Three COVID-19 related deaths in Udupi since Tuesday
Udupi: One person in Udupi taluk and two in Kundapur taluk died of Corona infection in the last couple of days.
A 49-year-old patient, who was a resident of Kukkehalli, died at the Dr. TMA Pai Hospital in town. He had been admitted into the isolation ward of the district hospital since he had a high blood sugar. When he was found to be Corona positive on Wednesday night, he was moved to the Corona hospital, but he died on Thursday morning, said district health officer Dr. Sudheer Chandra Sooda.
Another patient who died was a 58-year-old from Maravanthe in Kundapur taluk. He had severe asthma and was diagnosed positive for Corona infection. He died on Wednesday night, before the doctors could begin their treatment for Corona, said sources.
A person from Ankola, who had been admitted to a private hospital in Manipal for treatment, was also found to be Corona positive but died on Tuesday as he failed to respond to the treatment, said sources.
His last rites were conducted at Beedanagudde in Udupi on Wednesday as per official guidelines, said sources in the Health Department.
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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.
