Latest news with #OBC
Hans India
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Can you declare Kharge as PM candidate? BJP dares Cong
Bengaluru: The Karnataka BJP has dubbed the AICC OBC Advisory Council meeting in Bengaluru as political drama staged by the Congress in the backdrop of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections and asked the party if it could declare chief Mallikarjun Kharge as the Prime Ministerial candidate. The party further challenged the Congress to declare AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, a veteran Dalit leader, as its Prime Ministerial candidate if it truly cares about the welfare of SCs, STs, and OBCs. Speaking to the media at the BJP headquarters on Wednesday, Karnataka BJP President, B Y Vijayendra stated, 'The Congress party's OBC panel meeting has made national headlines. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has claimed that the committee has the responsibility of carrying forward the social movement in the country. He also alleged that the BJP has always opposed reservations and social justice. 'I want to ask CM Siddaramaiah, the national Congress leaders, and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi whether they genuinely care about the OBCs, SCs, STs, and minorities.' 'I challenge LoP Rahul Gandhi — if the Congress truly cares about the Backward Classes, SCs, and STs — let him declare Mallikarjun Kharge as the Prime Ministerial candidate. But they won't. The Gandhi family won't allow it. Neither Rahul Gandhi nor Sonia Gandhi will approve it,' Vijayendra claimed. He alleged that the agenda of the OBC meeting was not the uplift or development of OBCs, but rather electoral gains in Bihar. 'This is the real agenda. With Bihar elections approaching, the AICC OBC panel meeting is being held in Bengaluru — a move that holds no real importance. It is nothing more than a political gimmick aimed at the upcoming Bihar polls,' he claimed. Vijayendra further alleged that CM Siddaramaiah had discarded the Kantharaj Commission's caste census report — prepared at a cost of Rs 165 crore — at the behest of LoP Gandhi. 'The Mandal Commission report was not implemented during the Congress regime. The Kaka Kalelkar Commission (first Backward Classes commission) report of 1956 was also dismissed by Pandit Nehru,' he said. 'Can a party that treated SCs, STs, OBCs, and minorities as slaves of the Gandhi family now claim to deliver justice to them? Why has the Congress suddenly formed an OBC panel? It's all because the Bihar Assembly elections are around the corner. They see Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah as an AHINDA and OBC poster boy. They must be under illusion,' Vijayendra claimed. He added, 'CM Siddaramaiah should remember that after Independence, the Congress ruled the country for 55 to 60 years, and one family ruled it for 50 years.' 'If Siddaramaiah and the Congress now claim that injustice has been done to the OBCs, SCs, STs, and minorities — it is the Congress that is responsible for it,' he concluded.
The Hindu
7 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
West Bengal once again, without explanation, delays UG admission to colleges run and aided by it
The West Bengal government has once again, without explanation, extended the last date for admission to undergraduate courses in colleges run and aided by it, placing in limbo the future of thousands of students who are eagerly waiting to begin college life. In a circular issued on Tuesday (July 15, 2025) afternoon, the Department of Higher Education said that the last date for submitting applications through the centralised portal, already extended from July 1 to July 15, was being further extended to July 25. As it is there was a long delay in the opening of the centralised portal —introduced only last year — because West Bengal's list of communities eligible for reservation under OBC category is caught in a legal tangle and a hearing is expected in the Supreme Court towards the end of this month. The fresh extension has pushed back the admission process by almost a month so far, whereas first-year classes in many private and autonomous institutions are about to begin. 'The centralised admission portal has not collected 'category' details in accordance with the order of the Calcutta High Court dated June 17, which put an interim stay on a new list of OBC communities prepared by the State Government. As the special leave petition related to this matter is currently pending before the Supreme Court, proper data collection during the application process cannot be completed at this stage. The extension of the application deadline is primarily due to this legal situation,' a professor of a State Government-run college, who requested anonymity for himself and the college, said. 'While the extension (of the last date for form submission) may allow for a few additional applications, the increase is not expected to be significant. As a result, the admission process may be delayed, potentially affecting the teaching-learning schedule for the upcoming academic session,' the professor said. Many in academic circles are convinced that the delay in wrapping up the admission process is also because seats are not filling up sufficiently this year, primarily because many students are headed to private/autonomous institutions or to other States for higher education. Whatever the actual reason for this unspecified delay, the future of lakhs of students who finished school this year is in a limbo at the moment. 'As a working mother I am agonising over the fact that the process of admission is unlikely to end in July whereas other institutions representing minorities or which do not fall under the purview of centralised portal are conducting their admission tests and have declared that the first semester classes will start from August 1. Many parents like me have been forced to make our children secure a seat in these colleges for the time being even though we would ideally like them to study in a reputed government college,' said a State Government employee whose daughter has registered with the centralised portal and at the same time applied in a reputed Kolkata-based private institution. 'The State Government should have resolved the OBC reservation issue before the centralised portal went live. Parents have no clue how long the admission process will take to be complete and whether the children should simultaneously apply in private colleges, where education is far more expensive. This delay is creating unnecessary anxiety and annoyance for parents,' the employee said, requesting not to be named.
The Hindu
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
L-G orders probe into ‘₹145-cr. coaching scam' during AAP rule
Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Wednesday said Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) V.K. Saxena has directed the Anti-Corruption Branch to investigate an alleged ₹145-crore scam by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) under the Jai Bhim Mukhyamantri Pratibha Vikas Yojana, a scheme meant to provide free coaching to marginalised students. Addressing a joint press conference with Social Welfare Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh, Mr. Sood said that the AAP government indulged in corruption during the COVID-19 period, using a scheme meant for students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) as a cover for massive financial irregularities. Mr. Sood said the scheme had originally promised free coaching for SC/ST students for exams such as UPSC, NEET, and JEE. 'But unfortunately, AAP leaders indulged in corruption... This is not only an insult to Babasaheb's vision but also a betrayal of thousands of students who relied on this scheme to shape their future,' he said, vowing that the culprits will not be spared. Citing data, the Minister said that while 4,900 students were enrolled in 2018 and 2,071 in 2019, the number of students claimed to have been coached between July 2021 and August 2022 shot up dramatically. Despite the scheme's original budget of ₹15 crore, coaching institutes submitted claims worth ₹145 crore. 'Fake bills' Mr. Sood alleged that although data was submitted for nearly 13,000 students, only 3,000 could be verified, with no supporting documents found for the rest. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta echoed the allegations in a post on X, claiming that 'serious financial misconduct' had occurred in 2020-21. 'The budget of this scheme was only ₹15 crore, but the AAP government forwarded files with fake bills exceeding ₹142 crore,' she wrote. She also alleged that claims were submitted without supporting documents, applications lacked signatures, and some institutions raised 100% claims in the names of Dalit students who never actually received coaching. 'AAP has insulted the ideals of Babasaheb and tainted the sacred field of education,' Ms. Gupta said, asserting that the Anti-Corruption Branch would investigate the case thoroughly and bring the guilty to justice. The L-G's office is yet to issue an official statement. The schemewas launched in 2018 to support students from SC, ST, and OBC communities with an annual family income of less than ₹8 lakh. It aimed to provide free coaching for competitive exams like engineering, medicine, and civil services, with the Delhi government covering the fees. AAP response In a sharp rebuttal, AAP issued a statement and urged the BJP to 'move beyond rhetoric' and vendetta campaigns and focus on governance. 'They have shut down a functioning model. The electricity, the health services, the education reforms –all halted. Instead of working, BJP leaders spend their days abusing AAP and Arvind Kejriwal. They have no vision, no plan,' it said. AAP challenged the BJP to inspect all aspects of its infrastructure. 'Check every brick in Delhi's schools, every needle in our Mohalla Clinics. Check the buses, the hospitals – check it all. But after you're done with your witch-hunt, start doing some real work,' the party said.
NDTV
13 hours ago
- General
- NDTV
Allahabad University UG Admission 2025 Begins For CUET-Qualified Students, Registration Open Till July 26
The University of Allahabad has officially started the registration process for undergraduate admissions for the academic year 2025-26. Students who have qualified in the Common University Entrance Test - Undergraduate (CUET UG) can now apply online through the university's Samarth portal at The last date to register is July 26, 2025. Earlier, the registration was scheduled to begin on June 30, but was postponed due to technical issues. The admission process is being conducted in two phases: the first for profile creation and eligibility verification, and the second for course selection and fee payment. Who Can Apply? Only students who have appeared and qualified in CUET UG 2025 are eligible to apply. Applicants should ensure they meet the university's eligibility criteria before proceeding. Application Fee Details: • Rs 300 - General, OBC, EWS • Rs 150 - SC, ST, PwD The fee must be paid separately for each programme/course applied. Step-by-Step Guide to Register 1. Visit 2. Click on 'New Registration' 3. Fill in personal details and verify via OTP sent to your email 4. Log in with your credentials 5. Complete the application form and upload required documents 6. Select your preferred course(s) 7. Pay the registration fee 8. Submit the form and save the confirmation page Important Documents Required • CUET UG 2025 admit card and scorecard • Class 10 and 12 mark sheets and certificates • Passport-sized photo and signature (JPG/JPEG format) • Valid caste certificate (EWS/OBC/SC/ST), if applicable All documents must be submitted in the specified format to avoid rejection. Counselling and Admission Process After registration, the university will shortlist candidates for the counselling round. Only those who have paid the fee and selected their programmes will be considered. Admission will be granted based on merit and seat availability across various undergraduate programmes. For complete details on the admission process, eligibility, and FAQs, students can visit the official Samarth portal of the University of Allahabad.
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
AICC to hold OBC meet on July 25
Jaipur: Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot , who participated in the second day of discussions at the AICC OBC Council meeting in Bengaluru, announced Wednesday that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) will organise a national-level "OBC Justice and Participation Conference" at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi on July 25. He further said that the Congress party is dedicated to social justice for the OBC community in the country. Talking to mediapersons, Gehlot said, "Rahul Gandhi's agenda has become one for the nation. You can see he's discussing a caste-based census and advocating for 50% representation for SC, ST, OBC, and EWS groups, including those economically weaker, regardless of caste or community, even the general category. The first meeting of the OBC council is taking place to discuss these issues." "Gandhi already conveyed that the gap between rich and poor is widening. Dr Ambedkar's constitution advocates for equality. Social security should be the main issue within the country today. There is inflation, unemployment, and caste systems affecting SC, ST, and OBCs differently. Everyone should come closer, fostering love and brotherhood, so the nation can progress. This is Rahul Gandhi's vision," he added.
