Tiruchy church discrimination row: Bishop skips car procession
'The festival committee is entirely controlled by non-Dalits. We are denied basic rights like paying subscription or take part in the planning. Even after decades, not even a small chariot enters our streets.' he added. Adding weight to the protest, Bishop Jeevanandam Amalanathan boycotted the procession, citing the ongoing caste tensions and the diocese's alleged inability to resolve the matter. A peace meeting involving stakeholders is expected to be arranged later this week.
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Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Not found suitable: Reality of Dalit, Adivasi and OBCs in Indian universities
Various bodies governing academic institutions have established systems to ensure transparency and accountability in recruitment, promotions, and related academic activities. The teaching experience, papers published in refereed journals, research projects, and other accomplishments are the blueprints on which academic careers are built. All these 'academic' activities are not value-neutral and must be read through a socio-political prism. Often, the media highlights caste-based discrimination during recruitments/promotions. Still, nothing changes. Last week, while responding to a question from Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, the Centre informed the RS that 80 per cent of the posts sanctioned in central universities for professors under the OBC category and nearly 83 per cent in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category are currently vacant. However, there is no centralised data on 'not found suitable' (NFS). It was recently reported that the University of Delhi snubbed a scientist belonging to the SC community as NFS to be promoted as professor. Similar instances could also be found during direct recruitments for reserved positions. The Registrar of Rajasthan Central University, in a notification dated May 29, provided a list of selected candidates for teaching positions. More than 50 per cent of positions were declared 'NFS' — 11 among them belong to SC/ST/OBC and EWS (two positions) categories at various levels. The data provided fails to mention the number of women candidates from these communities who have been declared NFS. The data compiled on higher education reveals that increasing numbers of SC/ST and OBC candidates are accessing higher education institutions. So, it is not the lack of 'qualified' and eligible candidates that keeps these seats vacant. According to German philosopher Jürgen Habermas, universities carry the seeds of the reproduction of social life-worlds and hence, constant vigilance is required to unleash its transformative potential. Similarly, sociologist Pierre Bourdieu emphasised that education plays a key role in maintaining the status quo , thereby perpetuating existing social inequalities. This is apparent in the deeply hierarchical Indian society. In public institutions, due to constitutional provisions, reservation has become mandatory, but a line needs to be drawn when it comes to teaching appointments/promotions. Only through promotions will the candidates from the marginalised communities be able to become associate professors, professors, deans and heads of the departments. This is the only way to ensure their active participation in decision-making bodies. However, 'casteplaining' prevalent in academia doesn't let this happen. Recently, Bangalore University was in the news as Dalit faculty alleged that despite having served in administrative roles for several years, alongside their teaching responsibilities, they are being 'sidelined' in appointments to statutory positions and are being given only 'supervisory' roles without adequate authority or recognition. Academia involves not only the attainment of relevant knowledge but also the grasping of soft skills such as mannerisms, clothing, diction, etc. This cultural capital, or the lack of it, becomes difficult to navigate during the selection process. Women candidates lose out if their speech or body language is seen as aggressive. Such candidates seem to disturb the equanimity of the department. I was part of an interview panel to select assistant professors for a private university. A Dalit woman candidate had a good grasp of the subject matter but lacked a polished English accent. The head of the panel observed that she would not be able to 'manage' the class as her speaking skills were limited. The class had students from management and commerce backgrounds from affluent families. Hence, even after recruitment, many were asked to perform more administrative duties than classroom teaching. Another bone of contention during the selection process is the quality of publications, which are subjective in nature. The publishing field is an exclusive zone, and very few students have the wherewithal to publish in 'reputed'/'impact factor' journals. Support of the research supervisor/mentors/peer group is vital in getting published, as one needs the right academic network to get labelled a good scholar. For the past few years, UGC has published the Care List of journals, and only those publications have been given weightage. Many journals that dealt with caste, gender, marginality, exclusion, etc., were removed from the list. Often, dubious and predatory journals had a higher 'impact factor' than scholarly ones such as the Economic and Political Weekly. Many were forced to pay to get the required scores. Even after the applications are screened by a duly constituted committee, the interview panel can refuse to recognise the publications commenting on their quality, language and content. What has seldom been acknowledged in the recruitment process are the ideological affiliations of the institutions/candidates. This is also a major reason for candidates being declared NFS. In the majority of the selection committees, experts constitute a small pool, belonging to the dominant communities, while exercising their caste and gender privileges. In DU colleges, the same set of experts is called to conduct the interviews, which raises questions of impartiality and fairness of the selection process. In DU and JNU, many teachers who protested against the institution were denied promotions for many years, citing flimsy reasons. The situation in regional and state universities is even worse. Journalist and author Isabel Wilkerson succinctly observed that when an 'accident of birth' aligns with what is most valued in a given caste system — being able-bodied, male, white, or other such traits — it becomes their moral duty to develop empathy for those who must endure the indignities they have been spared. It calls for a radical kind of empathy. This implies that as a society, we need to relearn a new consciousness, to understand another's experience from their perspective, not as we imagine. Only through such engagements can we rebuild institutions based on equality and fraternity, and the objective of social justice be attained. The writer is professor in Political Science, Department of Political Science, University of Delhi. He is the author of Caste Discrimination and Exclusion in Indian Universities: A Critical Reflection (Routledge)
Hans India
2 hours ago
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Kharge's claim of being denied CM post in 1999 sparks row; BJP says Gandhi family blocked Dalit rise
Bengaluru: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's recent remark that he was denied the Chief Minister's post in Karnataka in 1999 despite his hard work has sparked a controversy and triggered a political debate across the state. Reacting to Kharge's statement, the Karnataka BJP, on Monday, alleged that the Gandhi family has consistently blocked the rise of Dalit leaders within the Congress. While addressing a gathering in Vijayapura on Sunday, the Congress President said, "I too became the CLP (Congress Legislature Party) leader and worked hard to bring the party to power in Karnataka. Eventually, our government did come to power, but S.M. Krishna, who had come to the forefront in the party just four months earlier, was made the Chief Minister." Responding to Kharge's remarks, Leader of the Opposition and veteran BJP leader R. Ashoka, on Monday, said, "From publicly insulting former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister T. Anjaiah on an airport tarmac, to ousting Sitaram Kesari from the Congress office like a criminal, to denying AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge Ji the CM post in 1999 despite decades of loyalty -- every time a Dalit rises in the Congress party, the Gandhi family ensures he is pulled down." "Now, Rahul Gandhi, the current Leader of the Opposition, lectures the country on 'NYAY' (justice). Is this your definition of NYAY, Mr. Rahul Gandhi? Will you start by conducting a Dalit census within your own party leadership? Or are Dalits merely tools for election speeches, not for real empowerment?" BJP leader Ashoka asked. "The truth is, the Congress High Command has always believed in tokenism, not transformation -- in euphemism, not empowerment," Ashoka charged. Kharge had earlier remarked, "As CLP leader, I worked hard to bring the party to power and make sure a Congress-led government was formed in the state. The party ultimately did come to power. But after that, the late S.M. Krishna — who had become KPCC President just four months prior -- was made Chief Minister. All our contributions went in vain." "I felt disheartened. We worked for five years, but someone who had been with the party for just four months was elevated to the CM's post. There have been many such instances. It doesn't look good to talk about everything on the same day," Kharge added. S.M. Krishna served as the Chief Minister of Karnataka from 1999 to 2004, while Kharge served under him as a Minister. Prior to that, Kharge had led the Congress as Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Who is Ursula von der Leyen? President of the European Commission announces trade deal with US; calls it huge
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission's president since 2019, is the first woman to hold the position. She was chosen by national leaders to lead the EU through difficult times, and the European Parliament elected her to a second five-year term. She will serve as the Commission's leader until 2029. She speaks on behalf of the Commission in meetings of the European Council, G7 and G20 summits, summits with non-EU nations, and significant discussions in the European Parliament and Council. Why is the EU head in news? Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump struck a 'good deal' on Sunday to prevent the bloc from being slapped by punishing tariffs, as both leaders praised it. The stakes were high, with a deadline of August 1st approaching and a $1.9 trillion transatlantic commercial relationship at stake 'Together, the EU and the US are a market of 800 million people. And nearly 44 percent of global GDP. It's the biggest trade deal ever,' she said in a latest tweet. The leaders agreed that the 27-country bloc will pay a baseline charge of 15 percent instead of the threatening 30 percent, which will be a relief to many European businesses. However, not everyone will be satisfied with the agreement. The EU, on the other hand, has promised to invest an additional $600 billion in the US and buy $750 billion worth of American energy. Trump was prepared to increase the 10% duty to 30% if an agreement could not be reached by August 1.
