Latest news with #JitanRamManjhi
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bihar panel seeks more welfare measures for poor upper castes
(You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Just last week, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar revived the defunct ' Savarna Ayog ' by appointing new president, vice president and members. On Wednesday, the new members held their first meeting and pressed for more benefits for the poor upper caste in the commission was formed in the state in 2011 to identify the deprived and underprivileged families among upper castes. In December 2014, then chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi expressed displeasure over the commission failing to file any report and spending almost Rs 15 crores. Since then, the commission was almost redundant till last week. However, the current team feels that the commission is relevant now."Earlier there was no scientific data to find out or estimate what is the status of upper caste population in Bihar and how many of them are poor. Post the socio-economic survey done by the Bihar government in 2023, we have robust data and we know the actual condition of the upper caste families in the state. Now we can recommend steps which could help the upper caste families in the state," Rajeev Ranjan, vice president of the Savaran Ayog, tells the first meeting the commission formed three different sub-committees with a mandate to work on the possibilities including age relaxation in government jobs and free coaching and hostel for poor students. These sub-committees will submit a report in one month and some of the recommendations could become part of the government agenda ahead of elections.
The Print
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Family matters in Bihar's Dalit politics—Manjhis to Paswans, how kin are rising up the ladder
Opposition RJD criticised the appointments, saying these were made with an eye on the assembly elections due later this year. Chirag Paswan's brother-in-law Mrinal Paswan has been appointed chairperson of the commission, while Jitan Ram Manjhi's son-in-law Devendra Manjhi has been made its vice chairperson. New Delhi: The Nitish Kumar government's decision to appoint the relatives of Union ministers Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi to top posts in the Bihar Scheduled Caste Commission months before elections has fuelled debate around 'dynastic politics' in parties led by Dalit leaders in the state. Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's family now has seven members in politics, competing with the Lalu Prasad Yadav family's dominance in the state. Manjhi, who comes from the Mahadalit musahar community, contested the Lok Sabha polls from the Gaya seat in 1991, 2014, 2019 and 2024. He won only the 2024 polls. He is currently the oldest minister in the Modi cabinet, holding charge of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry. The Manjhi family Manjhi's son Santosh Kumar Suman is the national president of their party Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM). He is a minister in the Nitish cabinet, holding the Minor Water Resources portfolio. He was a minister in Nitish Kumar's 2020 cabinet too when he held the Minor Irrigation and SC/ST Welfare portfolios. Suman's wife Deepa Manjhi won the byelection from Imamganj assembly constituency in November 2024 as Jitan Ram Manjhi vacated the seat after his election to Lok Sabha. Deepa Manjhi's mother Jyoti Devi is also an MLA from the party. She represents the Barachatti assembly constituency. Devendra Manjhi, who has been made the vice-chairperson of the SC Commission, has been HAM general secretary and unsuccessfully contested the assembly election in 2020 from Makhdumpur. Jitan Ram Manjhi has two sons and five daughters. His younger son Pravin Suman is also in politics. Manjhi's elder daughter Sunaina has contested a deputy mayoral election in 2022. Devendra Manjhi first came in news in 2014 when Jitan Ram Manjhi, as the chief minister of Bihar, appointed him as his personal assistant, and another relative, Satendra Kumar, a clerk. The BJP, then in the opposition, criticised Manjhi, citing a general administration department's order of 23 May 2000 that no minister can appoint a relative as PA. Manji defended the appointment, saying Devendra has been his PA since 2006. But as the controversy erupted, Devendra resigned. When ThePrint spoke to him after his appointment at the SC Commission, Devendra Manjhi said, 'When a doctor's son becomes a doctor, nobody asks questions.' He said he is an engineer and has been working among people for the last 25 years, despite being the son-in-law of an MP and former chief minister. 'Today, after spending so much time among people, I have been appointed as vice-chairperson to work among Dalits. What is wrong with it?' He said the HAM fought the 2015 elections in alliance with the RJD and the JD(U), and the party was given 21 seats to contest. 'But I did not get the ticket then and contested as an Independent. Nobody asked why Manjhi's son-in-law did not get a ticket. My appointment is not dynastic politics.' Also Read: Why India won't see women's reservation in effect until 2039—it's about trickery The Lalu family RJD president Lalu Prasad himself no longer contests elections due to ill health. But his two sons—Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav—are members of the Bihar legislative assembly, and their mother Rabri Devi, also a former chief minister, is in the state legislative council. Prasad's eldest daughter Misa Bharti, a former Rajya Sabha member, now represents the Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency. His another daughter, Rohini Acharya, unsuccessfully contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections against the BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy from Saran. His other daughter Raj Lakshami is married to the late Mulayam Singh Yadav's grandson Tej Pratap Yadav, a Samajwadi Party MLA. Raj Lakshami's sister Anushka is married to Chiranjeev Yadav, who is son of Haryana Congress leader Ajay Yadav. Chiranjeev was an MLA until 2024 when he lost the assembly poll. Prasad's daughter Ragini is married to Rahul Yadav, son of Samajwadi Party leader and Uttar Pradesh MLC Jitendra Yadav. Rahul contested the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections from Sikandrabad but lost. Also Read: Women in LS not without dynastic ties — 55% have political links, 23 with serving or ex MP/MLA spouses The Ram Vilas family Late Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan formed the Lok Janshakti Party in 2000. After his death in 2020, the party split into Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), controlled by his son and MP Chirag Paswan, and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party led by his brother Pashupati Kumar Paras. Chirag's brother-in-law Mrinal Paswan, who is the Lok Janshakti Party's (Ram Vilas) general secretary and who unsuccessfully contested the 2020 assembly polls from the Raja Pakar seat in Vaishali, has been made the chairperson of SC commission by the Nitish Kumar government. Mrinal is married to the daughter of Ram Vilas Paswan and his first wife Rajkumari Devi, who was recently in news after Pashupati Kumar Paras's wife Sobha Devi allegedly humiliated her. Like Manjhi, Ram Vilas Paswan can also be credited with bringing his family members into politics. He first got Pashupathi Paras to contest the 1977 Bihar assembly elections, and later made him the state president of the undivided LJP. Paswan's other brother Ram Chandra Paswan contested the 1999 Lok Sabha polls and won. Ram Vilas' two daughters—Usha and Asha—from his first marriage are married to politicians. Paswan has two children from his second marriage, Chirag Paswan and daughter Nisha. Chirag is the MP from Hajipur, while Nisha is married to Arun Bharti, who represents the Jamui Lok Sabha seat. Ram Chandra's son Prince was also a Lok Sabha member but he lost his Samastipur seat in the 2024 polls. Mrinal Paswan told ThePrint he has spent many years in politics and he cannot be called an example of dynastic politics. 'I didn't get anything automatically,' he said. 'I will work for all sections of society.' In other appointments, Nitish Kumar has made Manoj Rishi the chairman of the Mahadalit Commission. Manoj is son of Vishwanath Rishi, a former minister and the first chairman of Mahadalit Commission. Nitish Kumar created the first Mahadalit Commission in 2007, two years after coming to power in 2005 for his second term. He empowered them by facilitating land ownership, skill development, reserving seats in local bodies and creating employment opportunities for them. This was seen as his attempt to create a captive Mahadalit voter base for his JD(U). The Nitish government also appointed Bhumihar leader Maha Chandra Prasad as the chairperson of the Bihar Swarn Commission. Gulam Rasool Balyawi, who vocally protested against the Waqf Act, has been appointed the chairperson of the state's Minority Commission, which is being seen as an attempt to send a message to the minority community. Other Dalit leaders There are other Dalit leaders whose kin entered politics. Former deputy prime minister Jagjiavn Ram's daughter Meira Kumar became a Lok Sabha speaker. Her son Anshul is a Congress spokesperson and has contested a Lok Sabha election. BSP chief Mayawati promoted his brother Anand Kumar as the vice president of the party and nephew Akash Anand as chief national coordinator. Congress leader and former Union minister Sushilkumar Shinde's daughter Praniti Shinde is now a member of Lok Sabha. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank is a minister in the Karnataka government and son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani an MP from Gulbarga. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: Protect BJP from becoming Congress & be patient—Modi's masterclass to MPs, MLA in poll-bound Bihar
Hans India
27-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
MSMEs are key to leading green mission: Manjhi
Hyderabad: Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Jitan Ram Manjhi said that in the present era of global warming, only MSMEs are using traditional practices, which are not harmful to the environment. Hence, the MSMEs are playing a crucial role to protect the environment and lead the green environment mission. The Union Minister was addressing after inauguration of the State Level Vendor Development Programme for SC, ST Entrepreneurs conducted at National Institute for MSME, Yousufguda by National SC-ST Hub. He said that to protect the environment 33 per cent area of the earth should be green, which can produce better oxygen. However, in the present era, there are a large number of industries, which are emitting carbon dioxide. The Minister stressed to design a new integrated education system, which can develop our new generation to become self-dependent. He appealed to rethink about situations and make MSMEs flourish for a better world. He appreciated the Vishwakarma scheme, which is providing skill development facilities as well as other assistance to the traditional artisans.
India Gazette
18-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Jitan Ram Manjhi backs PM's move to send delegation exposing Pakistan's support for terrorism
Gaya (Bihar) [India], May 18 (ANI): As India steps up efforts to counter global narratives on terrorism, Union Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha leader Jitan Ram Manjhi on Sunday strongly endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to send multi-party parliamentary delegations to key partner nations. Speaking to reporters in Gaya, Manjhi criticised certain opposition leaders for allegedly tarnishing India's image on foreign soil. 'There are many opposition parties in our country who only do the work of opposition. They defame the country's name even when they go abroad,' he said. 'In such a situation, the Prime Minister has thought of the right solution -- by sending MPs of all parties to tell other countries about Operation Sindoor. All countries should get clear information about what has been done in our country.' Earlier in the day Janata Dal (United) leader Neeraj Kumar said that it is important for the international community to understand how Pakistan-sponsored terrorism is disturbing the life of citizens in India. Kumar said the government's move to send multi-party delegations to key nations was a necessary step to convey India's position on terrorism and regional peace. Speaking to ANI, JD(U) leader Neeraj Kumar said, 'It is important to give this message to the world that India is a peace-loving country... It is important that the world knows how Pakistan-sponsored terrorism is disturbing the life of its neighbouring country.' A total of seven groups of MPs have been delegated to go to more than 30 countries, led by a variety of leaders, including Congress' Shashi Tharoor, NCP-SCP's Supriya Sule, BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad, DMK's Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and others. Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Biju Janata Dal from the opposition's side have sent their MPs to be part of the delegation. NDA allies, including Janata Dal (United), and TDP are also part of the delegations. Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, targeting terror bases in Pakistan in retaliation for the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. The operation targeted terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, eliminating over 100 terrorists linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. (ANI)
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Cabinet calls for caste count in next census
India's next census will include caste enumeration , marking a major political shift by the NDA government . The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and comes ahead of the Bihar assembly polls later in the year. The committee includes key NDA coalition allies, including Jitan Ram Manjhi, former chief minister of Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack A Chinese shadow falls on Pahalgam terror attack case probe How India can use water to pressure Pakistan Buzzkill: How India can dissolve the Pakistan problem, not just swat it Reading a statement on the decision, Union minister Ashwani Vaishnaw hit out at the opposition, alleging that Congress governments in the past had opposed a caste census while using it as a political tool. The exercise will be conducted in a transparent manner to ensure the social fabric is not disturbed, he said. In October last year, ET reported the Centre aimed to begin conducting the much-delayed decadal census in 2025. People aware of developments said work on the census has been going on for some time and that a draft cabinet note was prepared last year. OBC Data Too Earlier this year, the home secretary held a meeting with top officials to finalise the format of the questionnaire for the census. Suggestions were sought from almost all ministries on this, while caste-related suggestions were sought from the social justice ministry. Live Events Until now, the census has captured such data under the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe (SC/ST) categories. The next one will likely capture data of other backward castes (OBCs) as well. The Registrar General of India will carry out the census and seek a variety of information. This is expected to include the number of persons residing in a household, if the head of the household is a woman and whether members have phones and access to an internet connection. It will also ask if the household members own mobile phones and what kind, as well as any kind of vehicle. There could also be questions on education qualifications, whether the person lives in a brick and mortar dwelling or not (pucca or kaccha home) or is a recipient of government benefits. The census is also linked to the key issues of delimitation and the Women's Reservation Act . On the former, the southern states, led by Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, argue that redrawing parliamentary representation based on numbers through delimitation would penalise those that have done well on population control. He has called for a 30-year freeze at the current level. The latter sets aside a third of the seats in the Parliament for women. Political Repercussions While the census comes under the purview of the Centre, Vaishnaw said some states had conducted caste enumeration in surveys "non-transparently," creating doubts in the mind of the people. "Considering all these facts and to ensure the social fabric is not disturbed by politics, caste enumeration should be transparently included in the census, instead of surveys," he said, adding that this will strengthen the social and economic structure of the society. The opposition INDIA bloc had made the caste census a major poll plank in recent elections, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pledging that this would provide data to make benefits more equitable. States that have conducted such counts include Bihar, Telangana and Karnataka, the last of which hasn't made the results public. The last nationwide census was completed in 2011 and the next was to have commenced in April 2020 but got delayed due to the pandemic. Though home minister Amit Shah said late last year that the census would be conducted "very soon," there is no clarity as yet on when exactly the exercise will be carried out. "A message of strong commitment towards social equality and rights of every section has been given by deciding to include caste census in the upcoming census," Shah wrote on X in Hindi. "This decision will empower all economically and socially backward classes, promote inclusion, and pave new paths for the progress of the deprived." Vaishnaw said that in 2010, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured the Lok Sabha that a caste census would be considered by the Cabinet. A group of ministers was formed after most political parties had recommended such a census. "The Congress government decided to conduct only a survey, instead of a caste census. That survey is known as SECC," said Vaishnaw. "It is well understood that the Congress and its INDI alliance partners have used caste census only as a political tool." The first caste enumeration in independent India was conducted in 2011 and was known as the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011. Census exercises during British rule between 1881 and 1931 included caste enumeration. After Independence, the government decided in 1951 not to include caste in the census, except for SC/STs.
