Bypolls of 5 assembly seats in Gujarat, Kerala, Punjab and Bengal on June 19
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With the announcement, the Model Code of Conduct has come into effect in all five constituencies.The voting for all five assembly seats is scheduled for June 19. The counting of votes will be held on June 23.For these by-polls, the Commission has decided to use Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) in all polling stations.Adequate numbers of EVMs and VVPATs have been made available to ensure a smooth electoral process.Must Watch
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Indian Express
29 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Karnataka govt clears 6:6:5 formula for Dalits' internal reservation after special Cabinet meeting
After a marathon special Cabinet meeting on Tuesday night, the Congress government in Karnataka arrived at a new formula to provide internal reservations for the Scheduled Caste (SC) community in jobs and education within the 17 per cent quota available to the 101 castes that fall under the category in the state. The Cabinet meeting headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah decided to uphold the recommendation of the Justice (retired) H N Nagamohan Das Commission to provide six per cent reservation to the most backward SCs categorised as the Dalit Left and comprising groups considered 'untouchables', like the Madigas. However, the Cabinet rejigged the quotas recommended for the Dalit Right group comprising communities like the Holeyas, who are more socially accepted, from the five per cent recommended by the Commission to six per cent. It has also done away with three sub-groups of 'touchable' castes and others, indicated by the Commission, and merged them with the 'touchable' group with five per cent quota. The 6:6:5 formula for the 17 per cent reservation is expected to be formally announced by Siddaramaiah on Wednesday during the ongoing Monsoon Session of the state legislature. The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) confirmed the new formula for internal quotas for SCs. On Tuesday night, Siddaramaiah was felicitated by Dalit Left groups for the Cabinet decision. They had been protesting over the last week seeking the implementation of the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission report. 'There will be a revolution if the internal quotas are not implemented. The government has to come up with some formula that is acceptable to all,' H Anjaneya, former minister and Dalit Left group leader, said on Tuesday ahead of the Cabinet meeting. The Congress party had promised to provide internal quotas for the SC community ahead of the 2023 state polls after Siddaramaiah had hesitated to implement internal quotas during his first tenure (2013-2018). The internal quota formulas, where the Dalit Left group got a larger share of the 17 per cent reservation, was opposed by politically stronger groups in the Congress, like the Dalit Right group which has prominent leaders like All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge and state Home Minister G Parameshwara. The touchable group has also opposed internal quotas. The delay in implementation of the internal quota system for Dalits had led to a freeze in government recruitments in Karnataka since October 2024. The decision to implement a new 6:6:5 quota plan is expected to restart the hiring process. The report on the social, economic, and educational situation of the SCs, prepared by a Commission headed by retired high court judge Justice H N Nagamohan Das, was presented to Siddaramaiah on August 4 and it was accepted by the government during a Cabinet meeting on August 7. A survey of SC subcastes, conducted on the recommendation of the Commission, found that the total SC population in Karnataka is 1,07,01,982. However, after removing the Budaga Jangam-Beda Jangam population (1,77,662) – regarding which there is a controversy due to a similar subcaste nomenclature among Lingayats – and the number of inter-caste married people who are not Scheduled Castes (14,449), the total population of SCs has been recorded as 1,05,09,871. As per the 2011 Census, the population of SC communities in Karnataka was 17 per cent (1.04 crore) of the total population (6.1 crore). The Commission recommended classifying the Dalit sub-castes into five categories, instead of the existing four, and to accord reservations according to their backwardness. 'Each category includes many castes. If the 17% reservation available for Scheduled Castes in the state of Karnataka is to be distributed to these categories, the reservation should be distributed according to their population,' the commission has stated in its report. 'However, if the reservation quota is distributed only according to population, the goal of social justice cannot be achieved. In addition to population, the reservation quota should be determined keeping in mind the educational, occupational, and social backwardness. It needs to be distributed,' the Commission stated in its report. The Commission recommended one per cent reservation to Category A, comprising 59 SC sub-castes with a population of 3.97 per cent; and six per cent for Category B (SC Left group), which is considered the most backward and constitutes 34.91 per cent of the SC population with 18 sub-castes. The Commission also recommended five per cent for Category C (SC Right group), who are considered less backward and politically established, and constitute 28.63 per cent of the SC population with 17 sub-castes; and four per cent for Category D (the 'touchables') who make up 26.97 per cent of SCs with four subcastes. A new Category E comprising 4.52 per cent of the SC population who have not been identified under a clear sub-caste but have been classified under three broad sub-groupings of Adi Dravida, Adi Andhra, and Adi Karnataka, has been recommended one per cent reservation. 'In the last 75 years, some Scheduled Castes have been empowered to some extent by enjoying reservation facilities. But the life of some people from these same Scheduled Castes is still miserable. The educational level of them and their children is very low,' the Commission noted. 'As a result, there is no higher education and no government jobs. The educational, occupational, and social backwardness of such castes should also be taken into consideration while distributing the amount of reservation,' the Commission stated. Further, it said that 'some castes that have received reservation facilities have seen educational, occupational, political, economic and social mobility. At the same time, some castes have not been able to get the benefit of reservation at all.' 'Understanding the situation, those who are better off have to make sacrifices for those who are less fortunate than them. The hungry should be fed first. Those who are well-fed should make some sacrifices. In accordance with this policy, the quota of reservation should be distributed on priority,' the Commission said, while justifying its division of the 17 per cent SC quota. Since the Karnataka government has halted recruitments in government services since October 2024 on account of the pending decision on internal quotas for SCs, the Commission said age relaxations should be extended to people from the SC community who have lost out on job opportunities in the last 10 months. In January 2025, the Karnataka government constituted the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission to study and submit a report on internal reservation for Scheduled Castes in the state. The Commission submitted an interim report on March 27 and requested a fresh survey of numbers due to the lack of accurate data. The door-to-door survey was conducted from May 5 to July 6, 2025. The survey covered 27,24,768 Scheduled Caste families and 1,07,01,982 people, the report said, noting poor response in urban areas. The survey also saw leaders of various SC communities directing community members to clearly state their sub-castes. As per the Supreme Court, classification of sub-castes can be done on the basis of educational backwardness, lack of representation in government employment, and social backwardness. The survey of sub-castes is part of the Congress government's efforts to fulfil an electoral promise to provide internal reservations for socially weaker sub-castes within the SC quota in the state. In Karnataka, the SC community is currently classified under four broad heads – the SC Left (the most backward like the Madigas who were considered untouchables in the caste system); the SC Right (like the Holeyas, who are less backward and accepted by other castes); the 'touchable' communities such as Banjaras and Bhovis (who are tribes in other states); and dozens of small communities who are classified as Others. The Dalit community has long demanded the caste survey to ascertain the numbers in each of the sub-castes to decide the division of quotas in government jobs, education, and political representation, which is now allegedly hogged by upwardly mobile social groups among the SCs like the Holeyas, and the Banjaras and Bhovis. The Justice Nagamohan Das Commission was set up by the Congress government after the previous BJP government (2019-2023) arrived at an ad hoc sub-quota number. During its tenure between 2019 and March 2023, the BJP government had enhanced SC quotas in the state from 15 per cent to 17 per cent in 2022, and announced internal reservation for SC communities in March 2023 by providing six per cent of the total of 17 per cent quota for the community to the SC Left group, 5.5 per cent to the SC Right group, 4.5 per cent to the touchables and one per cent to other SC groups. The BJP government fixed the internal quota on an ad hoc basis by considering the 2011 caste census numbers and by considering certain aspects of the 2012 Justice A J Sadashiva Commission report on internal quotas, while rejecting the Sadashiva Commission report itself. The most backward Dalit groups, like the Madigas, have been demanding the implementation of the Justice Sadashiva Commission report on account of the Commission recommending six per cent for the SC Left group, five per cent for the backward SC Right, three per cent for the 'touchable' group (Lambani, Bhovis, Korachas, Kormas), and one per cent for others. The Commission found that the majority of the reservation for the 101 sub-sects of Dalits in Karnataka was being cornered by the Dalit Right, including the Holeyas, and new SC groups like Bhovis and Lambanis, while the most backward groups, like the Madigas, remained deprived. The BJP's internal quota scheme backfired on the party to some extent, with the 'touchable' groups like the Bhovis and Banjaras expressing their displeasure against the party during the 2023 polls over the reduced internal quota of 4.5 per cent (against the previous 15 per cent) available to them. The BJP's scheme was, however, not implemented since the mandate for changing internal quotas was vested with the Union government at the time. In August 2024, a Supreme Court ruling said the granting of internal reservation is a constitutional measure and states can implement it on the basis of empirical data. While constituting the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission, the government felt that internal reservations for SCs based on population numbers – like in the Sadashiva Commission report – could possibly be struck down by courts for want of proper data as ordered by the Supreme Court. 'In the wake of three decades of continuous demands and pressure for internal reservation in the state, the Cabinet has agreed in principle to provide internal reservation for Scheduled Castes. There are 101 sub-castes…and the government has decided to take all of them into confidence and scientifically implement internal reservation,' Siddaramaiah said in 2024 when the Cabinet decided to set up the new Commission. The chief minister indicated that the Telangana government had already constituted a Commission along the same lines for the implementation of internal reservation, and that data is required for the scientific implementation of internal reservation as directed by the top court. Politically, the SC internal quota issue is a tricky subject for the Congress in Karnataka which has traditionally drawn its support from the SC Right group to which many of its prominent leaders belong. While the SC Left has supported the Congress in the past, many of these communities have moved towards the BJP in recent times on account of alleged neglect by the Congress in terms of political representation and opportunities. The most prominent SC Left leader in the Congress at present is K H Muniyappa, a seven-time MP and former Union minister. The SC Right group and the 'touchables', who have reportedly enjoyed the most access to the entire 15 per cent SC quota available in the state until now, are expected to resist any move by the Siddaramaiah-led Cabinet to divide the SC quota in the state since these two politically powerful groups will get reduced shares of five per cent and four per cent, respectively. Total population- 1,05,09,871 Total subcastes – 101 Total reservation – 17%
Hans India
29 minutes ago
- Hans India
‘BJP using Nitish till polls, wants to form govt through backdoor'
New Delhi: Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Tuesday claimed that the BJP's sole agenda is to use Nitish Kumar till the Bihar assembly elections and then 'discard' him as they want to install their own chief minister by forming the government through the 'backdoor' with the people of the state not ready to give direct leadership to the saffron party. In an interview with PTI on the sidelines of the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra', Kumar also launched a frontal attack on the Election Commission for 'speaking the language of the BJP' and said that while the poll body stated that there is no 'paksh (ruling side) or 'vipaksh (opposition)' for it, what it really needs is to be 'nishpaksh (impartial)'. 'We want to tell the people of Bihar that the rule of votes means the rule of the common people. If you (Commission) take away the right to vote, then naturally you are turning 'democracy' into 'demokursi',' said the Congress leader, who is accompanying Gandhi on his 1,300 km yatra that will pass through more than 20 districts in Bihar and culminate with a rally in Patna on September 1. Kumar also asserted that the misconception among alliance partners and opposition parties that the Congress gaining strength would not be conducive for them has been dispelled. He said it is in the Congress' DNA to take everyone along, and that is why it has successfully run alliance governments, and that is now clear to everyone. On whether the Mahagathbandhan would be able to form the government, the Congress leader said that in the last election, there was a difference of only 12,000 votes between the two alliances, and therefore, it is not right to say that the NDA is in a good position. 'Amit Shah ji had earlier said that all doors have been closed for Nitish Kumar, but again he (Shah) joined Nitish Kumar. The BJP knows that it cannot get a majority on its own. The BJP's only agenda is to use Nitish Kumar till the elections and then discard him to install their own chief minister,' Kumar said. 'People of Bihar are still not ready to give direct leadership to the BJP, so there is an attempt to form the government through the backdoor. The more awareness we can spread and take these issues to the public, the more chances there are to form the Mahagathbandhan government,' he said. Speaking about the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, which the opposition has been vehemently protesting against, Kumar said the 'crisis' has arisen because the Election Commission has created doubts in the minds of the people through its working methods. He said that when Rahul Gandhi held a press conference with evidence and put forward the facts, then the Election Commission said there is a problem and an SIR is being done to correct it. He asked under whose pressure the EC was refusing to take any action over the evidence provided by Gandhi, and how the language of the poll panel became the same as that of the BJP.
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Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha adjourned till 12 pm amid Oppn protest over SIR
Lok Sabha was on Wednesday adjourned till 12 noon due to vociferous protests by opposition parties demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision exercise carried out by the Election Commission in Bihar and other issues. When the House met at 11 am, opposition MPs, including those from the Congress, were on their feet, raising slogans and showing placards with their demand for discussion on the voter roll revision. Speaker Om Birla told the protesting members that carrying placards attached with sticks is against the rules of the House. He appealed to the members to go back to their seats and cooperate in running the House. However, the protesting MPs ignored his appeal, forcing Birla to adjourn the House till 12 noon, just within 2 minutes of business. The opposition has been demanding a discussion on the SIR exercise initiated by the Election Commission in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections there. Barring discussions on Operation Sindoor in both House, Parliament has seen little business ever since the Monsoon session began on July 21 due to repeated adjournments initially due to opposition demand for discussion on Operation Sindoor and then demanding a discussion on SIR in Bihar. The Monsoon session of Parliament is scheduled to come to an end on Thursday. Rajya Sabha proceedings were also adjourned till 12 noon without transacting any business, as opposition MPs continued to disrupt proceedings over their demand for a discussion on alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. Soon after listed official papers were laid on the table of the House, Opposition MPs started rising in their places to press for their demand. Deputy Chairman Harivansh said 18 notices, under Rule 267, which allows suspension of listed business to discuss matters being raised in them, were received on three different subjects. Without indicating the subject, he said none of the notices adhered to the prescribed rules and so were not admitted. He then asked MPs to take up Zero Hour and Question Hour, but MPs were in no mood to relent, forcing Harivansh to adjourn the proceedings till 12 noon. The House will reconvene at 1200 hrs.
