Page 4 - Caste System India

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

Assam CM launches digital issuance of caste certificates for students

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma launched 'Mission Bhumiputra', a digital way to issue digitalised caste certificates to students

Understanding sub-categorisation of OBCs and Justice G Rohini Commission

The Commission was set up by the President under the Article 340 of the Constitution to sub-categorise OBCs so that the benefits of reservation reach all of them

Statue of Equality embodies tenets of medieval saint Ramanuja: Panel member

In a Q&A, Sri Sri Sri Tridandi Devanadha Ramanuja Jeeyar Swamy dwells on the essence of the monument and what it means to the country's cultural landscape

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu asks youngsters to rise above caste, religion

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday asked the youngsters to rise above narrow considerations such as caste, religion and region and "never disrespect" other religions

Jai Bhim controversy: Sangam moves govt against recognition for film

According to the state president of Vanniyar Sangam, the film does not deserve any recognition

Part 1: Brahmin to Dalit - RSS vision of 'Vedic' society takes root in KCR's Telangana

In the first of a two part series, Business Standard reports how non-Brahmin castes in Telangana are being incentivised to stick to their forefathers' professions

Caste data needed for targeted affirmative action: Scholars, activists

Reliable caste data have not been made available since 1931. Experts say a caste census must be conducted, and reservations provided to dominant castes only if there is evidence that they need it

Inter-caste marriages will possibly reduce caste and community tensions: SC

The Supreme Court has said while noting that the educated younger boys and girls are nowadays choosing their life partners which is a departure from earlier societal norms.

For millions of migrant workers, Covid-19 brought caste discrimination back

While the pandemic has destroyed livelihoods worldwide, leaving people without jobs, some of biggest hits are likely to be taken by families in countries like India that have few social safety nets

Drumming on discrimination

Caste is, in fact, a structural problem

Gunjan Veda's book seeks to break caste through sunlit stories from India

Author Gunjan Veda confronts her own prejudices in the hesitant but brave epilogue of her book The Museum of Broken Tea Cups: Postcards from India's Margins

Culture of professional colleges failed Dr Payal Tadvi - just as it did me

Bright, well-meaning students convinced me that I didn't deserve to be in my university. I so deeply internalised their narrative that I couldn't fight it within my own self, let alone with them

Income inequality in India: Top 10% upper caste households own 60% wealth

Among OBCs and STs too, top 10% had cornered most wealth. Top 10% of both groups held around 52% of wealth in 2012 and top 10% of SCs' share increased three percentage points to 46.7% till 2012

Don't mention caste of accused in arrest memos: Rajasthan HC directs police

The order came on a petition filed by Bishan Shing, who was ordered to be released on bail but due to a mistake in bail bond his caste was written as Mev instead of Jatav

India's rural roads contracts: How lawmakers bent rules to favour own caste

Roads built by politically connected contractors 10% more expensive to construct, or, worse, not constructed at all

Caste system extends to uneven access to cooking fuel and electricity

Few govt policies have dealt with access to clean energy sources for socially marginalised groups