtra.[1]

The Ministry is headed by a cabinet level Minister. Devendra Fadnavis is Current Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Minister of Special Backward Classes Welfare Government of Maharashtra.[2]

Head office[edit | edit source]

Minister of Special Backward Classes Welfare
मंत्री विशेष मागासवर्गीय कल्याण विभाग
Incumbent
Devendra Fadnavis

since 05 December 2024
Ministry of Special Backward Classes Welfare (Maharashtra)
StyleThe Honourable
AbbreviationCabinet Minister
Member ofState Cabinet
Reports toChief Minister,
Maharashtra Legislature
SeatMantralaya, Mumbai
AppointerGovernor on the advice of the
Chief Minister
Term length5 years
Precursor (2022- 2023)
Inaugural holderD. S. Palaspagar
(1960-1962)
Formation1 May 1960
Deputy
  • Vacant, TBD
since 29 June 2022

Cabinet Ministers[edit | edit source]

No. Portrait Minister

(Constituency)

Term of office Political party Ministry Chief Minister
From To Period
Minister of Special Backward Classes Welfare - SBCW
01 B. G. Gadhe

(MLA for Jalna North Constituency No. 101-
Jalna District)
(Legislative Assembly)

01 May
1960

07 March
1962

1 year, 310 days Indian National Congress Yashwantrao I
Yashwantrao Chavan
02 D. S. Palaspagar

(MLC for Elected by MLAs Constituency No. 19 -
Bhandara District)
(Legislative Council)

08 March
1962

19 November
1962

256 days Indian National Congress Yashwantrao II
03 Keshavrao Sonawane

(MLA for Latur Constituency No. 235-
Latur District)
(Legislative Assembly)

20 November
1962

24 November
1963

1 year, 4 days Indian National Congress Kannamwar l Marotrao Kannamwar
04 P. K. Sawant

(MLA for Chiplun Constituency No. 265-
Ratnagiri District)
(Legislative Assembly)

(Interim Chief Minister)

25 November
1962

04 December
1963

9 days Indian National Congress Sawant P. K. Sawant
05 Nirmala Raje Bhosale

(MLA for Satara Constituency No. 268-
Satara District)
(Legislative Assembly)

05 December
1963

01 March
1967

3 years, 86 days Indian National Congress Vasantrao I
Vasantrao Naik
06 Gopalrao Bajirao Khedkar

(MLA for Akot Constituency No. 28-
Akola District)
(Legislative Assembly)

01 March
1967

27 October
1969

2 years, 240 days Indian National Congress Vasantrao II
07 Nirmala Raje Bhosale

(MLA for Satara Constituency No. 268-
Satara District)
(Legislative Assembly)

27 October
1969

13 March
1972

2 years, 138 days Indian National Congress
08 Hari Govindrao Vartak

(MLA for Bassein-Vasai Constituency No. 180-
Palghar District
(Legislative Assembly)

13 March
1972

04 April
1973

1 year, 32 days Indian National Congress Vasantrao III
09 Abdul Rahman Antulay

(MLA for Shrivardhan Constituency No. 193-
Raigad District)
(Legislative Assembly)

04 April
1973

17 Match
1974

347 days Indian National Congress
10 M. B. Popat

(MLA for Dhobitalao Constituency No. 160-
Mumbai City District)
(Legislative Assembly)

17 Match
1974

21 February
1975

341 days Indian National Congress
11 Vasantdada Patil

(MLC for Elected by MLAs Constituency No. 20 -
Sangli District)
(Legislative Council)

21 February
1975

16 April
1977

2 years, 54 days Indian National Congress Shankarrao I
Shankarrao Chavan
12 Madhukar Dhanaji Chaudhari

(MLA for Raver Constituency No. 11-
Jalgaon District)
(Legislative Assembly)

17 April
1977

07 March
1978

1 year, 324 days Indian National Congress Vasantdada I
Vasantdada Patil
13 Nashikrao Tirpude

(MLA for Bhandara Constituency No. 61-
Bhandara District)
(Legislative Assembly)

(Deputy Chief Minister)

07 March
1978

18 July
1978

133 days Indian National Congress (Indira) Vasantdada II
14 Bhausaheb Surve

(MLA for Nagpur Central Constituency No. 55-
Nagpur District)
(Legislative Assembly)

18 July
1978

17 February
1980

1 year, 214 days Indian Congress (Socialist) Pawar I
Sharad Pawar
15 Jawaharlal Darda

(MLC for Elected by MLAs Constituency No. 19 -
Yavatmal District)
(Legislative Council)

09 June
1980

21 January
1982

1 year, 226 days Indian National Congress Antulay
Abdul Rahman Antulay
16 Surupsingh Hirya Naik

(MLA for Navapur Constituency No. 04-
Nandurbar District)
(Legislative Assembly)

21 January
1982

02 February
1983

1 year, 12 days Indian National Congress Bhosale
Babasaheb Bhosale
17 Shantaram Gholap

(MLA for Murbad Constituency No. 139-
Thane District)
(Legislative Assembly)

07 February
1983

05 March
1985

2 years, 26 days Indian National Congress Vasantdada III
Vasantdada Patil
18 Balachandra Bhai Sawant

(MLC for Elected by MLAs Constituency No. 09 -
Ratnagiri District)
(Legislative Council)

12 March
1985

03 June
1985

83 days Indian National Congress Vasantdada IV
19 Jawaharlal Darda

(MLC for Elected by MLAs Constituency No. 19 -
Yavatmal District)
(Legislative Council)

03 June
1985

12 March
1986

282 days Indian National Congress Nilangekar Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar
20 Sushilkumar Shinde

(MLA for Solapur City Central Constituency No. 249-
Solapur District)
(Legislative Assembly)

12 March
1986

26 June
1988

2 years, 106 days Indian National Congress Shankarrao II
Shankarrao Chavan
21 Sudhakarrao Naik

(MLA for Pusad Constituency No. 81-
Yavatmal District)
(Legislative Assembly)

26 June
1988

03 March
1990

1 year, 250 days Indian National Congress Pawar II
Sharad Pawar
22 Narendra Marutrao Kamble

(MLC for Elected by Governor Nominated No. 10 -
Mumbai City District)
(Legislative Council)

03 March
1990

25 June
1991

1 year, 114 days Indian National Congress Pawar III
23 Sushilkumar Shinde

(MLA for Solapur City Central Constituency No. 249-
Solapur District)
(Legislative Assembly)

25 June
1991

22 February
1993

1 year, 242 days Indian National Congress Sudhakarrao Sudhakarrao Naik
24 Chhagan Bhujbal

(MLA for Mazgaon constituency No. 210-
Mumbai Suburban District)
(Legislative Assembly)

06 March
1993

14 March
1995

2 years, 8 days Indian National Congress Pawar IV
Sharad Pawar
25 Gopinath Munde

(MLA for Renapur Constituency No. 236-
Latur District)
(Legislative Assembly)

(Deputy Chief Minister)

14 March
1995

01 February
1999

3 years, 324 days Bharatiya Janata Party Joshi
Manohar Joshi
26 Babanrao Gholap

(MLA for Deolali Constituency No. 126-
Pune District)
(Legislative Assembly)

01 February
1999

11 May
1999

99 days Shiv Sena Rane
Narayan Rane
27 Gopinath Munde

(MLA for Renapur Constituency No. 236-
Latur District)
(Legislative Assembly)

(Deputy Chief Minister)

11 May
1999

17 October
1999

159 days Bharatiya Janata Party
28 Jaywantrao Awale

(MLA for Vadgaon Maval Constituency No. 192-
Pune District
(Legislative Assembly)

19 October
1999

16 January
2003

3 years, 89 days Indian National Congress Deshmukh I
Vilasrao Deshmukh
29 Surupsingh Hirya Naik

(MLA for Navapur Constituency No. 04-
Nandurbar District)
(Legislative Assembly)

18 January
2003

01 November
2004

1 year, 295 days Indian National Congress Sushilkumar
Sushilkumar Shinde
30 R. R. Patil

(MLA for Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal Constituency No. 287-
Sangli District)
(Legislative Assembly)

(Deputy Chief Minister)

01 November
2004

09 November
2004

8 days Nationalist Congress Party Deshmukh II
Vilasrao Deshmukh
31 Jayant Patil

(MLA for Walva Constituency No. 283-
Sangli District)
(Legislative Assembly)

09 November
2004

01 December
2008

4 years, 22 days Nationalist Congress Party
32 Ganesh Naik

(MLA for Belapur Constituency No. 151-
Thane District)
(Legislative Assembly)

08 December
2008

06 November
2009

333 days Nationalist Congress Party Ashok I
Ashok Chavan
33 Shivajirao Moghe

(MLA for Arni Constituency No. 80-
Yavatmal District)
(Legislative Assembly)

07 November
2009

10 November
2010

1 year, 3 days Indian National Congress Ashok II
34 Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil

(MLA for Shirdi Constituency No. 218-
Ahmednagar District)
(Legislative Assembly)

11 November
2010

26 September
2014

3 years, 319 days Indian National Congress Prithviraj
Prithviraj Chavan
35 Devendra Fadnavis

(MLA for Nagpur South West Constituency No. 52-
Nagpur District)
(Legislative Assembly)

(Chief_Minister)

31 October
2014

04 June
2016

1 year, 217 days Bharatiya Janata Party Fadnavis I
Devendra Fadnavis
36 Chandrakant Patil

(MLC for Pune Graduates Constituency No. 05 -
Pune District)
(Legislative Council)

04 June
2016

16 June
2019

3 years, 12 days Bharatiya Janata Party
37 Sanjay Kute

(MLA for Jalgaon (Jamod) Constituency No. 27-
Buldhana District
(Legislative Assembly)

16 June
2019

12 November
2019

149 days Bharatiya Janata Party
38 Devendra Fadnavis

(MLA for Nagpur South West Constituency No. 52-
Nagpur District)
(Legislative Assembly)

(Chief_Minister)
In Charge

23 November
2019

28 November
2019

5 days Bharatiya Janata Party Fadnavis II
39 Nitin Raut

(MLA for Nagpur North Constituency No. 57-
Nagpur District)
(Legislative Assembly)

28 November
2019

30 December
2019

32 days Indian National Congress Thackeray
Uddhav Thackeray
40 Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar

(MLA for Bramhapuri Constituency No. 73-
Chandrapur District)
(Legislative Assembly)

30 December
2019

29 June
2022

2 years, 181 days Indian National Congress
41 Eknath Shinde

(MLA for Kopri-Pachpakhadi Constituency No. 147-
Thane District)
(Legislative Assembly)

(Chief Minister)
In Charge

30 June
2022

14 August
2022

45 days Shiv Sena (2022–present) Eknath
Eknath Shinde
42 Atul Save

(MLA for Aurangabad East Constituency No. 109-
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar District Also Previously Known Aurangabad District
(Legislative Assembly)

14 August
2022

14 July
2023

334 days Bharatiya Janata Party
43 Eknath Shinde

(MLA for Kopri-Pachpakhadi Constituency No. 147-
Thane District)
(Legislative Assembly)

(Chief Minister)

14 July
2023

26 November
2024

1 year, 135 days Shiv Sena (2022–present)
44 Devendra Fadnavis

(MLA for Nagpur South West Constituency No. 52-
Nagpur District)
(Legislative Assembly)

(Chief_Minister)
In Charge

05 December
2024

Incumbent 1 year, 279 days Bharatiya Janata Party Fadnavis III
Devendra Fadnavis

Ministers of State[edit | edit source]

No. Portrait Deputy Minister

(Constituency)

Term of office Political party Ministry Minister Chief Minister
From To Period
Deputy Minister of Special Backward Classes Welfare - SBCW
Vacant

23 November
2019

28 November
2019

5 days NA Fadnavis II Devendra Fadnavis
Devendra Fadnavis
01 Omprakash Babarao Kadu

(MLA for Achalpur Constituency No. 42-
Amravati District)
(Legislative Assembly)

30 December
2019

27 June
2022

2 years, 179 days Prahar Janshakti Party Supported Party Shiv Sena Thackeray Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar
Uddhav Thackeray
02 Dattatray Vithoba Bharne

(MLA for Indapur Constituency No. 200-
Pune District
(Legislative Assembly)

Additional_Charge

27 June
2022

29 June
2022

2 days Nationalist Congress Party
Vacant

30 June
2022

26 November
2024

2 years, 149 days NA Eknath
Eknath Shinde
Vacant

21 December
2024

incumbent 1 year, 263 days NA Fadnavis III Devendra Fadnavis
(2024 – Present)

Devendra Fadnavis

References[edit | edit source]

  1. "Maharashtra Cabinet to setup separate ministry for development of OBCs". The Indian Express. 2016-12-28. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
  2. "Maharashtra Cabinet to setup separate ministry for development of OBCs". The Indian Express. 2016-12-28. Retrieved 2026-04-23.