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The Hindu
21 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
MP wants Karnataka to submit proposal to Centre seeking SC tag for Kudubi community
Capt. Brijesh Chowta, MP for Dakshina Kannada, on Tuesday, urged the State government to take immediate steps to recommend to the Central government that the Kudubi community be included in the Scheduled Castes list. Capt. Chowta, in a release, stated that the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramadas Athawale, replied to his unstarred question on the subject in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the Ministry has not received any recommendation from the Karnataka government to include the Kudubi community in the SC list. The Minister told the MP that the Scheduled Castes are notified under the provisions of Article 341 of the Constitution of India. The first list of Scheduled Castes in relation to a State or Union Territory is by a notified Order of the President. Any subsequent modification therein can be made only by an Act of Parliament. For inclusion, exclusion or other modifications in the lists of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, a complete proposal with an ethnographic study is to be initiated by the concerned State/Union Territory. 'No recommendation has been received from the Government of Karnataka for inclusion of Kudubi Samaja community in the list of Scheduled Castes,' the reply stated. Capt. Chowta, in his statement, said that the Kudubi community, with an over 70,000 population in the undivided Dakshina Kannada district, has remained economically, socially, and academically backwards for years. The community has lost its constitutional right to get a reservation, and it was therefore necessary to extend the SC tag to Kudubi Samaja, he demanded.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Health
- The Hindu
No reports of manual scavenging received from States, UTs: Govt
No reports of manual scavenging have been received from any State or Union Territory (UT), Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said on Tuesday (July 22, 2025). Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Mr. Athawale said that the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, had banned manual scavenging with effect from December 6, 2013. Also read |The ugly truths of manual scavenging Despite long-standing concerns raised by activists and independent watchdogs over continued instances of manual scavenging-related deaths, Mr. Athawale said, "No report of the practice of manual scavenging has been received from States/UTs." However, in response to another question, Mr. Athawale said the Ministry had commissioned a social audit in September 2023 to study sanitation worker deaths. The audit examined 54 death cases that occurred in 2022 and 2023 across 17 districts in eight States, including four Districts of Maharashtra — Mumbai, Pune, Parbhani and Satara. The audit revealed that these deaths occurred due to hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks and the non-observance of safety procedures laid out under the 2013 Act and corresponding rules. The State and UT governments have been asked to investigate such deaths and take action under Section 7 of the Act against those responsible for engaging workers in prohibited activities. To address this, the Government launched the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme in 2023–24 in convergence with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The initiative aims at ensuring the safety and dignity of sewer and septic tank workers across all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and empowering them socially and economically. The scheme includes the provision of PPE kits, Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY health cards, occupational safety training, safety devices for Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs), capital subsidies for sanitation machinery and workshops to prevent hazardous cleaning practices. In a separate written response, Minister of State for Social Justice B.L. Verma said the government is working to expand access to de-addiction services by setting up District De-addiction Centres (DDACs) in 291 districts identified as having no government-supported centres under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR). An advertisement inviting proposals for setting up these centres has already been issued, Mr. Verma added.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
‘No place for bullying in name of language, caste or region'
1 2 Prayagraj: The Republican Party of India (RPI), under the leadership of union minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramdas Athawale , reaffirmed its support for the rights and dignity of North Indians in Maharashtra. Speaking at a press conference held at the Circuit House in Prayagraj on Wednesday, Athawale emphasised that RPI always stood firmly against violence or discrimination faced by North Indians in the state. "Whenever North Indians were subjected to violence or injustice, RPI protested with full force," Athawale said. "Mumbai is a city of diversity and unity. While we take pride in the Marathi language, at the same time, no one has the right to assault any one in the name of language or region. Such actions are an insult to the Indian Constitution and an affront to our social culture," he said. He stressed that true adherence to Dr BR Ambedkar's ideology lies in following path of equality, education, and brotherhood. "There is no place for bullying in the name of language, caste, or region," Athawale added. Highlighting the work of RPI in state, Athawale stated that the party is not only focused on political expansion but is also deeply committed to social justice, equality, and the right to education. "In a vast and socially diverse state like Uttar Pradesh, the role of RPI is crucial," he said. He reiterated that the party is working to fulfil Ambedkar's dream of an India where every section of society enjoys equal rights.
News18
05-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
‘Violence Over Marathi A Crime': Ramdas Athawale Condemns MNS-Led Assault On Shop Owner
The Union Minister said Mumbai, as the economic capital of the country, is home to people from diverse linguistic backgrounds, including poor traders and hardworking labourers. Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale on Saturday condemned the assault on an elderly North Indian restaurant owner for not speaking Marathi by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers in Thane. The incident, which occurred at Mira Road where three MNS workers confronted the shop owner over language, sparked massive public outrage and social media debate. 'The bullying that has started in Mumbai these days in the name of language must stop immediately. The respect for the Marathi language is a matter of pride for all of us, but harassing or intimidating someone because they don't know a particular language is a crime," said Athawale in an X post. The Union Minister said Mumbai, as the economic capital of the country, is home to people from diverse linguistic backgrounds, including poor traders and hardworking labourers. 'The injustice being done to them must stop at once. I appeal to the government to take strict action against such incidents. Living with unity, respect, and equality in society—that is the true identity of Mumbai," he added. Maharashtra Slapgate The video of the incident, which surfaced on social media, showed MNS workers engaging in a heated exchange with a shop owner, repeatedly questioning why he refuses to speak Marathi in Maharashtra. The vendor questioned, 'Why should we speak in Marathi?" One of the party workers immediately responded with a threat, saying, 'Maar khayaga?" The vendor insisted that he did not know Marathi, prompting the MNS workers to ask if he was aware of the state he was working in and the language spoken there. The vendor replied, 'All languages are spoken here," further fueling the tension. The verbal altercation quickly escalated into violence as MNS workers began slapping the vendor in front of his food stall, while bystanders looked on as the incident unfolded. After uproar over the incident, the police booked the accused and arrested them. However, they were granted bail moments after.
Hans India
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Rajasthan govt to look into demands of Gurjars
Jaipur: The Rajasthan government has formed a three-member cabinet committee to look into the demands of the Most Backward Classes (MBC), including the gurjar community, and suggest solutions. State Law Minister Jogaram Patel, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Avinash Gehlot and Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham are the members of the committee. Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham belongs to the gurjar community and was previously active in the gurjar movements led by Colonel Kirori Singh Bainsla. 'Thanks to Honorable Chief Minister Shri Bhajanlal Sharma ji for forming a cabinet committee of three ministers under the agreement reached between Gurjar Arakshan Sangarsh Samiti and Rajasthan Government on June 8, 2025, in Pilupura,' gurjar leader Vijay Bainsla said on X. Sharing a copy of the order, Bainsla said, 'We have full faith and hope that the state government under the leadership of the honourable chief minister will call a cabinet meeting as soon as possible and send a recommendation to the central government to include MBC reservation in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution and will also work to get all the other demands under the agreement fulfilled positively within the stipulated time.' The Ninth Schedule contains a list of laws that are shielded from judicial review. A gurjar 'mahapanchayat' was held at Karwari Shaheed Memorial (Pilupura) in Bharatpur on June 8 to press various demands of the community including the inclusion of MBC reservation in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution. Vijay Bainsla, President of the Gurjar Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti, read out the government's assurance during the meeting, after which the mahapanchayat concluded with the community's consent. Kirori Singh Bainsla, Vijay Bainsla's late father, had led several Gurjar agitations since 2006, including rail blockades on key routes.
