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Hans India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
‘Rahul Gandhi always understands things too late': Shivraj Singh Chouhan on OBC remarks row
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, stating that his recent apology regarding the caste census was merely a delayed realisation after years of the party undermining the welfare of Other Backwards Classes (OBCs). Chouhan's remarks came a day after LoP Rahul Gandhi, while addressing the 'Bhagidari Nyay Sammelan' organised for the OBC community, admitted that not conducting a caste census earlier was his mistake. LoP Rahul Gandhi had said, "I regret that if I had known more about your history and issues, I would have got the caste census conducted. That is my mistake and not that of Congress. I am going to correct that mistake now." Responding to the statement, Chouhan told reporters, "Rahul Gandhi always understands things too late. First, he apologised for the Emergency, then for the 1984 Sikh riots, and now to the OBC community. But what has Congress ever done for the OBCs?" "Let them answer who shelved the Mandal Commission report. Congress has consistently suppressed efforts for OBC welfare, and then issued apologies after the damage is done," he said. The Union Minister added, "He (Rahul Gandhi) even apologised over Rafale. And mark my words -- ten years from now, Rahul Gandhi will be apologising again for what he's doing today. Apology seems to be his destiny." On the occasion of the 26th Kargil Vijay Diwas, Chouhan also paid heartfelt tributes to the Indian Armed Forces, hailing their bravery and sacrifice during the 1999 Kargil conflict. "I bow to the bravery of our soldiers. Their courage deserves reverence. If we fail to honour these heroes, we diminish the very essence of heroism. I salute those soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Kargil conflict," he said. Taking a dig at the Congress party, Chouhan said, "During the UPA regime, the Congress never commemorated Kargil Vijay Diwas. One of their MPs even remarked that the war was fought under an NDA government -- as if wars belong to governments, not nations. I ask them: Is any war ever the property of a political party, or is it a matter of national defence?" He went on to accuse Congress of undermining the success of Operation Sindoor. "Their mindset borders on anti-national. In opposing the Prime Minister, they have begun opposing the country itself. They echo Pakistan's narrative -- Pakistan even cites their statements as examples on global platforms. But we stand humbled before the valour of our armed forces," Chouhan said.
Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
The university system in India has a caste problem. A bit of empathy will go a long way
Written by Vidyasagar Sharma The recent Bangalore University controversy, where a group of Dalit faculty have written to the Vice-Chancellor and threatened to resign, has again cracked open how caste operates across academics. They alleged systemic caste discrimination in the delegation of everyday university affairs, including biased appointments and denial of service-related benefits. Such incidents, where faculty and students from Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Other Backwards Class (OBC) and religious minorities are being treated differently from their privileged counterparts, is becoming increasingly common. Within India's current political situation, academic practices are redefined and reconstructed by the state. For instance, the faculty oriented to Marxist and anti-caste thinking has apparently been targeted by the university administration. Here, I attempt to highlight two sets of dominant practices in the Indian university system that are constructing a new kind of 'outcast' in higher education. University as a site of un-belonging Noted sociologist Nira Yuval-Davis has argued that the sense of belonging is not just about including someone, but about the politics of belonging, performed through various mechanisms which often manifest as boundaries ('us' and 'them'). These boundaries are constantly negotiated and contested by the people who create them and those who seek to dismantle them. Within India's university landscape, elite public institutions are becoming spaces that practice homogenisation, thereby producing experiences of 'un-belonging' for marginalised groups who do not fit within dominant cultural, ideological, and social practices. Universities, while often imagined as liberal and critical spaces, frequently operate through hidden scripts of academic practices that silence diversity and inclusiveness under the guise of 'neutrality' and 'merit.' The recent efforts to change the syllabus in the Department of Political Science at Delhi University are just one of many interventions to silence diverse voices. Teaching critical topics such as Hindu nationalism, Dalit subjectivity, and social exclusion makes those engaging with such subjects be seen as outsiders. I categorise them as 'academic outcasts'. Over the last decade, rather than being emancipatory spaces, Indian universities have functioned as a site of epistemic and social violence, where ideological and social homogenisation has become an academic practice. Practice of exclusion In Indian universities, social identities become an essential attribute for marginalised faculty and students who are tacitly classified as undesirable and un-belonging. The everyday labelling and stigmatisation of these groups force them into dissociation from peers, colleagues, and social groups, hampering their ability to develop a sense of belonging on university campuses. Many empirical studies based on university-level data show that marginalised social groups suffer from a lack of systemic support in university spaces and are under-represented in most academic bodies and programmes. Indian sociologists, Geetha B Nambissan and Srinivasa Rao, in their work 'Sociology of Education in India,' pointed out that structural inequalities, cultural diversity, and the identities of different social groups mediate institutional learning practices at various levels of education. Institutions often uphold unwritten rules that negatively identify individuals and groups labelled as disadvantaged by their structural location and status. For instance, candidates from OBC communities are often identified as 'Not Found Suitable – NFS' in the recruitment of faculty in central universities. Empathy: The only way forward We must focus on the process of building an academic space where faculty and students from marginalised backgrounds can foster their sense of belonging in everyday university life. To do so, empathy is essential. Through this practice, we can reimagine university space as more liberal and critical. Empathy in this context is not merely a passive emotion but an active process of speaking and listening to each other, with a sense of political commitment and engaging with difference. Such a practice requires institutions and allied stakeholders to recognise structural inequalities with a sense of moral accountability and create an ecosystem where marginalised voices are not merely included for the sake of representation, but to be part of every aspect of university life. Therefore, only through empathetic engagement can we build a university as a site of belonging. The writer is a research scholar at the Faculty of Sociology, University of Bielefeld, Germany
India Gazette
17-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Peddler of liars, factory of fake news": Shahzad Poonawalla slams Congress over caste census remarks
New Delhi [India], June 17 (ANI): Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) spokesperson Shahzad Poonawalla on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Congress, accusing the party of spreading fake news and lies on the issue of caste census and India's global diplomatic matters. His remarks came amid an ongoing political debate over the central government's stand on caste-based data collection. In a briefing, Poonawalla said, 'Congress is a peddler of liars and a factory of fake news... Lying has become their characteristic... Their lies have been exposed -- first that India was not invited to G7 summit, and second that Pakistan's Asim Munir has been invited to the US Army Day and that it was a failure of India's policies.' The BJP leader further accused Congress of deliberately misleading the public over the government's stand on the caste census. He said, 'Now Congress is on another lie. They are saying that the central government is taking a U-turn on the caste census... Various press releases of the government say that the caste census will be done.' He also alleged that Congress has a history of neglecting the rights of the Other Backwards Classes (OBCs). 'Congress is spreading misinformation because it is in their DNA to take away the rights of the OBC,' Poonawalla added. The statement came as political tensions remained high over the caste census demand, with the Congress accusing the BJP of avoiding concrete commitments, while the BJP maintained that the government has been transparent about its position. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed preparations for the upcoming Census of India, which is now officially set to include caste enumeration, as per the official statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The minister hailed this move as a 'historic decision' that corrected a 'historical wrong.' The notification to conduct the Census was published in the official Gazette on Monday, following a high-level meeting held in Delhi, where the Home Minister reviewed the plan along with the Union Home Secretary, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI), and other senior officials. The Population Census 2027 will begin with a reference date of March 1, 2027, for most parts of the country. The reference date for snow-bound and non-synchronous areas such as Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand will be October 1, 2026. According to the official statement, around 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors and 1.3 lakh Census functionaries will be deployed for the exercise. This will be the first fully digital Census, using mobile apps and offering a self-enumeration option to citizens. The last Census was conducted in 2011. A new round scheduled for 2021 was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, despite all initial preparations being completed. (ANI)
India Gazette
21-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
SC grants anticipatory bail to former IAS trainee Puja Khedkar in fraud case
New Delhi [India], May 21 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) trainee officer Puja Khedkar, accused of forging her documents to obtain eligibility for the 2022 Union Public Service Commission test. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma asked Khedkar to cooperate in the probe. During the hearing, the bench said, 'What is the grave crime she has committed? She is not a drug lord or a terrorist. She has not committed 302 (murder). She is not an NDPS offender. She has not committed 376 offence (rape).' The apex court while granting anticipatory bail to her said that she will cooperate with the investigation and shall not in anyway influence the witnesses or tamper with the material on records. 'In the event of arrest, the appellant shall be released on bail, furnishing cash sureties of Rs. 35,000 with two sureties. She shall extend complete cooperation in the ensuing investigation and shall not misuse her liberty, and shall not in any way influence the witnesses or tamper with the material on records. Should there be any violation of the aforesaid conditions, the liberty is reserved to the respondent to seek cancellation of anticipatory bail. With the aforesaid directions, criminal appeal is allowed,' the order stated. Khedkar is accused of cheating and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination. Earlier, the apex court had been extending its interim order of granting protection from arrest to Khedkar. Khedkar has opposed her plea and said that she has not cooperated with the probe. Khedkar had challenged in the top court the Delhi High Court order rejecting her anticipatory bail plea. In January, the apex court granted her interim protection from arrest and asked her to cooperate in the investigation. Khedkar is accused of fraudulently availing a reservation meant for Other Backwards Classes (OBC) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities in order to clear the Union Public Service Commission exam (UPSC exam). The Delhi High Court while dismissing anticipatory bail plea had made strong observations against Khedkar saying its a 'classic example of fraud, not only with a constitutional body but also with society and the nation as a whole.' The High Court had emphasised that interrogation is necessary to uncover the conspiracy involved. The High Court had also highlighted that the father and mother held high-ranking positions, suggesting the possibility of collusion with influential individuals. Khedkar is facing criminal charges filed by the Delhi Police, accusing her of cheating and unlawfully claiming OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Rajasthan Deputy Commandant Recruitment 2025: Many ineligible candidates applying, says RPSC
The Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) has found a significant number of ineligible candidates applying for the Deputy Commandant Recruitment, 2025, during a random scrutiny of applications, an official said. According to RPSC Secretary Ram Niwas Mehta, many applicants did not meet the essential eligibility criteria, yet they submitted their applications. In light of this, the Commission is preparing to initiate strict action against such ineligible candidates, he added. The recruitment body stated that such applicants have been asked to withdraw their applications between May 13 and May 28. Meanwhile, former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) trainee Puja Khedkar appeared before the Crime Branch at Kamla Market in Delhi last week for questioning related to an FIR filed against her for allegedly submitting forged certificates to clear her 2022 Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam. Speaking to ANI, Khedkar said, "As per the Supreme Court orders, I have come here to cooperate in the investigation. I said it since day one that in whatever way possible, I am ready to cooperate. All the allegations against me that I have submitted fake certificates are false. I have been and I will be in India - whatever people are saying that I have fled to another country is wrong." Earlier, the bench adjourned the hearing of the case as her counsel told the bench that a counter-affidavit had been filed on her behalf, but it was not showing on the court's record. The top court asked the Delhi police to complete the probe fast and asked why it was not completing the investigation when Khedkar herself had said it in an affidavit that she was willing to cooperate. Khedkar is accused of fraudulently availing a reservation meant for Other Backwards Classes (OBC) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities in order to secure a seat by taking the UPSC exam.
