Upparas found to be most backward of 22 communities
Bengaluru: The Uppara community, with a backwardness score of 134.88/200, is the most backward amongst 22 specific communities in the OBC and general list, according to the latest data from the Social and Educational Survey (caste census) report..These details of community-wise backwardness were provided to the ministers by the backward classes welfare department during the last Cabinet meeting..The survey with 54 questions was conducted for 200 marks. The higher the score, the more backward a community is..The Upparas were followed by Besthas (129.45) and Kuruba (123.50) as the second and third most backward communities, respectively. .Forward communities.Brahmins were found to be the most forward community (11.29), followed by Christians (24.68) and Bunts (31.81)..The dominant, landowning Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities scored 41.58 and 42.60, respectively. Except for Brahmins (general), the remaining 21 communities considered in the list were categorised under the other backward classes (OBC) list..A caste census will reveal India's worst-kept secret.As DH had reported earlier, the 54 questions were based on social, educational and livelihood categories. Of the 200 points, 100 points were awarded to questions on social backwardness, followed by education (68) and livelihood (32)..With 90 marks considered the cut-off point, communities scoring over 90 points were considered 'most backward' and categorised under category 1. .This was further divided into 1A (125+) and 1B (90-124). While Upparas and Besthas are categorised under 1A, Kurubas come under 1B..Earlier, there was only category 1. The Jayaprakash Hegde-led backward classes commission has recommended dividing the category into 1A and 1B, with some communities like Kuruba, which were earlier in 2A, now moved to 1B. .Communities scoring in the range of 50-89 were considered 'more backward' and categorised as category 2 (2A and 2B). Communities like Idiga, Maratha, Tigala and Ganiga feature in 2A. Muslims and sub-castes come under 2B. .Communities scoring in the 20-49 range were considered 'backward' and put into category 3 (those communities under 3A and 3B were retained as such)..While Vokkaligas, Balijas and so on come under 3A, Lingayats, Christians, Bunts and so on feature under 3B. Communities scoring under 19 points were considered under the general category. .Ministers were provided a consolidated document with details of each caste spanning three pages, comprising 18 characteristics of those castes, including total number of households in the caste, population of male and female and sexual minorities, Aadhaar details, number of married people, literacy level, number of employed and unemployed people and land-holders.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Decode politics: In poll-bound Bihar, calls for domicile reservation grow. Why they are difficult to ignore
Ahead of the Bihar polls, an old issue has come to haunt the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government. On June 5, the Bihar Student Union, an umbrella body of several student organisations, led a protest in Patna demanding domicile reservation in government jobs. Bihar has an unemployment rate of 3.9% as per the latest NITI Aayog estimates, higher than the national average of 3.2%. Many young people in the state rely on government jobs, which have been marred with irregularities in the recent past. Hence, jobs are a politically sensitive issue, with resonance ahead of the polls. Those demanding domicile reservation argue that candidates from outside the state are taking away jobs that belong to youths of Bihar. Their slogan 'Vote de Bihari, naukari le bahri (Biharis vote, outsiders take jobs)' is fast gaining momentum as the elections draw closer. Under domicile reservation, the government of a particular state reserves a portion of government jobs or educational seats for its residents, the idea being to prioritise local candidates or protect local interests in competitive job markets. While Bihar does not have a general domicile-based reservation policy for government jobs, the NDA government claims that most of the recruits in recent government exams have been Bihar residents. Additionally, around a fortnight back, the Bihar government announced reservation of 4% of all government jobs for persons with disabilities from the state. In December 2020, following a series of protests, the state government had briefly introduced a domicile rule for school teacher recruitment. But it was withdrawn in June 2023 by the short-lived Mahagathbandhan alliance that subsequently came to power, allowing candidates from any Indian state to apply for the teaching positions. Then Bihar education minister Chandrashekar Yadav had cited 'vacant seats for quality mathematics and science teachers' as the reason, while bureaucrats had mentioned 'constitutional provisions and Supreme Court rulings' for the decision. The demand for domicile reservation flows from Bihar's economic and social challenges. As per a NITI Aayog report titled 'Macro and Fiscal Landscape of the State of Bihar', published in March 2025, Bihar's economy is predominantly agrarian, with 49.6% its workforce engaged in agriculture between 2022-23. Only 5.7% of the state has manufacturing jobs — one of the lowest shares in India. Service and construction jobs make up the rest of the jobs pie and constitute 26% and 18.4% of the workforce respectively. The lack of private-sector jobs makes government positions highly coveted, as they offer stability and benefits. Though the government has tried to expand hiring in recent years, demand far outstrips supply. They are demanding an official domicile quota with 100% reservation for Bihar natives in primary teacher recruitment and at least 90% reservation in other state jobs for candidates with valid long-term Bihar domicile certificates. The protesters argue that neighbouring states already protect the opportunities of their locals and that the youth of Bihar is competing unfairly with outsiders for limited opportunities. This, they argue, results in a vicious cycle of unemployment and migration from Bihar. State policies on domicile reservation vary. Uttarakhand reserves all Class III and IV jobs for candidates who have lived in the state for at least 15 years. Maharashtra also requires a similar 15-year domicile and fluency in Marathi for many government posts, effectively prioritising locals. Nagaland, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh have special constitutional provisions that reserve large fractions of local government jobs for indigenous tribes. Jammu and Kashmir had similar reservations before the abrogation of its special status in 2019. On June 2, the Central government notified 85% reservation for the residents of Ladakh. In 2023, the Jharkhand Assembly passed a Bill to reserve all government jobs in the Class III and IV category for domiciles based on the 1932 land record. But the governor returned it, citing constitutional issues, and it has not yet been implemented. Article 16(2) of the Constitution guarantees equality of opportunity in public employment and prohibits discrimination based on place of birth or residence. Article 16(3) allows only Parliament, not state governments, to prescribe residency requirements for specific posts. Besides, the Supreme Court has consistently ruled against state-level domicile reservations, emphasising national unity. In the Pradeep Jain vs Union of India case (1984), the Court held that 'sons-of-the-soil' policies are unconstitutional as they undermine equal opportunity. Exceptions exist under Article 371 for states like Nagaland to protect interests of the tribal population of the state. The Nitish Kumar-led NDA government has not yet given a direct public statement on the domicile protests. However, it has spoken out against this earlier. Last month, JD(U) leader Manish Kumar Verma said a domicile reservation policy would 'go against the Constitution', and could prompt retaliatory measures from other states and affect the millions of Bihari migrants working elsewhere. Instead, Verma said, the government was focusing on large-scale recruitment drives to address unemployment. Both RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and Jan Suraaj head Prashant Kishor have, however, backed the demand. Yadav has even promised 100% reservation across all jobs if the RJD comes to power in the coming polls.
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
NO To Bikinis, YES To Burkinis: Syria Asks People To Wear "Appropriate" Swimsuits At Public Beaches
The Syrian Tourism Ministry on Tuesday issued a new mandate for women, asking them to wear "appropriate" swimsuits at public beaches. Women must wear swimsuits that cover the full body, such as burkinis, and men can't be topless. "Visitors to public beaches and pools, whether tourists or locals, are required to wear appropriate swimwear that takes into account public taste and the sensibilities of various segments of society," Tourism Minister Mazen al-Salhani said in a Facebook post. "More modest swimwear is required at public beaches and pools (burkinis or swimsuits that cover more of the body). When moving between the beach and other places, it is necessary to wear a beach cover-up or loose-fitting robe (for women) over swimsuits," the directive added. The ministry said that swimmers and beach visitors in general are required to wear "appropriate swimming attire and behave in a manner that respects public taste". The mandate has come almost six months after Islamist-led forces toppled longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad and seized power. Some private venues have been exempted as the ministry said that private beach clubs and venues considered "luxurious" by authorities have the option of not abiding by the new rules. "Western swimsuits are allowed" in private establishments within the limits of "general morals", the ministry stated, asking them to follow the modesty rules. Not just the beach, Syrians are in general asked to "wear loose clothing, cover the shoulders and knees and avoid transparent and tight clothing" while out in public, according to the ministry's statement. However, the ministry hasn't specified how the rules will be enforced. Netizens react to the decision People on social media platforms reacted to the announcement, with some raising concerns about personal freedoms since the new authorities took power in December. A woman said on Facebook, "Syria is a moderate and open country, and it should accommodate everyone without restrictions. "The ministry should reconsider its decision," she added. Meanwhile, another social media user, Yahya Qabisho, supported the new rules, saying that there's a "duty" to respect the "culture of Syrian society".
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Kishan Reddy describes last 11 years as golden era of independent India
VIJAYAWADA: Union Minister for Coal and Mines and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy has described the last 11 years as the 'golden era' of post-Independence. 'Prime Minister Narendra Modi has transformed India into the world's fourth largest economy. From a $2.1 trillion economy in 2014, we have now crossed $4 trillion,' he said. The AP BJP organised an event in the city on Tuesday to mark the 11 years of the Modi government. The event themed 'Developed India's Amrit Kalam, Service, Good Governance, and Welfare of the Poor' showcased the decade-long achievements of the Modi government, and future roadmap. Speaking at the event as a chief guest, Kishan Reddy highlighted the key milestones under Modi's leadership since 2014. Highlighting the BJP-led NDA government's achievements, Kishan Reddy said 25 crore people have risen above the poverty line in the last 11 years, and India's per capita income has increased by 67%.
