Confusion over leadership in Karnataka is local, not at high command level: Kharge
Kalaburagi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday clarified that the confusion over the leadership issue in the party's Karnataka unit exists only at the local level and not within the party high command.
Speaking to reporters here, Kharge said, "The high command hasn't created any confusion. It exists at the local level."
"How is it right to put the blame on the high command?" he asked.
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Kharge further said the local leaders should take ownership of the internal disputes rather than blaming the high command.
The Congress veteran also cautioned against claiming credit for the party's electoral success.
"Everyone has built the party. It's not any individual's effort. Congress has been built by party workers. Congress workers supported us," he said without naming anyone.
The opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha urged party workers to stop boasting about personal contributions and recognise the collective effort of the cadre.
The statement came amid the ongoing power tussle in Karnataka between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar.
The Chief Minister had on Friday expressed confidence that the party leadership supported him to complete his full five-year term.
Asked about Shivakumar heading to Delhi to meet the Party high command, Mallikarjun Kharge said, "I don't have information on the matter."
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SC stays UGC regulation pertaining to definition of caste discrimination
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed a recent University Grants Commission (UGC) regulation after various pleas were filed contending that the Commission adopted a non-inclusionary definition of caste-based discrimination and excluded certain categories from institutional protection.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notices to the Centre and the UGC on the pleas challenging the regulation.
The new regulations mandating all higher education institutions to form "equity committees" to look into discrimination complaints and promote equity were notified on January 13.
The University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, mandated that these committees must include members of the Other Backward Classes (OBC), the Scheduled Castes (SC), the Scheduled Tribes (ST), persons with disabilities, and women.
The new regulations replaces the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2012, which was largely advisory in nature.
The pleas assailed the regulation on the grounds that caste-based discrimination is defined strictly as discrimination against members of the SCs, STs and OBCs.
It said that by limiting the scope of "caste-based discrimination" only to SC, ST and OBC categories, the UGC has effectively denied institutional protection and grievance redressal to individuals belonging to the "general" or non-reserved categories who may also face harassment or bias based on their caste identity.
Protests were held at various places against the regulations, with student groups and organisations demanding its immediate rollback.
