Page 4 - Caste In India

Best of BS Opinion: Towards more equal India, AI and global job market

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

No nationwide caste census since independence, limited data available

An official nationwide caste census has not been conducted since Independence, numbers collected by private and government enti­ties as part of other data collection exercises provide some insights

TMS Ep561: Air pollution, Bihar caste survey, Samvat 2080, Rafah crossing

Will SC's order solve North India's air pollution woes? What does Bihar's caste survey reveal? How will markets play out in Samvat 2080? What is Rafah crossing? All answers here

Bihar Assembly approves raising caste quota in govt jobs, education to 65%

The new reservation quota includes 20% for SCs, 2% for STs, 18% for OBCs, and 25% for EBCs

Don't be swayed by Congress' caste-census demand: Mayawati in MP

BSP chief Mayawati accused the BJP of not filling the reservation quota for Dalits, tribals, and OBCs. She also alleged that Congress is using caste-census demands to win votes

Suppressio veri, suggestio falsi

Why quota proponents and social justice warriors are never called to account for their failed remedies

Root out distortions like casteism, regionalism in society: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called upon people to root out distortions like casteism and regionalism in the society, saying the Dussehra festival should also mark triumph of patriotism over every evil in the country. Addressing a huge gathering at a Dussehra event here, Modi said it is everyone's good fortune that they are witness to a grand Ram temple being built in Ayodhya now after a wait of centuries. It will be completed in a few months and marks the victory of people's patience, he said. This is happening amid many auspicious developments, he said, citing India's successful lunar mission, inauguration of the new Parliament building and the enactment of women's reservation law. Modi also asked people to take 10 pledges, including helping at least one poor family to raise its socio-economic status. The country will become a developed nation when everyone is developed, he said. The other causes he mentioned included saving water, digital transactions, cleanliness,

OBCs decoded: How backward classes in India were categorised and recognised

The Other Backward Class (OBC) is a collective term used to classify castes which are educationally or socially backward

The Mandal Commission decoded: How OBC reservation came into effect

The Mandal Commission, named after its chairman, B P Mandal, played a vital role in recognising backward classes in India and framing affirmative action policies

SC won't stop Bihar from publishing caste survey data. Here's why

The bench sought a response from the Bihar government over the matter within four weeks

Congress used to divide society based on caste: PM on Bihar's Caste Survey

PM Modi said, "They used to stay immersed in corruption, today they have become corrupt themselves. They used to speak proudly about one family, today they see themselves doing so in the future"

Bihar caste census: 63% people from backward, extremely backward classes

According to the survey, 27.1 per cent of Bihar's population is from Backward Classes while 36 per cent of the population is from Extremely Backward Classes (EBC)

State govt has no plans for caste census in UP, says CM Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said the state government has no plans to conduct a "caste census" in the state. "The subject matter of census is mentioned at number 69 of the Union List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. Census Act 1948 and Census Rules 1990 have been made by the Government of India for census work under which the work of census is done by the Government of India," he said. Adityanath said this in a written reply to a question asked by Samajwadi Party member Sangram Yadav. "No," the chief minister said in the state assembly in his reply on the government's plans for "caste census". The Samajwadi Party, which has been demanding a "caste census" in the state, had included the issue in its manifesto for the 2022 assembly polls. The issue will be top on the Samajwadi Party's poll plank for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as part of party chief Akhilesh Yadav's new formula - the PDA (Pichada, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) that is backwards, .

Right to live with dignity includes not being tied down by casteism: HC

Stating that the right to live with dignity includes not being "tied down by casteism", the Delhi High Court has directed the CBSE to comply with the request of two siblings belonging to the Scheduled Caste community to update their father's surname, which he has changed due to social stigma, in their Class 10 and 12 certificates. Justice Mini Pushkarna said the denial by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in carrying out the requisite change in the certificates was "totally unjustified" and if a person wanted to not to be identified with any particular caste that may be a cause of prejudice, the same is permissible. "It is to be noted that the petitioners have every right to have an identity which gives them an honourable and respectable identity in the society.. The Right to Identity is an intrinsic part of the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India," the court said. In response to the petition, CBSE had said the change in the surname would entail

Conducting caste-based survey no crime, says Bihar CM to opposers

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday reacted with exasperation over the opposition faced by the head count of caste' underway in the state, saying that holding such a survey is not a crime. He asserted that the state is not conducting a caste census but only collecting information related to people's economic status and their caste so that specific steps could be taken by the government to serve them better. The ongoing caste survey is a good initiative taken by us. People will be hugely benefited after the recognition of their economic status, whether they belong to the upper caste, backward caste or extremely weaker sections of the society. I don't understand why a section of people are against this exercise They are challenging it. Is it a crime? No, it is not, Kumar said while addressing a conference of Civil Servants here. An organisation had claimed that it was not a survey for a sample population but a census involving house-to-house enumeration of all people, which o

SC rejects plea against Bihar govt's decision to conduct caste-based survey

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea against the Bihar government's decision to conduct a caste-based survey in the state. A bench of Justices M R Shah and J B Pardiwala allowed the petitioner to approach the Patna High Court and directed it to decide the petition expeditiously. "Petitioner seeks permission to move an application which can be considered by the high court. "We permit the petitioner to file an appropriate interim application and request the high court to consider and finally decide at least the interim application at the earliest and preferably with three days of filing it," the bench said. The apex court clarified that it has not expressed anything on merits of the case. The first round of caste survey in Bihar was conducted between January 7 and 21. The second round started on April 15 and will continue till May 15. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that this is a serious case where the Patna High Court has

Detailed report of caste based census to be put in public domain: Bihar CM

With the second phase of the caste based census underway in Bihar, the people of the state are starting to analyse its positives and negatives

Ashok Gehlot's silence on Rahul's caste census demand raises eyebrows

Other leaders said that Gehlot himself is leading the show from the front and he has set a legacy by announcing a flurry of social security schemes which have made a national mark

Caste Census: Chhattisgarh Guv sitting on Bill that raises quota bar to 76%

Caste census is becoming a big issue in the country's politics. The process of a caste census has also started in Bihar, but Chhattisgarh is engaged in collecting caste data through different routes

Pradhan asks IITs to ensure zero tolerance for discrimination on campuses

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan called for the complete eradication of social discrimination from campuses of educational institutions. Chairing the 55th IIT Council meeting here on Tuesday, he said students of Indian Institute of Technology must aspire to become job creators rather than job seekers. "There should be no social discrimination in any institute, be it IITs or private institutions. It is the responsibility of the authorities and the students to ensure that there is no discrimination on campuses," he told reporters after the meeting. With 34 students of various IITs dying by suicide over the last five years, he called upon the directors to be proactive in providing all kinds of support and develop and robust mechanism to ensure "zero tolerance" for discrimination on campuses. The council discussed steps needed to ensure mental health wellness among students. It focussed on the need for a robust grievance redressal system, increasing psychological counselling