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Time of India
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Make ads, invite applications for backward class tag: HC to panel
Kolkata: Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes to make advertisements down to the gram panchayat level, inviting applications for inclusion of a community into the backward class category . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A division bench of justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Rajasekhar Mantha took exception to the OBC Commission acting on applications already received. Counsel for the petitioner, Subir Sanyal, pointed out that the commission was conducting public hearings only from the applications received from 113 communities. The division bench had earlier struck down categorisation of 37 and then 77 classes under Schedule I of the state list of OBCs. "This is a tailor-made process," Sanyal said. Justice Mantha wanted to know whether the commission invited applications from communities for inclusion under the state OBC category. Senior counsel for the commission submitted that West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993, didn't provide for this. "The commission shall examine requests for inclusion of any class of citizens as a backward class in the lists and hear complaints of over-inclusion or under-inclusion of any backward class in such lists and tender such advice to the state govt as it deems appropriate," the senior counsel submitted, reading out Section 9 (1). The senior counsel argued that no application was required to be invited for the purpose. Justice Mantha reminded the senior counsel about the earlier order in which the division bench gave directions to conduct a fair, transparent and just procedure to initiate the identification process. Advocate general Kishore Datta urged the bench to allow the commission to continue with the identification process based on the 11-point module of the Mandal Commission. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Justice Mantha observed that the commission started the process in a different way. "We don't want to stall the identification process. You make an advertisement up to the gram panchayat level and involve block development officers," he said. The advocate general said he would submit details of the identification procedure at the next hearing on May 19 after getting instructions from the state . Counsel for the petitioner also complained that some govt departments were flouting the affidavit submitted by the chief secretary to the division bench that no recruitment would be made from the 114 communities struck down from the state OBC list. The division bench directed the petitioner to file an affidavit stating which departments went against the affidavit.
NDTV
05-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Why A Robust Caste Census Matters
On the birth anniversary of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed his government's unwavering commitment to the ideals of social justice and equity. In line with this vision, the decision to undertake a caste census represents yet another historic step towards empowering India's underprivileged communities. The Congress party, by contrast, has a long and troubled history of treating caste not as a tool for empowerment but as a vehicle for short-term electoral gains. Indira Gandhi, despite projecting slogans like " Na jaat par na paat par, mohar lagegi haath par" staunchly opposed a caste census. Her successor, Rajiv Gandhi, delayed the implementation of the Mandal Commission report for years and, more significantly, failed to grant constitutional status to the OBC Commission - a status later conferred under Prime Minister Modi's leadership. Notably, Rajiv Gandhi's longest speech in Parliament was not in support of social justice but in opposition to the Mandal recommendations. Today, Rahul Gandhi and his supporters attempt to claim credit for the Modi government's decision to conduct a caste census. A closer examination of history, however, tells a different story. The practice of caste enumeration in India began in 1881 and continued until 1931. Although caste data was collected in 1941, it was never published. After Independence, from 1951 to 2011, census exercises recorded data only for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, systematically excluding Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Congress's ambiguous stance on reservation has surfaced repeatedly throughout history. A former Congress Prime Minister reportedly referred to reservation beneficiaries as "fools", underlining the party's dismissive attitude towards genuine empowerment. The UPA government, led by Manmohan Singh, promised a caste census in 2011 but failed to deliver. Instead, it carried out the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) - a diluted effort more concerned with political optics than delivering social justice. The SECC was riddled with errors; over eight crore mistakes were reported. Despite significant expenditure, the caste data collected was never released to the public. Operational inefficiencies and the scale of inaccuracies rendered the entire exercise futile. Congress's attempts at caste surveys at the state level have fared no better. In Telangana, a recent caste census was marred by glaring irregularities. Forms meant for data collection were found discarded on roads and picked up by ragpickers. Many citizens reported that enumerators never visited their homes, while others cited a lack of trust in the government as a reason for refusing to provide information. Consequently, the OBC population was grossly underreported. The Karnataka experience under Congress was similarly chaotic. In Siddaramaiah's first term as Chief Minister, a caste survey led by H. Kantharaj, then chairman of the Backward Classes Commission, cost the exchequer ₹165 crore. Yet, the findings - leaked in 2016 - sparked panic within the Congress leadership. The data upset established political assumptions: Lingayats were found to be far fewer than previously estimated, and Vokkaligas also registered lower numbers. The final report was placed before the Karnataka Cabinet only in April 2025 - nearly a decade after the survey - and was conveniently withdrawn by the Congress government at the last minute. In contrast, the BJP has consistently advocated for genuine social justice. In 2010, it supported the idea of a caste census, recognising its necessity for equitable policymaking. Unfortunately, the then Congress-led UPA government lacked the political will to carry out a credible exercise. Prime Minister Modi's decision to integrate the caste census with the decadal population census is a strategic masterstroke. Conducted under the constitutional framework of Article 246, the census will carry the force of law, ensuring robustness, scientific rigour, and credibility - qualities absent in state-level surveys driven by political expediency. The aim is not to divide Hindus into narrower vote banks, as the opposition has often attempted, but to ensure caste representation without promoting caste domination. It is about identifying and uplifting communities that have remained marginalised despite constitutional promises. By bringing them into the mainstream, the caste census will strengthen the social fabric of the Hindu community, not weaken it. In an era where social justice must be defined by empowerment and opportunity rather than tokenism, Prime Minister Modi's caste census initiative represents a major leap forward. It is a move rooted not in electoral calculation, but in the spirit of Dr Ambedkar's vision: that true social justice can only be realised when opportunity is extended to every citizen, regardless of their social origins. The BJP's approach reaffirms this commitment - shifting the narrative from caste as an instrument of division to caste as a means of genuine upliftment. India's future lies not in fragmented identities, but in the creation of a more equitable society, built on the firm foundations of accurate data, sound policymaking, and resolute political will.
Indian Express
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Jharkhand collects OBC data for ‘triple test' to determine quotas: All you need to know
Jharkhand has finished collecting data on the population of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from all districts of the state, in order to determine quotas for OBCs in urban local bodies. The data collection is a part of the first step of the 'triple test', a three-step guideline laid down by the Supreme Court to ensure OBC quotas in local bodies are determined in a fair and constitutional manner. What is the 'triple test'? The following are the three steps of the so-called 'triple test'. * Setting up a dedicated commission to conduct a rigorous empirical inquiry into the nature and implications of the backwardness in local bodies; * Specifying the proportion of reservation required in local bodies in light of recommendations of the commission, so as not to fall foul of overbreadth; and * To ensure reservation for SCs/STs/OBCs taken together does not exceed an aggregate of 50 per cent of the total seats. The 'triple test' was outlined by the Supreme Court in the Vikas Kishanrao Gawali vs State of Maharashtra and others on March 4, 2021. What has happened in Jharkhand so far? Jharkhand set up a dedicated OBC Commission in June 2023. Members of the Commission, including administrative officials, toured Madhya Pradesh to study how the 'triple test' was implemented there. Data collection began in December, with the deadline set for March. However, several districts missed their submission deadlines, and the complete data reached the Commission this week. 'The compiled data will now be developed into a final report… [which] will be handed over to an empanelled institute for verification and analysis. Institutes such as IIM, Xavier School of Management (XLRI), and Xavier Institute of Social Service will examine the socio-economic and educational condition of OBCs in the state,' Krishna Kumar Singh, secretary of the OBC Commission, told The Indian Express. The final report will be submitted to the state government, which will then fix OBC quotas accordingly. That said, at the moment, the Commission chairperson's post remains vacant. As per official procedure, the final report cannot be submitted without the chairperson's approval. What did the survey look at? Jharkhand Mukti Morcha 's (JMM's) Nand Kumar Mehta, a member of the OBC Commission, said a door-to-door survey was conducted in order to identify OBC voters, and estimate their population share in urban local bodies. Note that this is different from the caste census that the Centre recently announced, in that it only looked at urban areas of the state. The nationwide caste census will enumerate the caste composition of the entire country. In addition to data on population, the survey considered political representation of OBCs across various tiers of government, from mayors to panchayat committee members, as well as gathered data on the caste of Jharkhand MPs and MLAs from the State Election Commission. 'The survey won't just determine quotas for the upcoming elections. It will also assess political representation in Jharkhand over the last 25 years. This includes analysis of winners from general seats in the last two ULB elections,' said Mehta. How are OBCs classified in Jharkhand? In Jharkhand, OBCs are subdivided into more socially and educationally backward BC-I (Backward Class I), and the relatively better-off BC-II (Backward Class II) categories. While both BC-I and BC-II categories are eligible for reservations, the former typically receives a higher share in the pie to ensure equitable representation. Currently, there are 127 castes under the BC-I category, and around 45 under BC-II. OBCs make up roughly 50% of Jharkhand's population. The Kudmi community, a subgroup of the Mahato/Mahto caste, is the largest OBC community, accounting for 15% of the electorate, by some estimates.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
I assure RG caste census won't take six decades: Anupriya Patel
Union Minister Anupriya Patel asserts that the caste census will enable data-driven policies, benefiting intended recipients. She criticizes Rahul Gandhi and the Congress for attempting to claim credit, highlighting the Modi government's initiatives like the OBC Commission and NEET-PG quota. Patel clarifies the census aims to address socio-economic inequities, not solely to increase reservations, and assures a systematic, timely process. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Union Minister and Apna Dal (S) chief Anupriya Patel feels caste census will help formulate data-driven policies for the intended beneficiaries. In an interview to Rakesh Mohan Chaturvedi, she hit out at Rahul Gandhi and the Congress for trying to claim credit. Excerpts:This is our first chance to conduct a census. Including caste data is a bold and historic move by the Modi government . Previous governments had many chances but didn't at all. We're in our third term. Key steps like giving Constitutional status to the OBC Commission and NEET-PG quota were our initiatives. NDA allies like Apna Dal (S) and JD (U) have long supported data is not being collected keeping reservations in view. Caste-based discrimination is a reality and caste is a critical determinant of socio-economic inequities in society. There is a huge population of SC/ST/OBCs which has been left behind. Government benefits do not reach the intended beneficiaries (due to lack of data).There are elections every year- Bihar now, Tamil Nadu and others next. That logic can be applied any were part of UPA. Why didn't they do it then? They also ruled states-did they conduct a caste census there?I assure him-it won't take 60 years. We will conduct it systematically.
