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India Gazette
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
JDU's Rajeev Ranjan Prasad assumes charge as Vice Chairman of Bihar Upper Caste Commission
Patna (Bihar) [India], May 31 (ANI): JDU leader Rajeev Ranjan Prasad assumed office as the Vice Chairman of the Bihar State Commission for Development of Upper Castes on Saturday. 'Based on data from the Caste Survey, we believe the challenges during this Commission's tenure will be met with timely recommendations to the state government, and its role will be crucial. The responsibility lies with the newly nominated members of the Commission, who are all capable individuals entrusted by the Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar. Many good people have been appointed to various commissions, and work will progress across all fronts...' Prasad told ANI. He further stated that the Commission continued to be dedicated to upper caste development and added that, with the caste survey data, its role had become more important. 'This continues to be the only commission dedicated to upper caste development. Following the Centre's decision on EWS (Economically Weaker Sections), the state government also implemented it. With the Caste Survey data and these developments, the Commission's role becomes even more important...' he added. Earlier on May 30, ahead of the upcoming Bihar elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mahachandra Prasad Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Commission. The Bihar General Administration Department issued the official notification on Thursday. Singh has been appointed for a three-year term. The move comes at a time when the state is witnessing significant political realignments. Former Union Minister and ex-JD(U) leader Ram Chandra Prasad Singh recently merged his political outfit Aap Sabki Awaz (ASA) with the Jan Suraaj Party led by Prashant Kishor. Singh had left the JD(U) in 2023, joined the BJP, and later launched his own party in 2024, announcing plans to contest the 2025 Bihar Assembly polls. The Bihar Assembly elections are expected to be held later this year. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising the BJP, JD(U), and LJP, is aiming to retain power, while the opposition INDIA bloc is preparing to challenge the incumbent Nitish Kumar-led government. (ANI)
New Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Panel to develop composite backwardness index for Telangana's sub-castes using survey data
HYDERABAD: In a major step toward evidence-based policymaking, the Independent Expert Working Group (IEWG) chaired by Justice B Sudarshan Reddy has decided to formulate a Composite Backwardness Index for each of Telangana's 243 sub-castes. The index will be based on data from the state's comprehensive Social, Education, Economic, Employment, Political, Caste Survey (SEEEPC), which covered 3.55 crore individuals. At its fourth meeting held on Thursday at the Constitution Club in New Delhi, the IEWG revealed that 73 sub-castes account for 96% of Telangana's population. These include 10 SC groups, seven ST groups, 45 BC groups and 11 OC groups. The index aims to provide a data-driven measure of each sub-caste's backwardness, drawing from 43 parameters under seven categories: social, education, living standards, occupation, income, movable & immovable assets and access to banking and finance. Panel to submit report soon The group confirmed that statistical and data analysis have been completed, and members reached consensus on the methodology, parameters, graphical representation and key findings of the Index. The next phase will involve drafting the report, which is expected to be submitted to the state government within a month. The final report will provide an ordinal ranking of each sub-caste's backwardness, as well as individual rankings across the seven parameter categories. The IEWG also recommended that the government develop a natural language interface powered by AI to make the anonymised SEEEPC dataset accessible to researchers for further analysis. It may be recalled that the state government had earlier conducted the SEEEPC survey, covering 3.55 crore individuals and collecting data across 75 fields for each person — spanning social, economic, educational, identity, occupational, and living conditions. The survey enumerated individuals across 243 sub-castes, with additional options for 'No Caste' (for those who chose not to disclose) and 'Others' (for those not listed in the enumeration manual).
