Latest news with #ExtremelyBackwardClasses
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Rajbhar's Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party decides to contest Bihar election
The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) national president and Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Om Prakash Rajbhar on Thursday (July 31, 2025) said that his party will contest the upcoming assembly elections of Bihar. Mr. Rajbhar also asserted that even if National Democratic Alliance (NDA) does not take him along, his party will show its strength in the assembly elections. The Uttar Pradesh based political party and leader was in Patna to take part in the workers' conference organized at the Bharatiya Mandapam Hall in which the party workers from different districts also attended the event. Mr. Rajbhar asserted that he is in talks with the NDA but if not given respectable seats then ready to go solo. 'The first attempt is to fight the Assembly elections in Bihar by staying with the NDA. Even if our talks don't work out, our party will contest the elections in Bihar on its own. People of castes like Rajbhar, Rajvanshi of the State will show the strength of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party in Bihar,' Mr. Rajbhar said. He further said, 'I had promised all of you that I will make an MLA from amongst you and send them to the assembly. I have to fulfil that promise. We are NDA partners and 70% of the talks have been finalised regarding contesting the elections. If our talks are finalised, then it is very good, otherwise the party is fully prepared to go solo in the Bihar elections.' He pointed out if party members leaders become a Minister or MLA then land will be given to the landless, along with this, one lakh rupees will also be given for marriage. 'On the land of Bihar, your MLA will raise the problems of your village, block, district,' Mr. Rajbhar added. Accompanied by Uday Narayan Rajbhar, Bihar State president of the party, he instructed the party workers to put up the party flag at their respective houses. Later while speaking to the media Mr. Rajbhar said that his party wants to contest in 29 Assembly seats and if not given then preparation is already going on in 156 seats out of 243 Assembly seats in Bihar. The two term MLA also took a dig at the NDA government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar alleging that not enough work has been done for the people of Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) in Bihar. SBSP's national general secretary and former Minister Dr Arvind Rajbhar said that whether in alliance or alone, elections have to be fought in Bihar. Mr. Arvind said that his party will put all its strength in the election campaign. National Spokesperson of the party, Piyush Mishra echoed the same saying that political parties of Bihar should not underestimate SBSP.
Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Bihar electoral roll revision: Why 3 papers SC suggests widen net, dial down panic
The Supreme Court's suggestion to include Aadhaar, Voter ID, and ration cards in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls, if adopted by the Election Commission (EC), could provide existing voters — those enrolled after 2003 but still needing to prove their eligibility to remain on the rolls — with more accessible options, potentially easing their scramble to secure one of the 11 documents originally proposed. As the ongoing series in The Indian Express shows, these three are the documents most families have. The fact that none of these meets the requirement has sparked concerns among voters across Bihar, from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Harnaut in Nalanda to RJD chief Lalu Prasad's Raghopur in Vaishali, and in Seemanchal region. The issue is particularly pressing for marginalized groups, including Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) and minorities. The newly suggested documents are far more widely accessible. Of the three, Aadhaar and Election ID cards are nearly ubiquitous in Bihar, with ration cards available to two-thirds of the population. Consider the following: Aadhaar, which serves as both proof of identity and address, is available to over 88% of the population. As per the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), 11,48,98,440 Aadhaar cards had been generated in Bihar as of July 10, 2025, covering more than 88% of the state's projected population of 13 crore (as of March 1, 2025). Furthermore, the UIDAI reports an even higher level of Aadhaar saturation in Bihar, defined as the percentage of the eligible population successfully enrolled for and issued an Aadhaar number. As of July 10, 2025, Aadhaar saturation in the state stood at 94%, with all districts except Jehanabad exceeding 100%. The highest saturation was recorded in Kishanganj (126%), followed by Katihar and Araria (123% each), Purnia (121%), and Sheikhpura (118%). Of the Aadhaar numbers generated in Bihar by July 10, 2025, 70.29% were for individuals aged 18 and above, 27.62% for those aged 5 to under 18, and 2.09% for children under 5 years old. Ration cards are also widespread in Bihar. According to the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, nearly two-thirds of Bihar's population holds a ration card. As of July 10, 2025, Bihar had 1,79,07,319 ration cards, covering 8,71,72,572 beneficiaries. Voter ID cards are held by almost all of Bihar's 7.89 crore existing electors as it is compulsorily issued to all enrolled voters by the respective state Chief Electoral Officer. Under the June 24 order, any person not listed in the 2003 Electoral Rolls—an estimated 2.93 crore individuals—must submit at least one of the 11 documents to prove their eligibility to vote. These documents include any identity card or pension payment order issued to a regular employee or pensioner of any Central or State Government/PSU; any identity card, certificate, or document issued by Government/Local Authorities/Banks/Post Office/LIC/PSU prior to July 1, 1987; birth certificate issued by the competent authority; passport; matriculation or educational certificate issued by recognised boards/universities; permanent residence certificate issued by the competent state authority; forest right certificate; OBC/SC/ST or any caste certificate issued by the competent authority; National Register of Citizens (where applicable); family register; and land/house allotment certificate issued by the government. As of Thursday evening, the Election Commission had not yet taken a decision on the Supreme Court's suggestion. EC sources indicated that the option to voluntarily include Aadhaar on the form already exists, but it is used for identity verification, not eligibility. Aadhaar is not included in the 11 documents listed in the indicative list. Similarly, while voter ID numbers appear on the forms, they are used only for identification, not to establish eligibility. (With inputs from Damini Nath)
The Wire
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
EC Officials Can Now Report Persons to Foreigner Tribunals: New Clause 5(b) in Bihar Roll 'Update' Sparks Concern
New Delhi: A drive by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to "update" voter lists in Bihar already threatens to disenfranchise millions. Now it carries a graver risk: stripping people of their citizenship. The risk stems from Clause 5(b) of the ECI's June 24, 2025, directive. The clause allows local Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to refer anyone they suspect of being a foreign national to citizenship authorities. Legal experts and rights analysts warn this turns a routine update into a 'backdoor NRC' (National Register of Citizens), putting the fate of India's poorest people in the hands of local officials with vast, unchecked power. The stakes are now much higher. The initial fear was that crores of Bihar's poorest citizens could lose their right to vote. Now, they could lose their right to live in India. From disenfranchisement to deportation The directive is part of a voter revision ahead of Bihar's 2025 assembly elections. It requires 4.74 crore voters – nearly 60% of the electorate – to prove their eligibility with few documents, mainly a school or birth certificate. Data shows these documents are a luxury for many in Bihar, especially for people belonging to Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Muslim communities, who face high poverty and low literacy. Clause 5(b) adds a new and worrying dimension. The clause is "dangerously significant," Supreme Court lawyer Ali Kabir Zia Choudhary told The Wire. "It will trigger a citizenship determination process, leading to disenfranchisement, loss of residency, detention, even deportation," Choudhary said. "Millions could lose citizenship. This is likely to create a new scheme of corruption, since these volunteers and EROs would have the power to endanger one's citizenship with a stroke of a pen." Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Aman Khan agreed. "This clause creates a parallel, informal pathway for citizenship verification without any of the legal safeguards," Khan told The Wire. "An ERO's 'suspicion' – a term that is undefined and vague – becomes the trigger for a process that should be governed by rigorous legal standards, not administrative discretion." Raising the stakes for the common person For an ordinary person in Bihar, the change is catastrophic because until now being unable to produce a school or birth certificate was not even a barrier to voting, let alone remaining in the country. "Earlier the stakes were the people's constitutional right to participate in democracy," says Choudhary. "But the EC has just raised it to the right to live in India! People who do not have documents to obtain the right to vote... how are they going to participate in a citizenship determination process? They can't obtain two square meals a day!" He calls the policy an example of "abject lack of empathy," noting the commission ignores the poverty in a state "where people eat rats to avoid starvation." Khan notes that this turns the legal bond between citizen and state on its head. "The state is essentially telling its poorest citizens that their existence is conditional," he argues. "The inability to produce a piece of paper, often due to the state's own past failures in education and birth registration, could now lead to an existential crisis." A 'backdoor NRC' without oversight Many are comparing the plan to the controversial NRC exercise in Assam, but experts suggest the situation in Bihar could be worse. "The comparison is very fair," Choudhary asserts. "EROs under clause 5(b) questioning citizenship is the first step in an NRC-style vetting. But unlike the Assam NRC, this process has neither any statutory basis nor is it under the supervision of the Supreme Court of India." Khan explains the danger. "The Assam NRC, for all its deep flaws, was a statutory, court-monitored process. This is decentralised and opaque, giving immense, unchecked power to thousands of individual EROs across the state. It's a recipe for arbitrary action." The power to simply "suspect" someone is the crux of the problem. "India in general suffers from rampant corruption and discrimination," warns Choudhary. "Local EROs, without adequate training, legal knowledge, or expert oversight, will make arbitrary, biased, and politically motivated decisions. There is no due process, such as a notice, a hearing, or a reasoned decision before a case is referred." Legal recourse and a call to act Both lawyers agree the Election Commission must act now. "Withdraw 5(b)," Choudhary states bluntly, "and explicitly state that EROs have no power to refer or initiate any process questioning citizenship." Khan suggests that at a minimum, "The ECI must immediately issue a clarification or a stay on Clause 5(b). In the absence of that, citizens' groups should prepare for public interest litigation." For individuals wrongly targeted, the path is difficult. While they can petition the High Court, Choudhary notes this is "nigh impossible, economically and logistically" for the people most likely to be affected. The exercise, experts conclude, turns a core principle of justice on its head. "'Presumption of innocence' is a fundamental principle of law," Choudhary concludes. "In India, this principle is turned head over heels. It is for a poor citizen to prove his citizenship and not the mighty government. And now, we are all suspects."
Hindustan Times
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Mafia Raj of past kept Bihar poor, it is now set for high growth: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the Congress and the RJD had hurt the pride of Bihar and kept the state poor 'due to mafia raj, goonda raj and corruption' despite zealously announced slogan 'Garibi Hatao' being there for generations. But the state, he said, was now set for a development leap. The PM was speaking at Siwan after laying the foundation stone and inaugurating multiple development projects worth ₹11,000 crore, which include new Vaishali-Deoria railway line with a new train service on the route and another Vande Bharat Express between Pataliputra and Gorakhpur via Muzaffarpur and Bettiah. He also flagged off a state-of-the-art locomotive -- the first built at Marhowra plant for export to the Republic of Guinea. Modi said that the 'License Raj' of the Congress did not allow Bihar to move out of poverty and the worst sufferers were the deprived lot from Dalit, Mahadalit, Other Backward Classes and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), while in the last 11 years a record 25 crore Indians had moved out of poverty and the feat has drawn praise from institutions like the World Bank. 'Bihar under chief minister Nitish Kumar played a key role in it, as 3.75-crore people from the state have pulled themselves out of poverty. Despite so many years of independence, half the population lived below the poverty line. People struggled to beat poverty, as they could not find a way to beat it. The state was reduced to be a centre of migration. Now, it is time to be wary of the same forces that kept it poor as they are again desperate for power while the state has prepared the launchpad for rapid growth,' he added. He said that the 'panja' and 'lantern' (Congress and RJD party symbols) worked with a simple motive of 'Parivar Ka Saath Aur Parivar Ka Vikas' (Support to family, growth to family), while the NDA works for 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' (Growth for all). 'Their interest never goes beyond family and they don't even spare Baba Saheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar,' he said, referring to the controversy surrounding Baba Saheb's picture purportedly kept near the feet of RJD chief Lalu Prasad on the latter's birthday. 'I have noticed posters seeking an apology for the insult of Baba Saheb. The entire country saw what RJD did to Baba Saheb, but they will not apologise. Ambedkar remains in the heart of Modi, while they keep it at their feet. They made false promises of 'Garibi Hatao' to people and filled their coffers, while our government has already built four crore houses for the poor and three crore more are being built. Modi is not the kind to get satisfied with work already done for the poor, as a lot more needs to be done to ensure that not a single person is left out, as you all are my family' he said. He warned that those who brought 'jungle raj' to Bihar were looking for an opportunity to repeat their old deeds. 'You have to be very cautious for the bright future of your children. People who are ready to put the brakes on Bihar's developmental journey have to be kept at bay, as a prosperous Bihar is important for a prosperous India,' he added. Remembering India's first President Dr Rajendra Prasad, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain and social reformer Braj Kishor Prasad, he said Siwan was the land that lent strength to democracy and Constitution and played a big role in the freedom movement. 'We are trying to take the same spirit forward with inclusive growth so that nobody is discriminated against and even the world recognises India's growth journey to be the third largest economy. I have faith in your abilities, as you are the ones who ended jungle Raj and then worked with the NDA to put the state on track,' he added. The PM said that Marhowra rail factory is an example of the kind of Bihar NDA striving to create. 'With the export of locomotives, Saran, which was abandoned by the RJD as backward, has made its place on the global map. Jungle Raj had stalled the growth engine, but now Bihar's engine will run in Africa. Bihar will be a big centre for make in India and contribute to the nation's growth,' he said, adding more projects and development initiatives would take Bihar towards a bright future and make life easy for all through increased opportunities. Highlighting the transformative journey of Bihar, the PM said in the last 10-11 years over 55,000 kms of rural roads had been built, 1.5-crore houses had got power connection and tap water, 45,000 common service centres had been started and now there was a wave of start-up in towns and cities. 'We are striving to remove every hurdle for the poor. The houses that people have got are not just four walls, but other places to nurture dreams and resolve. Bihar alone has got 57 lakh pucca houses, out of which 1.10-lakh are for Siwan alone. Over 50,000 families have got instalments for their houses today,' he added. He said that with the new train, now the two pilgrim places of Baba Hariharnarh and Baba Gorakhnath have been connected. 'Buddhist places have also got train connectivity. Such projects will boost tourism and create more opportunities,' he said, starting off his speech in Bhojpuri to connect with the masses. Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, union ministers Jitan Ram Manjhi, Giriraj Singh, Lalan Singh, Chirag Paswan, Ramnath Thakur, Nityanand Rai, Satishchandra Dubey, Raj Bhushan Choudhary,Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, state ministers, including Health minister Mangal Pandey, former union minister Upendra Kushwaha and several others were present on the occasion. Nitish Kumar thanked the PM for focussing on Bihar's rapid developments through a lot of new projects and programmes, cited special financial assistance in the union budgets and termed the Centre's decision to hold caste-based Census a big initiative. Referring to the Opposition's attack, he said that 'they keep speaking absurd things, while the changed reality is for all to see'. 'What was the situation prior to 2005? Today, the presence of so many women at the rally indicates the positive change that the state has witnessed. Earlier the girls did not even venture out of home,' he added. Fourth visit this year This is PM's fourth visit to Bihar this year and third since April 24 in what is viewed as a build up for the crucial state elections scheduled in October-November. He reached the venue in a road show, waving to the people from an open vehicle along with CM Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary. Siwan is significant, as it is the birthplace of India's first President Rajendra Prasad and remained an RJD stronghold due to sizable population of Muslims and Yadavs and emergence of late Bahubali Md Shahabuddin. Projects In keeping with the government's focus on conservation and rejuvenation of river Ganga, the PM also inaugurated six Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) under the Namami Gange project worth over ₹1,800 crore catering to the needs of people in the region. He also laid the foundation stone for water supply, sanitation and STPs worth over ₹3,000 crore in various towns across Bihar aiming to provide clean and safe drinking water to the citizens of these towns. He also laid the foundation stone for 500 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) capacity in Bihar. Standalone BESS are being installed at 15 grid substations of the state, including Muzaffarpur, Motihari, Bettiah, Siwan among others. The capacity of the battery to be installed in each sub-station is between 20 to 80 MWh. It will save the distribution companies from buying electricity at expensive rates by feeding the already stored electricity back to the grid directly benefiting the consumers. The Prime Minister also released the first instalment to more than 53,600 beneficiaries of PMAY-U in Bihar. He handed over keys to a few beneficiaries to mark the Grih Pravesh Ceremony of more than 6,600 completed houses of PMAY U.
United News of India
06-06-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Rahul doubts intention of Modi on caste census
Rajgir, June 06 (UNI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday expressed his doubt over the intention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the caste census, saying he would not allow emerge true picture of the prevailing scenario on social dynamics in the country. Gandhi, while addressing a conference organised on the theme of "save the constitution ", said that Prime Minister Modi was not sincere and his intention was not clear on the caste census, as he had promised to do it in the country. Initially, he was not at all prepared for the caste census at the national level, but under his continued and sustained pressure in Lok Sabha and the struggle made by Congress on the issue forced him to get prepared for the caste census, he added. " PM Mod had once said that there was no caste in the country and I had then asked him why he claimed to be coming from the OBC category, if there is no existence of the caste system ", Congress leader said, adding that the BJP had never been sincere and prepared for caste census. The intention of PM Modi on the caste census was still doubtful as it was reflected from the fact that the questionnaire of the caste census exercise was prepared by 11 senior officers in a closed room and no public suggestion was invited by the government on the issue, he pointed out. Gandhi said that there were two models of caste census in the country-- one by the BJP and the other by Congress. A model of Congress was visible in the caste census, conducted in Telangana, he stated. So far as the question of the BJP was concerned, the caste census was an attempt to suppress the true picture of social dynamics and mislead the people on the issue, while Congress had conducted a fair and transparent caste census in Telangana, he added. Based on the caste census conducted by the Congress government in Telangana, several decisions were taken, including the hike in reservation limit for Extremely Backward Classes(EBCs), Backward Classes, and others in government services, he further added. Congress leader said if the BJP did not conduct the caste census properly, then his party would do the job if given an opportunity to serve the people. He would also raise the issue in Lok Sabha if an attempt was made by the Narendra Modi government to mislead the people on the issue of caste census, he added. Gandhi said that Schedule Castes (SCS), Scheduled Tribes(STs) Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), and others who lagged on the path of development, were 90 percent of the population, who could not get proper representation in government services. In the top bureaucracy, only a few of them were in the decision-making process, and they too had been given responsibilities of minor departments, he added. Congress leader said that in the corporate sector representation of Backward Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was negligible. Top corporate houses were being given relief by the government, in the form of tax rebates, running into lakhs of crores of rupees, he pointed out. On the other hand, those who remained backwards and deprived were forced to live pathetic lives, he lamented. Gandhi exhorted the people of the Backward Classes and deprived not to get frightened and continue to struggle for their rights. Congress would always remain solidly behind them to give strength and ensure that they could get justice, he promised. UNI KKS BD
