Latest news with #BackwardClass
Deccan Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Bengal cabinet nod for revision of OBC list, inclusion of new castes
These 76 new castes would be added to the existing 64 ethnic groups on the Other Backward Class (OBC) list in the state, official said.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
ABVP-NSUI clash at DU: Protest march, cow dung smeared on DUSU office after Rahul Gandhi's visit
Tensions soared at Delhi University's North Campus on Monday as the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) held a protest march and one of its leaders smeared cow dung on Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) president Ronak Khatri's office. The incidents followed a controversy surrounding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's unannounced visit to the campus last week. Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had visited the Delhi University to interact with students from Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Class (OBC) communities. According to the university proctor's office, the visit was conducted without prior permission and disrupted student governance operations. "Rahul Gandhi has done this for the second time... coming to the university without any intimation and information," the office said in an official statement. The ABVP's 'Chhatra Samman Yatra' began at Kirori Mal College and concluded at the DUSU office, with participants alleging that Gandhi's visit on May 22 created "chaos" and violated institutional protocol. Live Events The protestors also accused the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) members of misbehaving with DUSU secretary Mitravinda Karnawal during the event. The controversy took a provocative turn when Rishab Choudhary, an ABVP leader and the organization's presidential candidate for the last 2024-25 DUSU elections, posted a video on Instagram showing himself applying cow dung on the nameplate and office of the DUSU president. "Khatri put cow dung in the principal's office and also misbehaved with professors. Today, I am applying it in his office," Choudhary is heard saying in the video. This action appears to be a reference to a recent incident from April, when a video went viral showing the principal of Lakshmibai College applying cow dung to classroom walls as part of a research initiative. That act drew criticism and in response, Khatri allegedly smeared cow dung in the principal's office in protest, further escalating tensions on campus. Reacting to the ABVP's accusations, the DUSU president issued a sharp statement on X, "On May 22, Rahul Gandhi came to Delhi University to listen to the problems of SC, ST, OBC and EWS students. Soon after, the Council and the Sangh began spreading false propaganda against him in the university." Khatri directly challenged the ABVP, saying, "If the Sangh really allows raising the voice of the Dalits, the deprived and the exploited, then you too come forward and talk about the rights of the students - but I am sure that you will never get this permission. I still hope that you will do some positive work in the interest of Dalit, oppressed and deprived students."
Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Cow dung smeared on DUSU president's office; fresh standoff breaks out between ABVP, NSUI
A fresh standoff broke out between the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Monday after the walls of the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) president's office were found smeared with cow dung. Speaking to The Indian Express, DUSU president Ronak Khatri alleged that the act was carried out by Rishabh Chaudhary, the ABVP presidential candidate in the 2024-25 student election. 'I did not go to the office today because of my exams. I was told by my peers that they saw Chaudhary outside the DUSU office, and the incident reportedly took place around 1.30 pm,' Khatri, an NSUI leader, said. Speaking with The Indian Express, Chaudhary clarified that the act was done in his capacity but claimed the ABVP 'stands with him'. 'Khatri did something similar in the office of a DU college principal, despite her claiming it was for experimental purposes. We need to teach such people a lesson by doing the same things they do to others.' He added, 'The sad part is that he has been demeaning the use of cow dung and cow urine in a country like India and has been filling the brains of students as if it is a bad thing. But it's not.' However, when reached for comment, Harsh Attri, ABVP's national media convenor, said, 'I have no comment on whether ABVP stands with Chaudhary's act or not. But Khatri's actions have been displeasing among many students on campus, and there is going to be retaliation from the DU student community,' Attri said. The incident comes weeks after a similar controversy erupted at Delhi's Lakshmibai College, where cow dung was applied on the walls of a classroom by Principal Suman Sharma. Later, Khatri, in retaliation, smeared the cow dung on the principal's office. Principal Suman Sharma had claimed that the act was 'experimental' and aimed at exploring the natural cooling properties of cow dung amid Delhi's extreme summer temperatures. Photographs and videos from that incident sparked outrage online, with many calling it unscientific and unsanitary. Sharma, however, defended the move, claiming it was 'part of Indian traditional knowledge.' The fresh standoff between the student bodies came following a controversy surrounding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's visit to the campus last week. Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had visited the Delhi University to interact with students from Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Class (OBC) communities. According to the university proctor's office, the visit was conducted without prior permission and disrupted student governance operations. 'Rahul Gandhi has done this for the second time… coming to the university without any intimation and information,' the office said in an official statement.
The Hindu
01-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
BJD welcomes Union Cabinet's decision to include caste enumeration in census exercise
Former Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal President Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday welcomed the decision of the Union Cabinet to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming census stating that his party had been repeatedly demanding countrywide caste census and removal of 50% cap on reservation. Following the announcement of inclusion of caste enumeration in the forthcoming census, Mr. Patnaik in posting on social networking site 'X' said, 'Welcome the decision of the Union Cabinet to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming census. BJD has been repeatedly demanding countrywide caste census and removal of 50% cap on reservation.' 'In Odisha, we also took certain concrete steps in 2023 to enumerate the number of people belonging to different classes to help us in making plans for their development and upliftment. The same objectives would now be met by this decision of the Central government to conduct a caste-based census,' he pointed out. 'We in BJD always stand for social justice, especially for backward classes such as scheduled tribe, scheduled caste and Other Backward Class,' Mr. Patnaik said. The then Naveen Patnaik Government had formed Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes (OSCBC) and conducted survey of Other Backward Classes belonging to 211 castes on their social and educational status in 2023. People (heads or senior members of the family) were asked to come to common service centres, public distribution centres and Anganwadi centres with their ration cards and Aadhaar cards to fill up an exhaustive questionnaire. Though the report of OBC Commission was officially not made public, it was revealed that over 39.31% of Odisha's population was socially and economically backward classes (SEBCs). Though Opposition had questioned the methods of conducting survey, the findings were alarming. The survey had revealed that 37.6% of SEBC population had access to primary level of education, while 10.1 per cent are still illiterate. Moreover, the representation of the SEBCs in government jobs was also very low - at only 2.8%. In Odisha, Scheduled Tribes enjoy 22.5% followed by scheduled caste (16.25%). Though OBCs have bigger proportion in population, they get is 11.25%. Since reservation has been capped at 50%, OBCs have to contend with 11.25%. In 2021, a delegation of BJD MPs met Home Minister Amit Shah and apprised him of the need for a caste-based Census. In same year ahead of last panchayat elections, the regional party had announced to provide at least 27% of reservation to OBC candidates.
