-The Hindu * Why did the government file an affidavit in the Supreme Court regarding the caste census? What is the status of the data collected under the SECC-2011 census? The story so far: In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on September 23, the Union government has categorically ruled out conducting a Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC), stating that a caste census (except that for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes...

-Hindustan Times The Centre also told the court that it is also against collecting any information on castes or backward classes, other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes, during the upcoming population census in 2022 The caste census conducted in 2011 is “unusable” for any official purpose on account of grave “inaccuracies” in its data, the Union government has told the Supreme Court, while adding it is also against collecting any information...

-Hindustan Times The All India Muslim OBC Organisation (AIMOBC) is looking at expanding their campaign to press for caste-based census across the country and wants a scientific headcount of all castes, including those among Muslims, for enhanced affirmative action benefits. As the demand for a caste-based census intensifies, an organisation of backward Muslims has launched a state-wide campaign to press for it. The All India Muslim OBC Organisation (AIMOBC) is looking at...

-Press release by Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN) dated 9th September, 2021 Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN), today, released its new report on forced evictions in India. Titled, Forced Evictions in India in 2020: A Grave Human Rights Crisis During the Pandemic, this report presents comprehensive data and an analysis of forced evictions and demolitions of homes of the urban and rural poor across the country in 2020. It...

Remote teaching and learning promoted by Edtech companies as an alternative to physical classrooms, especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, may have a sizeable consumer base in our country. However, at the bottom of the pyramid, there are only a few takers of online education. In reality, class and caste-divide, which is more prominent in rural areas, affects access to digital learning. The majority of the school going...