The Hiwarkhed village in Buldhana erupted in celebration last night as their ‘Mirdha’ or chief, Saurabh Hatkar finally got his scholarship of approximately Rs 50 lakh from the Government of Maharashtra to pursue his PhD at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

“I am modernising the role of a Mirdha as the new educated generation. A Mirdha or chief’s traditional role is to protect their caravan from danger. In today`s age, protection from institutional attacks like the draconian Forest Act is required, apart from healthcare and education rights,” said Hatkar.