Amitabh Bachchan says that if ever asked about his caste by Census enumerators, his answer would be: Caste – Indian. That, of course, would do little more than stoke the media's bollywood feeding frenzy yet again. Shyam Maharaj is no Bachchan. Nor is his brother, Chaitanya Prabhu. But they and the followers of their fraternity will likely throw up far more complex answers — and questions — if Census enumerators...

Taking a serious view of recent arson against Balmiki community by upper caste men in Mirchpur in Haryana, the Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a warning to the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government: serious consequences will follow if atrocities against dalits are reported again. Directing the Hisar district administration to build new houses in place of damaged ones of dalits in the village and provide one member of each family with...

Clause 4.e.(1) of The Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, [PESA] says: “Every Gram Sabha shall approve the plans, programmes and projects for social and economic development before such plans, programmes and projects are taken up for implementation.” Tribal villages are forcibly entered and village people are humiliated : The sad fact is the CRPF forces have barged into several villages in the Districts of Latehar,...

At least 25 Gujjars including women and children have been reported missing following incessant rains and snowfall in the Himalayan region during the past few days. Reports said that the worst hit was the Wadwan area in the Jammu region, where about 25 people are reportedly missing along with their livestock. “We have Reports about these families and we are trying to establish contact with their relatives in Patnitop,” divisional commissioner...

As the policies on better water management work themselves out and the larger sums of monies the UPA government is spending on them have an effect, technology is the major source of growth in Indian agriculture. Improved seeds matter. While the earlier seed suppliers in agricultural universities and seed corporations reorganise themselves with the support of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, private and public private partnerships (PPP) are flourishing. Bt...