Mangaluru: Sharp increase in COVID-19 cases with untraceable source of infection in Dakshina Kannada
District reported 196 new cases, five deaths on Sunday
Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada on Sunday recorded as many as 196 new cases of COVID-19, a record single-day spike in cases in the District. With this, the total number of cases reported in the District so far has gone up to 2,230.
The District also reported 90 patients who recovered from the virus and were discharged from the hospital on Sunday.
Of the infected people, 20 had been in primary-level contact with earlier patients, 91 had an influenza-like illness (ILI), 16 had a severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), and 10 had come to the district from abroad. In addition, the tracing of the source of infection for 57 patients was still being done by the administration.
District Deputy Commissioner, Sindhu B Rupesh while addressing the media added that the infected patients are being treated at both Government COVID Hospital in the city and other private hospitals here.
The district on Sunday witnessed 57 cases whose source of infection is not known yet, this in particular has raised concern for the administration. While, earlier, positive cases were found due to primary-level contact with infected patients or in people returning from other places, the district in the last few days has witnessed a sharp spike in cases with untraceable sources of transmission of the virus.
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Telangana survey flags 89,000 child labourers, highlights caste disparities in employment
Hyderabad: A caste-based survey conducted by the Telangana government for 2024–25 has identified around 89,000 children engaged in labour across the state, with a large share belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities.
The findings are part of the Socio, Economic, Educational, Employment, Political and Caste (SEEEPC) Survey, which covered about 3.5 crore people across 242 caste groups. According to the report, nearly one per cent of individuals below 18 years are involved in daily wage work. While the percentage appears small, officials noted that the absolute number reflects a serious concern.
The survey found that 11 per cent of identified child labourers belong to the ST Lambadi community, while 14 per cent are from the SC Madiga community. The highest incidence was reported among the ST Kolam group, where 7.2 per cent of minors are engaged in daily wage labour.
The data also revealed wider socio-economic disparities. Nearly half of the Scheduled Caste population is dependent on daily wage work, while only around 5 per cent are employed in the private sector, compared to about 30 per cent among General Castes.
State Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said the findings show that SC and ST communities remain three times more backward than General Castes, while Backward Classes are about 2.7 times more disadvantaged.
The report further noted that, on average, 31.3 per cent of people in the 25–65 age group depend on daily wage work. Among communities, the BC-A Odde group recorded the highest share at 55 per cent. In contrast, only 2.6 per cent of OC Brahmins rely on such work.
Several SC and ST communities, including Kolam, Beda, Madiga, Koya, Gond, Yerukulas and Mala Sale, were found to have among the highest proportions of daily wage earners. On the other hand, most General Caste communities and some Backward Class groups such as Goldsmiths and BC-C Christians showed lower dependence on daily wage employment.
The survey also pointed to inequalities in access to formal employment. Communities such as OC Rajus, OC Brahmins and Kapus were found to have a higher presence in private sector jobs, with up to 27 per cent of their population employed in such roles.
