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Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Internal reservation for Scheduled Castes: Govt grapples with duplication risk
1 2 Bengaluru: The govt faces a major hurdle in implementing recommendations of the Justice HN Nagamohan Das Commission on internal reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs), as concerns grow over possible duplication of claims by nearly five lakh individuals. The commission, which submitted a 1,766-page report on Monday to the govt, has proposed 1% reservation for 4,75,954 individuals who have identified themselves solely as Adi Andhra, Adi Dravida or Adi Karnataka. The social welfare department warns that this could open the door to overlapping claims across multiple categories. "With 1% reservation in jobs and education exclusively for these communities, they may secure entries through duplication," said a social welfare department note. "These people may even claim reservation under the four categories of A, B, C, and D as well under their original caste name." You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru The govt is also examining the need to reclassify several castes across categories. Among communities being considered for a shift from Category A to Category B are Arunthathiya (9,058), Chakkailiyan (909), Dakkal and Dokkalwar (124), Dakkaliga (1,364), Jambuvulu (556), and Sindhollum/Chindollu (5,337). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like BITS Excellence, now online BITS Pilani Digital Apply Now Undo Another community under review is the Paraiyan or Paraya, whose population stands at 1,61,164. While currently proposed for Category B, the group is said to have a closer cultural and social affiliation with communities placed in Category C. "Like this, there are several castes in different categories that need to be interchanged and need to be discussed in detail," states the note. The report also flags a significant spike in the population figures of the Beda Jangamma and Budaga Jangama communities. As per the 2011 Census, their combined population was 1,17,164. However, in the recent survey conducted by the Justice Das Commission between May and July, their numbers have surged to 3,22,049. "Considering this is likely to be artificial, the committee has added 1,44,387 under category A and the rest 1,77,662 have been dropped," the internal note says. The findings also highlight the intricate challenges involved in restructuring the 17% SC reservation matrix among 101 sub-castes, with the govt needing to ensure fairness, prevent misuse, and maintain data integrity while implementing the commission's recommendations. The special cabinet meeting scheduled for Aug 16 to discuss the report is expected to take a final decision on these issues before moving ahead with its implementation. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
Time of India
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Adi Dravida forum demands internal reservation
Mangaluru: The Adi Dravida, which is one of the 101 sub-castes listed under the Scheduled Castes (SC) list, should not be excluded and must be given internal reservation, demanded the District Adi Dravida Coordination Committee. The forum has warned that if the caste is removed from the list, legal action will be taken. Speaking at a press conference in Mangaluru on Thursday, committee district president M Seena Masthikatte said that a request was already submitted to the chief minister and Justice HN Nagamohan Das Commission on behalf of the committee. They have assured that there is no question of removing the Adi Dravida sub-caste from the list. If the govt proceeds with such actions, a strong protest will be launched, he said. "For the past 75 years, the Adi Dravida caste was a sub-caste within the Scheduled Castes. If it is now removed from the list, students will be deprived of various benefits and educational opportunities provided by govt departments such as the Dr BR Ambedkar Development Corporation, the social welfare department, and local bodies like municipalities and panchayats. Govt employees will find it difficult to get promotions,'' he added. The name Adi Dravida is included in the list of 101 sub-castes released by the President in 1950. According to Article 341 of the Constitution, 101 sub-castes are included under the Scheduled Castes, and they receive govt benefits as per the 15% reservation policy. "Recently, when members of our community applied to the Ambedkar Corporation, they were told that these benefits are not available to them, creating confusion,'' said committee district vice-president Jagadish Pandeshwar. There are over 5 lakh Adi Dravidas in the state. If the govt removes the community from the Scheduled Caste sub-caste list, the community's voters will boycott upcoming elections, he added.
The Print
23-06-2025
- The Print
IndiGo trainee pilot says 3 seniors used casteist slurs against him, told him to ‘go stitch slippers'
According to the FIR, Sharan was summoned to a meeting at IndiGo's office in Sector 24, Gurugram, on 28 April 2025, between 3:30 PM and 4:00 PM. Before the meeting began, Tapas Dey allegedly instructed Sharan in a 'humiliating and derogatory manner' to leave his bag and phone outside, setting the tone for what followed. During the meeting, the three accused reportedly unleashed a barrage of casteist insults in the presence of others, targeting Sharan's Scheduled Caste identity. The FIR, registered at DLF Phase-1 police station on 22 June 2025, after being transferred as a Zero FIR ( an FIR that can be registered at any police station, regardless of the location of the crime) from Bengaluru's Sampigehalli police station, names Tapas Dey, Manish Sahani, and Captain Rahul Patil as the accused. Sharan, a member of the Adi Dravida community (Scheduled Caste), alleges that the trio subjected him to humiliating, casteist slurs. Gurugram: 'Go stitch slippers' is what an SC/ST Indigo trainee pilot alleges he was told by his seniors. Sharan A, a 35-year-old employee with IndiGo Airlines, has lodged a First Information Report (FIR) under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, against three senior colleagues, including a flight captain, for alleged caste-based verbal abuse and discrimination. The incident allegedly occurred during a meeting at IndiGo's office in Gurugram's Emaar Capital Tower 2 on 28 April 2025. These statements, Sharan alleges, were made with the intent to degrade his dignity and undermine his professional standing. 'The remarks were not just personal insults but deliberate attacks on my caste, meant to humiliate me in front of colleagues,' Sharan wrote in his complaint. The complainant further alleges ongoing harassment at IndiGo, including being forced to undergo corrective training without justification, unauthorised salary cuts, arbitrary sick leave deductions, revocation of staff travel privileges, and issuance of a warning letter without evidence. 'These actions were designed to pressure me into resigning,' Sharan told the police, adding that the lack of action from IndiGo's leadership exacerbated his mental distress. Sharan alleged he first approached IndiGo's internal mechanisms, lodging complaints with the CEO and Ethics Committee, but received no resolution. After giving the accused seven days to apologise, he sought assistance from a lawyer and the SC/ST Cell, eventually filing a complaint with Bengaluru's Sampigehalli police station on 21 May 2025. The Zero FIR, registered under Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(s) of the SC/ST (PoA) Act and Sections 3(5), 351(2), and 352 of the BNS, was transferred to Gurugram's DLF Phase-1 police station in view of the location of the incident. A police spokesperson told ThePrint on Monday that the accused, all senior employees at IndiGo, will be summoned for questioning on 24 June 2025. 'We have registered the case and initiated an investigation. The accused will be called to join the probe, and further action will be taken as per law,' he said. The FIR invokes serious charges, including intentional insult and intimidation to humiliate a Scheduled Caste member (Section 3(1)(r)), caste-based abuse (Section 3(1)(s)), criminal conspiracy (Section 3(5)), criminal intimidation (Section 351(2)), and intentional insult to provoke breach of peace (Section 352). If convicted, the accused could face up to seven years imprisonment under the SC/ST Act, with no anticipatory bail provision. ThePrint reached out to Dey, Sahani and Patil for their comments on the allegations. Dey and Patil responded to ThePrint's WhatsApp message, saying only their corporate communication head Rashmi Soni was authorised to speak on this issue. When contacted, Soni said Indigo Airlines has issued a media statement on this issue though they have not received any FIR so far. The statement says: 'IndiGo upholds a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of discrimination, harassment, or bias and remains firmly committed to being an inclusive and respectful workplace. IndiGo strongly refutes these baseless claims and stands by its values of fairness, integrity, and accountability and will extend its support to the law enforcement agencies as required.' (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Over 6.5 lakh calls received on SC/ST atrocities helpline since 2021; highest from UP
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Business Standard
23-06-2025
- Business Standard
IndiGo employee alleges caste-based abuse by seniors; FIR registered
An IndiGo employee has filed a police complaint against three senior colleagues, accusing them of using casteist slurs and subjecting him to sustained workplace harassment, news agency PTI reported on Monday. The budget airline has strongly denied the allegations, calling them 'baseless' and stating that it was committed to ensuring a respectful and inclusive work environment. Sharan A, a 35-year-old employee based in Bengaluru, claimed in his complaint that he had been repeatedly targeted and humiliated because of his caste identity. He belongs to the Adi Dravida community, a Scheduled Caste recognised under India's Constitution. According to police officials, the incident in question occurred during a company meeting on April 28 in Gurugram, Haryana. Since the complaint was initially filed in Bengaluru, city police there registered a zero FIR, a provision that allows police to initiate a case regardless of jurisdiction, and subsequently transferred the case to Gurugram police. Following this, an FIR was formally registered at the DLF Phase-1 police station in Gurugram on Sunday. 'An FIR has been registered and a probe is underway. We are verifying the facts, and action will be taken as per the law,' said Station House Officer Rajesh Kumar. Complaint details caste-based harassment In the complaint, Sharan named three IndiGo employees who allegedly made derogatory and caste-based remarks against him during the April meeting. He also alleged that this was not an isolated incident, but part of an ongoing pattern of discrimination and intimidation. 'I was insulted in front of everyone. Caste-based verbal abuse, threats and discrimination were made. This has happened several times,' Sharan stated in his complaint. He further alleged that he was unfairly targeted through warning letters, unexplained salary deductions, curtailed sick leave, and cancellation of staff travel privileges. 'They even pressured me to resign,' he said. Sharan mentioned he had reported the matter to IndiGo's chief executive officer and the airline's ethics committee, but no action was taken. It was only after receiving no response that he decided to approach the police. IndiGo denies caste-based discrimination of employee In response, IndiGo issued a statement rejecting the allegations. 'IndiGo upholds a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of discrimination, harassment, or bias and remains firmly committed to being an inclusive and respectful workplace,' a company spokesperson said. 'We strongly refute these baseless claims and stand by our values of fairness, integrity and accountability. We will extend full support to the law enforcement agencies in their investigation,' the airline said.
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Karnataka's Dalit Caste Survey: Mapping Inequality to Reshape Reservation Policy
Published : May 20, 2025 19:13 IST - 11 MINS READ A narrow lane abutting Sri Guru Singh Sabha, the largest gurdwara in Bengaluru, located on the periphery of Ulsoor Lake in central Bengaluru, leads to a dense warren of bylanes which are collectively known as M.V. Garden. In one of these minuscule bylanes, in mid-May, a knot of women surrounded Munishame Gowda holding aloft their Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and Scheduled Caste certificates. Gowda, a schoolteacher, is an official enumerator appointed by the Justice (Retired) H.N. Nagamohan Das Commission, which has been constituted to conduct a Comprehensive Survey of Scheduled Castes in Karnataka. A woman named Shabila waited patiently as Gowda keyed in crucial identification details about her on a specially designed app on his mobile phone. Before proceeding with recording the socio-economic data of her family based on 42 separate parameters, he asked Shabila for the OTP (one-time password) that should have come as an SMS on her phone. Everyone waited for the OTP; the women, calmly, and Gowda, frustratedly. 'I have visited 28 households since the morning. It is easy to verify identity information with the ration cards but in some cases, the Aadhaar card is not linked to the ration card and this is causing a lot of problems.' The OTP finally came and Gowda entered this into the app before commencing his questions: 'Caste?' 'Scheduled Caste Adi Dravida,' Shabila responded. 'Sub-caste?': 'I don't know.' After this, a list of questions followed: members of household, marital status, education, income, occupation (organised/unorganised sector), government job if any, benefits obtained from reservation, political representation, type of residence, agricultural land, vehicles owned and similar questions with the final query being 'Is your household subjected to any social discrimination stigma?' After running through this list for around 20 minutes, Gowda took a picture of Shabila's signature and submitted the form on the app on his mobile phone. With this household done, Gowda moved on to the next woman who was waiting for her turn and began to ask her the same set of questions. Gowda is one of the 59,000 enumerators enlisted for the mammoth survey being undertaken by the Government of Karnataka to cover the approximately 25 lakh Dalit households in the State. The survey is being done in three phases: in the first phase, which began on May 5 and will go on till May 25, all Dalit households in Karnataka will be visited. Special camps would be held in the second phase between May 26 and 28 and in the final phase between May 19 and 28; an online self-declaration option would be provided to respondents. The aim of the Commission in conducting this comprehensive survey is to use this empirical data to recommend a policy of internal reservation among Dalits in Karnataka. Also Read | Caste census: A powerful tool to reimagine the nation The Nagamohan Das Commission was constituted by the Karnataka government in November last year following the landmark Supreme Court judgement of August 1, 2024, which upheld the Constitutional validity of States to provide internal reservation (subclassification of different castes) for Dalits in education and government employment under the broader Scheduled Caste reservation quota. Interestingly, this judgement (State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh), was delivered by a seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud after considering the contrarian judgements of two five-judge benches of the Supreme Court: In 2004, a five-judge bench had disallowed subclassification, while, in 2020, a five-judge bench had allowed subclassification. Thus, the matter was adjudicated by this seven-judge bench, which also emphasised that subclassification must be done based on 'quantifiable and demonstrable data by the States which cannot act on its whims.' Dalits in Karnataka There are 101 Dalit castes in Karnataka. Numerically, most of the Dalit castes in Karnataka are divided into two broad agglomerations: the Madigas (or the left-hand Dalits, consisting of 30 castes) and the Holeyas (or the right-hand Dalits, consisting of 25 castes), both of which were deemed 'untouchable' castes historically. While the Madigas worked with leather and its byproducts, the Holeyas were agricultural labourers. Apart from this, there are also 'touchable' Dalit castes such as the Lambani, Bhovi, etc., which are lesser in number when compared to these two large clusters. Since the 1990s, Madigas have been demanding that internal reservation be implemented in Karnataka as they alleged that the benefits of reservation policies were disproportionately gobbled up by the Holeyas, thus depriving them of equitable benefits. Responding to this clamour, a Commission was appointed in 2004, headed by Justice AJ Sadashiva, which studied the issue and submitted its report in 2012. Although the report never saw the light of day because of its immense socio-political implications, leaked copies sharply confirmed the sense that Madigas were relatively more backward than the Holeyas and the 'touchable' Schedule Castes, even though they were more in number. It is widely acknowledged by political observers in Karnataka that it was Siddaramaiah's (who was Chief Minister at the time) dithering on formally accepting the Justice Sadashiva Commission report that was a contributing factor leading to the defeat of the Congress in the 2018 election, as Madigas abandoned the party and endorsed the BJP. In 2022, the then BJP government entrusted Law Minister J.C. Madhuswamy to submit a report on subclassification of Dalits based on which Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai hastily implemented a policy of internal reservation but this was merely a red herring as, since the matter was slated to come up before the seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court, it could not be implemented. When there is a Commission's report available already (i.e., Sadashiva Commission report), what was the need for another Commission to gather the same data? Speaking to Frontline, Justice Nagamohan Das answered this question, 'In the 2011 Census of India, the Scheduled Caste population of Karnataka was stated to be around 104 lakhs, but in Justice Sadashiva's survey, which was conducted within a few months of the Census, this number came down to around 96 lakhs. Among the respondents in the Justice Sadashiva survey, 23 per cent listed their caste as Adi Karnataka, Adi Dravida, or Adi Andhra. Each of these is not a separate caste but a group of castes. Respondents can either belong to the Holeya or Madiga grouping, so without knowing the subcaste, it is not possible to devise a policy of internal reservation.' (Even the 2011 Census of India recorded that 43 per cent of the Scheduled Castes in Karnataka identified as Adi Karnataka, Adi Dravida or Adi Andhra). The knotty conundrum to which specific subcaste Dalits, who state their caste as Adi Karnataka, Adi Andhra, or Adi Dravida, belong to has its provenance in a decision taken more than 100 years ago in 1921. According to Justice Nagamohan Das, a government notification was issued in the princely state of Mysore whereby all members of the 'Depressed Classes' had to record their caste as one among these three. 'Kannada-speaking Dalits came to be known as Adi Karnataka, and similarly, Tamil and Telugu-speaking Dalits began to refer to themselves as Adi Dravida and Adi Andhra, respectively. There was a huge migration to Mysore from neighbouring territories because of which it was difficult to extend benefits to migrants and locals based on their social status, so this notification was issued,' he explained. The Social Welfare Ministry has also issued several advertisements in newspapers advising respondents to list their subcaste if they belong to these three specific linguistic Dalit groupings. According to Justice Nagamohan Das, respondents are aware of their subcaste but do not acknowledge it publicly. This information regarding a Dalit's specific subcaste is also easy to verify in a rural milieu where caste identity is public knowledge but in urban areas (as Shabila's case showed) the ignorance may not be a pretence. It is unclear how the Justice Nagamohandas Commission will wade through this hurdle as it will be difficult to accurately quantify the tally of Holeyas and Madigas in Karnataka without resolving this quandary. Data collection is also representing a significant challenge in Bengaluru where enumerators have complained that apartment complexes were not allowing them inside for the survey. Justice Nagamohan Das added that ascertaining accurate numbers of each Dalit caste was the first step but a recommendation could not be as simple as apportioning reservation based just on demographic data, so a further, detailed dataset on social, economic and political indices was also being gathered so that internal reservation could be provided based on a caste's relative backwardness when compared to other Dalit castes. 'There are some Dalit castes who have many Group A officers, but certain other Dalit castes do not even have an attender (a Group D job) among them. We should ensure that everyone gets representation,' he added. Questions have been raised, though, on the hasty way through which a survey of this magnitude is being undertaken. Indudhara Honnapura, senior journalist and one of the founder members of the Dalit Sangharsha Samiti in Karnataka, said, 'The survey should be perfect but a few days is insufficient to do this. Of the 101 Dalit castes in Karnataka, 51 are nomadic, semi-nomadic and denotified castes. Among these, many are microscopic communities that do not have address proof, voter identification, they have no land and are constantly on the move. How will they be surveyed?' Members of the Commission have also acknowledged the significance of this problem although it is unclear how information of persons belonging to these migratory communities is being gathered. In a public note issued on May 19, Social Justice Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa stated that 'Once the survey period is completed, the Commission will incorporate information about Scheduled Castes who have been left out of the survey and will also correct any mistakes in the information gathered.' Honnapura also hoped that the Nagamohan Das Commission's recommendations for reservation would go beyond education and government employment and extend into the political realm because 'none of the smaller marginalised Dalit communities have attained political representation.' Honnapura's point about political representation stems from a real concern, as all 36 Scheduled Caste MLAs in the current Karnataka Legislative Assembly belong only to four Dalit castes or agglomerations: Holeyas (14), Madigas (8), Lambanis (7) or Bhovis (7). There are no MLAs from other, smaller Dalit castes. This figure also shows that the cluster of Madigas, who, by popular reckoning, constitute the largest number of Dalits in Karnataka, have fewer MLAs when compared to the Holeyas. Also Read | Will Karnataka's caste survey unlock a new era of political equities? Concerns have also been raised on how certain non-Dalit communities are attempting to enlist as Dalit castes in the survey. In two letters to Justice Nagamoha Das on May 13 and 15 respectively, Food and Civil Supplies Minister K.H. Muniyappa cautioned the Commission that Lingayat Jangamas (a non-Dalit caste) were trying to list themselves as Beda/Budla Jangamas (a Dalit caste) in north Karnataka and that some members of the Mogaveera caste (a backward caste) in coastal Karnataka were attempting to list themselves as members of the Moger caste (a Dalit caste). Throughout history, the census, or surveys of that nature, have led to profound reconfigurations of sociological identity of vast groups of individuals. Studies on the history of the census in India from its colonial origins in 1871, and in its decennial iterations since then, have shown how nebulous identities have elided leading to the creation of homogenous monoliths. While lacking the grand scale and cachet of a census, the ongoing survey in Karnataka has also led to caste groups and associations using traditional and social media to spread their message with Holeya and Madiga associations and leaders taking the lead. In their advisories, they strongly recommend that only prescribed caste names must be provided to survey enumerators. Such advertisements have been legion in Kannada newspapers over the past few weeks with the officially endorsed caste names helpfully listed to make the process straightforward. Consolidating and bolstering their numbers seems to be important for the leaders and political representatives of both these agglomerations as it could potentially lead to advantages when the matrix of internal reservation is finally recommended, and, subsequently implemented. This development made a senior Dalit leader, who has closely observed the trajectory of the Dalit movement in Karnataka, lament, as he saw this as a step back for the Dalit movement, which in the early decades since its founding in 1974, even transcended its caste moorings with its progressive worldview. 'Holeyas and Madigas are fighting among themselves to ensure that they secure the benefits of reservation while ignoring smaller communities. Internal reservations for Dalits is the need of the hour but it could have been done unanimously by all Dalit communities. My pain is that the dominant Dalit communities did not support this justified demand.'
