Religious activities, Friday prayers at mosques in Dakshina Kannada to remain suspended till July 22
Mangaluru: In the wake of the one-week lockdown imposed in Dakshina Kannada to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the district, the administration on Thursday announced that the weekly Friday prayers and all other congregational religious activities will remain suspended in the District.
Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner, Sindhu B Rupesh, on Thursday, added that the congregational religious activities which include all congregational prayers at mosques will remain suspended till July 22.
Dakshina Kannada on Thursday reported 238 new cases of the deadly virus while it also recorded six death due to the virus. With this, the total number of fatalities in the District has gone up to 63.
READ ALSO: Mangaluru: 238 new COVID-19 cases, 6 deaths in Dakshina Kannada on Thursday
Public entry to all the religious places will also be barred until July 22.
The District Administration had earlier imposed lockdown in the District starting July 15 evening till July 22 in the backdrop of a surge in COVID-19 cases across the District.
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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.
