Eight surrendered Maoists clear Class 10 open school exam in Chhattisgarh

Eight surrendered Maoist cadres from Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division have successfully cleared the Class 10 State Open School examination. The results, declared last month, follow the examination held in August this year, marking a step towards their integration into mainstream society and pursuit of further education.

This achievement is part of the government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy, which aims to provide assistance and facilities to former cadres. The successful candidates are now looking to pursue higher studies and build new lives, supported by government initiatives.

Former Cadres Pursue Education

Among the eight successful candidates is Geeta Narote, 36, also known as ‘Dr Champa’, who cleared the Class 10 exam. Narote had dropped out of school after Class 6 and joined the Maoist movement in 2004. She was part of a group of 210 Maoists who surrendered in Jagdalpur in October 2025.

Narote expressed her happiness at the opportunity to study again, stating, “I am very happy that I got an opportunity to study again. I always wanted to study. I now want to pursue further studies and become a nurse.” She recounted leaving school due to family responsibilities after her father was killed by Maoists and joining the movement in fear of re-arrest after being jailed as a Maoist supporter.

Other successful candidates include Yadgiri Kondghatla alias Bhaskar, Santosh Anchla alias Sannu, Ramdhar Kashyap, Madkam Dulla, Navru Poyam, Arjun Payam alias Vasu, and Ramji Gavde. Yadgiri Kondghatla, Santosh Anchla, Ramdhar Kashyap, Madkam Dulla, and Navru Poyam appeared for the examination from Jagdalpur. Arjun Payam appeared from Bijapur, and Ramji Gavde from Kanker.

Support and Rehabilitation Efforts

The surrendered cadres received ₹50,000 each from the government under the surrender policy. Geeta Narote mentioned using some of this amount to purchase books for their studies. Santosh Anchla alias Sannu, 31, who dropped out after Class 2 and joined the Maoist movement in 2008, and Ramdhar Kashyap, 34, who also dropped out after Class 2 and surrendered in March 2026, are currently staying at Triveni Parisar, a police facility in Jagdalpur, along with Geeta Narote.

Bastar Superintendent of Police Shalabh Kumar Sinha stated, “They are being provided all necessary facilities under the government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy.” Sinha further added, “Education is a key factor in the development of a person. It will help surrendered cadres connect with the outside world and enable them to take up self-employment or other jobs in the future. We are very glad that they have cleared the examination and will continue to motivate other surrendered cadres to pursue education and lead a better life.” A former Maoist cadre, Setu alias Shyam, who previously worked as a teacher within the organization, assisted the group with their studies.

Context of Anti-Maoist Operations

This educational success comes amidst ongoing efforts by the government to counter Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in Chhattisgarh. Over 200 Maoists surrendered in Bastar on October 17, 2025, and over 20 Maoists surrendered in Kanker recently in 2025. Between 2024 and 2026, 531 Maoists were killed, and 103 new police camps were established across 8,000 square kilometers in Chhattisgarh.

The Union Home Minister Amit Shah had set a deadline of March 31, 2026, for dismantling Maoist structures in Chhattisgarh. The number of LWE-affected districts in India has reportedly decreased, with only three districts (Bijapur, Sukma, Narayanpur) remaining under its grip as of October 2025, down from 18 earlier in the year and 126 in 2013. Prime Minister Modi has expressed satisfaction with Chhattisgarh freeing itself from ‘Maoist terrorism’, attributing success to a multi-pronged strategy combining security operations, infrastructure development, and rehabilitation efforts.

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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