The Samajwadi Party government is gearing up to include 17 OBC sub-castes into the scheduled castes. A high-level committee headed by Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Jawed Usmani has sought details from the department of social welfare before issuing a notification in this regard. The circular from the UP chief secretary on March 28, too, speaks of the government's priorities, including the inclusion of 17 OBC sub-castes within the SC category. If the...
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In U.P. polls, local dalit histories vie with BSP's grand storyline by Badri Narayan
All social communities have a history that is experienced, or perceived, or both. Communities survive and sustain themselves on these histories. When political forces try to mobilise these communities, they usually do so by exploring their history and then giving it a political meaning that suits their agenda. In the beginning, when the political party is new, it gives space and respect to the small histories of each community that...
More »Congress robbing OBCs of their rightful share: BJP
-The Economic Times BJP on Tuesday attempted to tap the perceived angst among OBCs over Congress promise for an enhanced Muslim sub-quota by terming the proposal as an " anti-backward move". It is planning protest march in all 403 constituencies of UP on January 13 with the message that Congress was robbing the OBCs of their "rightful share". Unlike Congress' other rivals, which includes OBC parties that do not have the luxury to...
More »Congress promises 9% UP job quota for muslims by Bharti Jain
After leaving its rivals in Uttar Pradesh, barring BJP, tongue-tied with its poll-eve announcement of 4.5% minority quota in central jobs, Congress has flashed yet another ace by wooing the community with the promise of 9% reservation, also within the existing 27% OBC quota, in state government jobs if voted to power. The promise will be made in Congress' election manifesto for Uttar Pradesh. Salman Khurshid, who is part of the...
More »'Minority' for 'Muslim' in BPL census? by Subodh Ghildiyal
The Centre is veering round to accepting the N C Saxena committee’s methodology for identifying below poverty line (BPL) families through a census but may go in for a crucial change — replace ‘‘Muslim’’ with ‘‘minority’’ for extra weightage on poverty index. The Union rural development ministry is considering minorities as a whole, in place of only Muslims, who are to be given an extra point weightage in BPL identification....
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