Page 2 - Caste Politics

Best of BS Opinion: Promoting caste equality, 'Chaotic' science and more

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

Tamil Nadu's Dalit mosaic: Big 4 sub-groups cover 85% of the picture

In the second of a three-part series, Business Standard looks at sizeable variations in education levels and employment within SC sub-categories in Tamil Nadu

Caste remains a crucial factor in Haryana's candidate selection process

Key trends surface in Haryana as Assembly election nominations near

Best of BS opinion: 'Caste' constant in Haryana, On Buddha's trail, more

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

Govt may expand census to include more questions around caste: Reports

Officials are now debating whether to add a third caste category, called "other backward class" to the questionnaire or whether to conduct a separate caste survey

Oppn demands for caste census, tax on rich, GST removal on insurance in RS

Opposition members in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday pressed for a caste census, imposition of super rich tax, and removal of GST levy on life and medical insurance premiums. Participating in a discussion on the Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation No. 3 Bill, 2024 in the Upper House, Raghav Chadha of the Aam Aadmi Party expressed happiness at the indexation benefit being "partially restored". However, he said, this poses a "huge question mark" over the central government's tax policies. "... How confused is our country's taxation policy. On 23 July 2024, you say that you are taking away the indexation benefit from investors and exactly after two weeks, you say that you are not taking it away but restoring it. This shows that when you, without thinking, not acting on the advice of an economist, if you devise the Budget on the advice of those who do not have economic knowledge, these kind of flip flops will be witnessed," he said. Taking away indexation from an Indian investor is equivalent to

'SC's Dalit quota sub-categorisation verdict may help BJP boost outreach'

The BJP may not have taken a categorical stand at the national level on the Supreme Court's landmark decision allowing states to create sub-categorisation within the SCs and STs, but several of its leaders are of the view that the verdict can help the party boost its outreach to the more disadvantaged sections of Dalits. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has assiduously cultivated the numerically-weaker Scheduled Castes (SCs) in many states, such as Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka, over the years, and the apex court's verdict may allow the party to promise these communities with their most coveted wish -- their fair share in government jobs and schemes, they said. The erosion of Dalit votes that hit the BJP in the recent Lok Sabha polls has sent its brain trust to the drawing board, as the party looks to reinvigorate its outreach to the community after the opposition's allegation that the Narendra Modi government wanted to change the Constitution found some traction in the ...

SC refuses to stay Patna High Court's order scrapping 65% reservation

The Patna High Court had struck down the Bihar Assembly's decision of increasing reservations for Backward Classes from 50 per cent to 65 per cent in government jobs and educational admissions

Ramdas Athawale advocates for caste census in country, slams Congress

Union minister Ramdas Athawale has said his Republican Party of India (A) supports conducting a caste census in the country and believes some way should be found for it. Speaking to reporters in Madhya Pradesh's Indore city on Sunday, Athawale also said there should be no malpractice in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and the Education Ministry was taking all possible steps to stop malpractices in the exam in future. He said since Article 17 of the Constitution has a provision to abolish casteism, there has been a hindrance before governments on how to get a caste-based census conducted. "My party demands that some way should be found because once the caste-based census is done, we will know the percentage of every caste in the population," the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment said. Athawale further said if future decisions include extending reservation benefits to every caste based on their population share, his party would not oppose it, ...

Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar urge peace after Beed video suggests caste tensions

A video purportedly containing remarks against a particular community in the backdrop of tension between two caste groups in a village in Beed district has gone viral, prompting leaders of various political parties to appeal for peace. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis (BJP) and Ajit Pawar (NCP) have appealed for maintaining peace and avoiding such commentary. Beed Superintendent of Police, Nand Kumar Thakur, on Monday, rushed to Mundewadi village in Kej tehsil and held a meeting with villagers. The video clip went viral on Sunday against the backdrop of tensions between members of the Maratha and Vanjari communities. Some villagers in the video clip, which went viral on Sunday, can be heard saying that no 'Maharaj' (religious preacher) from the Maratha community should be invited to the village. Villagers also asked others not to consume liquor from a shop, while a man threatened that those violating this diktat would be penalised. "A meeting was conducted in

India's consumption story is yet to address the caste discrimination issue

Ages-old bias could also be affecting what traditionally deprived communities earn

Caste major factor in selection of candidates in Gujarat: Analysts

Political parties may claim that the caste arithmetic does not play a role in candidate selection but analysts say it is still a major factor in Gujarat, even though urbanisation has weakened caste identities in some parts of the state. In rural areas, however, caste is still a dominant factor, they said. Patidars constitute 11-12 per cent of Gujarat's 6.5-crore population and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), scattered across many sub-communities including Thakors in north and Kolis in central Gujarat and Saurashtra, constitute around 40 per cent. The BJP has fielded six Patidars, seven OBCs and three Kolis. The Congress and the AAP, part of the opposition INDIA alliance, have fielded six Patidars, seven OBCs and two Kolis. Vidyut Joshi, sociologist and former vice-chancellor of Bhavnagar University, told PTI that Gujarat's first four chief ministers were either Brahmin or Vanik. Patidars entered the political scene after the 70s when Chimanbhai Patel became the chief minister in 19

No force can stop caste census, 'deshbhakts' are scared of X-ray: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying those who call themselves 'deshbhakt' are scared of the 'X-ray' of caste census but "no force" can stop it. Addressing the 'Samajik Nyay Sammelan' here, Gandhi said he is not interested in caste but in 'nyay' (justice) and asserted that it is his life's mission to ensure justice for the 90 percent of the population against whom injustice has been done. "As soon as our government is formed, the first thing that would be done is a caste census," Gandhi said. He said the Congress manifesto talks about the X-ray and the income inequality created by Modi. Modi has transferred Rs 16 lakh crore to select business people and the Congress is going to return a small amount to the 90 per cent of the population, he said. "We have calculated...what we felt is justice and that help should be given, we put it down in the manifesto," he said of the party's guarantees mentioned in the ...

Highlights: 4th round of talks between ministers, farmer leaders concludes

Catch all the latest updates from across the globe here

OBC, SC, ST are 73%, but none among top 200 firms owned by them: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Sunday said the OBC, Dalit and tribal constitute 73 per cent of the population but not even one of the top 200 companies in India is owned by them. Addressing a gathering during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra here, he said a caste census is an X-ray of the country which would "reveal everything". "Caste census is your (youth's) weapon and you have to find out what is your population," he told the gathering as he came of the Swaraj Bhawan, at Lakshmi Talkies intersection near Allahabad University. "Secondly, you have to find out what is your share in the country's wealth." "How much wealth do the 73 per cent castes have in this country? Caste census is the X-ray of the country. This will reveal everything," he said. Gandhi called a student from the crowd to his vehicle and asked him, "Which class do you belong to?" The student replied that he was from the OBC category. On this, Gandhi said, "The OBC class in the country is 50 per cent, Dalits are 15 per cent

Behind Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's switch: Caste play, Modi's outreach

Bihar CM, who returned to NDA fold, feared significant losses in Lok Sabha polls had he stayed with INDIA bloc

Following Bihar, Andhra Pradesh govt begins comprehensive caste census

The Andhra Pradesh government on Friday kicked off its comprehensive caste census to enumerate all communities in the state. Information and Public Relations (I & PR) Minister C Srinivasa Venugopala Krishna said the census is scheduled for 10 days from January 19. "The comprehensive caste census is scheduled for 10 days in one phase and if needed, it will be extended by four or five days," Krishna told PTI. The Minister noted that volunteers will visit each and every home to collect the caste details, which will be relayed to the village secretariat system. Andhra Pradesh becomes the second state after Bihar to take up the caste census. Krishna said officials in the village secretariat system across the state will verify the accuracy of information collected by the volunteers and correct it, if necessary, before making the final record. Each volunteer will cater to 50 households. Krishna exuded confidence that the entire census process will be completed before the issuance of th

Congress will undertake caste census after coming to power at Centre: Rahul

The Congress will undertake caste census after coming to power at the Centre, said party leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday. Addressing a huge rally in Maharashtra's Nagpur on the occasion of the Congress' 139th foundation day, he said unemployment in the country has reached its highest point in the last 40 years. He said his party will undertake caste census after returning to power at the Centre. Speaking at the event, named 'Hain Tayyar Hum', where the Congress kickstarted its campaign for next year's Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi said there is a battle of two ideologies in the country. "Unlike the BJP, even a junior Congress worker can question and disagree with top party leaders, he said. Vice chancellors are being appointed not on the basis of merit but because they belong to a particular organisation, he said. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and many top party leaders from Maharashtra and other states took part in the event, while its former president Sonia Gandhi and gen

The biggest 4 castes for me are poor, youth, women, farmers: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said his government's priority is to respect and empower the poor and deprived sections of the society. He also said investments of thousands of crores have been made in Indore's vicinity during the BJP's "double-engine" government (at the Centre and in Madhya Pradesh). This will give rise to thousands of employment opportunities, Modi said addressing via video link a programme organised to distribute dues worth Rs 224 crore pertaining to workers of the Hukumchand Mill in Madhya Pradesh's Indore city. The decision will benefit more than 4,800 labourers, he said at the programme 'Mazdooron ka Hit, Mazdooron ko Samarpit'. The PM also praised the state government for resolving this issue, which was pending for a long time, and said he was fortunate to be a part of this event. He said the Madhya Pradesh government has taken significant steps to transform the lives of the poor. "I have always said that for me, the biggest four castes are poor, yo

PM Modi says women one big caste, warns against attempts to create rift

In a swipe at opposition parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday cautioned women against "divisive politics" seeking to split them and said they are one big "caste" who can take on any challenge together. "All women should remain together. Nowadays, some people are creating rift among women... All women have one caste which is so big that they can together take on any challenge," he said while interacting with women beneficiaries of the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra (VBSY). An official statement later added that he cautioned women to be aware of divisive politics seeking to create a rift among them. The ruling BJP has assiduously courted women voters with several welfare schemes, some surveys have shown that they have voted for the party more enthusiastically in a number of state elections. Modi's comments are seen as a swipe at the Congress and other parties which have been pushing for a caste census while the prime minister has asserted that the poor, women, youths and ..