Page 4 - Caste In India

SC notice to Centre, states on PIL alleging caste discrimination in jails

The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Centre and 11 states, including Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, on a PIL alleging that the prison manuals of these states encourage caste-based discrimination. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took note of senior advocate S Muralidhar's submissions that jail manuals of these 11 states discriminate in the allocation of work inside their prisons and inmates' caste determines the places where they are lodged. The plea referred to Kerala Prison Rules and said they lay down a distinction between a habitual and a re-convicted convict, holding that those who are by habit a robber, house breaker, dacoit or thief should be classified and separated from other convicts. It claimed that the West Bengal Jail Code lays down that work in prison should be designated by caste, such as cooking work will be undertaken by dominant castes and sweeping work shall be undertaken by people from

People have rejected caste-based politics of Congress: Anurag Singh Thakur

Anurag Thakur further said that women in Rajasthan had made up their minds to vote against the Congress for allegations of corruption and poor handling of women's security in the state

Bihar urges Centre for 65% quota in 9th Schedule to seek legal shield

The Bihar government on Wednesday decided to urge the Centre to incorporate the hiked reservation for deprived castes from 50 to 65 per cent in state government jobs and educational institutions in the 9th schedule of the Constitution, so that it is guaranteed immunity from legal scrutiny, an official said. The Ninth Schedule of the Constitution includes a list of Central and state laws that cannot be challenged in courts. In 1992, the Supreme Court capped reservations for the backward classes at 50 per cent. The Cabinet also increased the dearness allowance of government employees in Bihar by 4 per cent. They will get a DA of 46 per cent with effect from July 1 this year, Additional Chief Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat), S Siddharth, told reporters after the Cabinet meeting. The Nitish Kumar government on Tuesday issued gazette notifications for raising the quota for deprived castes to 65 per cent, after Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar gave his assent to two bills, paving the

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