Mangaluru wears deserted look as week-long lockdown begins
Mangaluru: The week-long lockdown imposed on Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka in view of the rising number of COVID-19 cases began on Thursday.
The total lockdown would be in force in the district till 5 am on July 23. Barring people who came out to make purchases from grocery and other essential shops that were open between 8 am and 11 am, the city wore a deserted look.
Public transport has been completely halted in all parts of the district. Vehicles are not allowed on the streets except for emergency and healthcare services.
City police commissioner Vikash Kumar Vikash requested the people to adhere to the lockdown rules. Police have been deployed in many parts to ensure that the regulations are not violated.
The borders of Udupi have been sealed for 14 days from Thursday without enforcing a total lockdown. However, public transport would not be allowed during the period.
Dakshina Kannada has reported 2,525 coronavirus cases till Wednesday, of which 1,379 are currently active. Udupi district has so far registered 1,786 cases out of which 401 patients are under treatment.
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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.
