SC sub-caste census faces resistance in Bengaluru, BJP threatens stir
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
A door-to-door campaign to determine the SC population across the 101 sub-castes has met with resistance in parts of Bengaluru and other urban centres in Karnataka with enumerators facing physical threats and non-cooperation from residents.The BJP and sections of residents have also complained that the officials are pasting stickers on the walls of their homes indicating completion of survey without ever talking to them.There are also suspicions some SC families may not have revealed their true sub-caste fearing consequences. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, however, has said they are free to use the QR code or disclose their sub-castes online.Social Welfare Minister HC Mahadevappa and Food Minister KH Muniyappa, representing the SC communities, raised the subject at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday and complained to the CM about the non-cooperation from people in Bengaluru.The CM had in May kicked off the SC census to determine the population across the SC sub-castes and to assess their economic, educational and social backwardness as a precursor to introducing an internal quota. A commission headed by Justice HN Nagamohan Das has been manded to prepare the empirical data and end confusion over overlapping of communities in Adi Karnataka, Adi Andhra and Adi Dravida across the SC-Left (Madiga) and SC-Right (Holeya).The BJP on Thursday threatened to launch a state-wide agitation on August 1 if the government does not come up with an internal reservation policy by then. Former Dy CM Govind Karjol (BJP) said the Basavaraj Bommai government had introduced an internal quota according to the population of sub-castes. Madigas (SC-Left) have been demanding a separate quota within the SC bloc.While demanding the implementation of Bommai era policy, Karjol said the present exercise seemed like a conspiracy to create confusion and upend the internal quota system.A rational internal quota has been the long pending demand of the most-backward groups in the SC community, who feel left behind in getting opportunities in professional courses and in government jobs. Siddaramaiah's initiative on taking up an SC census follows the Congress-ruled Telangana's successful implementation of an internal quota for SCs, dividing them into three broad groups.The Supreme Court had, in August 2024, ruled that states could provide internal reservation within SCs, STs and socially and educationally backward classes to remove inequalities.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
9 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘PM Modi must agree now': Congress seeks debate on China ties; cites Army report on China giving live intel to Pakistan
Jairam Ramesh (File photo) NEW DELHI: The Congress party on Friday asked the Modi government to allow a full debate in parliament on India's relations with China. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh made the demand concerning the latest confirmation by the army that China supported Pakistan during India's Operation Sindoor . 'This is the same China that changed the status quo in Ladakh five years ago. Yet, on 19 June 2020, Prime Minister Modi publicly gave them a clean chit,' Ramesh said in a post on X. He further said: 'The Modi Govt must agree at least now so that a consensus can be built for a collective response to the geopolitical and economic challenges that China poses to India - directly and through Pakistan." Ramesh also said that Congress had been asking for a detailed debate on India-China relations for five years, but the government had refused. With the monsoon session of parliament set to begin on 21 July, the party plans to raise this issue again. The Congress leader pointed out that China recently held a trilateral meeting with Pakistan and Bangladesh in Kunming, and India's trade deficit with China remained at record levels. He added that the border agreement reached with China had not restored the earlier status quo. Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability development and sustenance), Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh on Friday said that China was providing live inputs to Pakistan during India's 'Operation Sindoor'. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Speaking at the 'New age military technologies' event organised by FICCI, Lt Gen Singh said, "When the DGMO level talks were going on, Pakistan was getting live inputs of our deployment from China. So that is one place we really need to move fast and take appropriate action."
Time of India
11 minutes ago
- Time of India
Govt must allow discussion on India-China ties in Parliament to build consensus on challenges posed: Congress
The Congress on Friday said the Narendra Modi government must agree to a discussion on India-China relations in Parliament so that a consensus can be built for a collective response to the geopolitical and economic challenges that the neighbouring country poses to India, directly and through Pakistan. Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance) Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh has publicly confirmed what has been talked about ever since Operation Sindoor was halted abruptly at the intervention of US President Donald Trump . "Lt Gen Singh has revealed some details of the extraordinary ways by which China helped the Pakistan Air Force. This is the same China which completely destroyed the status quo in Ladakh five years ago but to which Prime Minister Modi gave a public clean chit on June 19, 2020," Ramesh said in a post on X. "For five years, the INC has been demanding a discussion on the full gamut of India-China relations in the Parliament. The Modi government has consistently refused to have such a debate. The INC will continue to make this demand in the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament, scheduled to commence on July 21, 2025," he added. "The Modi government must agree at least now so that a consensus can be built for a collective response to the geopolitical and economic challenges that China poses to India, directly and through Pakistan. Recently, China organised a trilateral meet with Pakistan and Bangladesh in Kunming. India's trade deficit with China is at record highs. The border agreement arrived at is not a restoration of the status quo," Ramesh said. Live Events The Monsoon session of Parliament is scheduled to begin on July 21 and the Congress will strongly raise the demand for a discussion on India-China relations, especially in the wake of China coming out openly in support of Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.
Mint
14 minutes ago
- Mint
Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill clears Congress hurdle: How will it impact US stock market and economy? Explained
One Big Beautiful Bill: US President Donald Trump's mega-bill of spending and tax cuts finally cleared the Congress hurdle and is set to become a law after the House of Representatives passed it in a final vote on Thursday. Trump is all set to sign the bill into law during a ceremony on Friday (July 4), which coincides with the US Independence Day. The bill encompasses from extension of tax cuts, increased defence spending, cuts in medical aid and reduced spending on green energy initiatives. According to a PTI report, Donald Trump's proposed mega bill focuses mainly on extending and expanding tax cuts from his first term. These tax breaks, worth $4.5 trillion, are set to expire unless Congress acts. New additions include tax deductions for workers on tips and overtime and a $6,000 tax break for most older adults earning under $75,000 a year. The bill also plans to spend around $350 billion on national security, immigration enforcement, and building a 'Golden Dome' defence system to protect the US. To make up for the lost tax income, the plan includes $1.2 trillion in cuts to programs like Medicaid (healthcare for low-income people) and food stamps. These cuts would come through new work requirements, even for some parents and older adults, and by reducing green energy tax incentives. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this package would increase the US deficit by $3.3 trillion over 10 years, and about 11.8 million people could lose their health coverage. Trump's massive $4.5 trillion tax and spending package presents a classic case of short-term economic steroids versus long-term fiscal hangover, said Viram Shah, Founder & CEO, Vested Finance. "While the bill's immediate economic impact will likely be stimulative—with corporate tax cuts and consumer spending boosts driving GDP growth—the underlying fundamentals are deeply concerning. The legislation pushes the national debt toward an unsustainable 120% of GDP by 2026, effectively mortgaging America's future for present-day political gains," Shah added. US economy earlier in May saw Moody's Investors Service downgrade its sovereign credit rating amid rising concerns over the nation's growing $36 trillion debt burden. The credit rating agency lowered the US government's long-standing rating by one notch to 'Aa1' from 'Aaa' and revised its outlook to 'stable' from 'negative.' It had then warned that the fiscal proposals currently under discussion are unlikely to deliver a sustained, multi-year reduction in deficits. The agency projects that the federal debt burden will rise to approximately 134% of GDP by 2035, up from an estimated 98% in 2024. Any increase in the deficits from the latest mega bill that Trump endorsed could add trillions of dollars to the debt, further impacting the US's credit ratings, and requiring increased interest rates eventually. This would be quite risky for the US economy, pushing it towards a debt trap, opined Vikas Gupta, CEO & Chief Investment Strategist at OmniScience Capital. Shah believes that the US market may initially celebrate the corporate earnings boost, but investors should brace for the inevitable reckoning when bond vigilantes start demanding higher yields to compensate for America's deteriorating fiscal position. "The bill's timing is particularly reckless given current inflationary pressures and strong labour markets," he added. The US stock market has been hitting back to record highs, with corporate earnings and the US economy holding up better than many had expected through a period of dramatic policy changes. However, Gupta believes that the impact of the bill can go both ways. "There could be increased budget deficits which would entail increased borrowing by the government. This is triggered by significant tax cuts which could reduce the revenues to the government. However, the argument on the other side is that the catalysed business growth would make up for the decreased taxes on corporations and businesses. So that remains to be seen," he added. Commenting on the sectoral impact of the mega-bill Shah said sectoral winners and losers are starkly divided along ideological lines. "Manufacturing and industrial stocks will benefit from immediate equipment expensing provisions, while energy companies should see gains from reduced regulatory burdens. However, the bill's assault on clean energy represents a strategic blunder that will hand technological leadership to China. Healthcare and social service providers serving low-income populations face headwinds from Medicaid cuts affecting 7.8 million Americans. The most perverse outcome is that luxury goods and high-end services will likely outperform as wealthy beneficiaries of SALT deduction increases spend their windfalls, while companies serving working-class Americans struggle with reduced government support," he said. Additionally, Vikas Gupta of Omniscience believes that the global Oil & Gas sector will be significantly impacted. The bill could encourage large amounts of new US production of oil and impact the global oil markets. He added that the US manufacturing sector benefits from the new tax policies and encourages investments and R&D. However, developing domestic manufacturing and moving it onshore from offshore locations would be quite challenging given the high costs of US domestic production, Gupta said. "The end result remains to be seen. However, semiconductor manufacturing and critical minerals would likely see growth," according to the expert. Defence is a huge beneficiary with more than a trillion-dollar budget, and this would trigger lots of defence spending in advanced technologies, from ship building to advanced weapons to drones etc, he said. Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
