Key Indian equity market indices open in green
Mumbai, Aug 9 : Taking a cue from global markets, the key Indian equity market indices on Thursday opened higher.
The Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE, which had closed at 37,887.56 points on Wednesday, opened higher at 37,994.51 points. Minutes into trading, it was quoting at 38,005.35 points, up by 117.79 points, or 0.31 per cent.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 51-scrip Nifty, which had closed at 11,450 points on Wednesday, was quoting at 11,488.90 points, up by 38.90 points or 0.34 per cent.
Positive global cues, along with prediction of healthy economic growth and better-than-expected quarterly results, lifted the key Indian equity indices to new record intra-day and closing high-levels on Wednesday.
According to market observers, the inflow of foreign funds and healthy buying in consumer durables, banking and oil and gas stocks pushed the key indices higher.
The Sensex was up by 221.76 points or 0.59 per cent at the Wednesday's closing. In the day's trade, the barometer 30-scrip sensitive index had touched a high of 37,931.42 points and a low of 37,641.40 points. The Nifty too was up by 60.55 points or 0.53 per cent.
On Thursday, Asian indices were showing a mixed trend. Japan's Nikkei 225 was quoting in red, down by 0.16 per cent while Hang Seng was up by 0.91 per cent. South Korea's Kospi was down 0.03 per cent and China's Shanghai Composite index was trading in green, up by 1.78 per cent.
Overnight, the Nasdaq closed in green, up by 0.06 per cent while FTSE 100 was also up by 0.75 per cent at the closing on Wednesday.
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Karnataka caste census report likely to be placed before cabinet on Jan 16
Bengaluru (PTI): With the Socio-Economic and Education Survey report, popularly known as the 'caste census,' likely to be placed before the state cabinet on January 16, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara stressed that its contents should be made public.
He said, any decision based on the report is the prerogative of the government and it will be taken after analysing it.
Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes under its then Chairman K Jayaprakash Hegde had submitted the report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on February 29 last year, amid objections raised by certain sections of society and voices against it from within ruling Congress.
"It was decided the sealed cover (of report) will be opened before the cabinet, otherwise it may lead to leakage of information....whether there will be a discussion on it or not, I cannot speak about it now, once opened at least abstract information will be known to us," Parameshwara told reporters here replying to a question.
To a question on the opposition from certain dominant sections to the report and implementation of its recommendations, he said, the government has got the report after spending Rs 160 crore tax payers money, it should at least be made public, taking action based on it is secondary.
"Taking action based on it is left to the discretion of the government, the government will ultimately decide. But at least the information from the report that was prepared by spending Rs 160 crore, should come out. So there is a demand that what is there in the report be made public," he added.
What is happening now is bringing out the information from the report, the Home Minister said.
Karnataka's two dominant communities -- Vokkaliags and Lingayats -- have expressed reservations about the survey done, calling it "unscientific", and have demanded that it be rejected and a fresh survey be conducted.
The commission headed by Jayaprakash Hegde had said that the report was prepared based on data collected by 1.6 lakh officials, including 1.33 lakh teachers under the leadership of respective Deputy Commissioners of the districts across the state.
The then Siddaramaiah-led Congress government (2013-2018) had in 2015 commissioned the survey in the state.
The state Backward Classes Commission under its then chairperson Kantharaju was tasked with preparing a caste census report. The survey work was completed in 2018, towards the end of Siddaramaiah's first tenure as Chief Minister. The findings of the survey in the form of a report never came out in public thereafter.
With strong disapproval from the two politically influential communities the survey report may turn out to be a political hot potato for the government, as it may set the stage for a confrontation, with Dalits and OBCs among others demanding for it to be made public.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress president, and a Vokkaliga, was a signatory, along with a couple of other ministers, to a memorandum submitted by the community to the chief minister earlier, requesting that the report and the data be rejected.
All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, the apex body of Veerashaiva-Lingayats, which has also expressed its disapproval vis-a-vis the survey and demanded conduct of a fresh survey, is headed by veteran Congress leader and MLA Shamanuru Shivashankarappa. Several Lingayat ministers and MLAs too have raised objections.
According to some reports, findings of the survey are allegedly contrary to the "traditional perception" with regard to the numerical strength of various castes in Karnataka, especially Lingayats and Vokkaligas, making it a politically sticky issue.
