Karnataka caste census set to begin
Bengaluru (PTI): Social and Educational Survey, popularly known as the 'caste census' in Karnataka, is to get underway on Monday, though the exercise may be delayed by a day or two in Greater Bengaluru area in order to impart training and ensure necesary preparations.
The survey by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes that will go on till October 7, will see as many as 1.75 lakh enumerators, mostly government school teachers, covering around 7 crore people in approximately 2 crore households across the state.
The survey, at an estimated cost of Rs 420 crore, will be conducted "scientifically," with a 60-question questionnaire prepared for the exercise, according to officials.
Meanwhile, amid criticism and objections from various sections, including within the ruling Congress, regarding the castes list prepared for the survey, containing a number of castes with dual identities -- having both Christian and Hindu caste names -- like 'Kuruba Christian', 'Brahmin Christian', 'Vokkaliga Christian' among others, the commission said, the names of these castes will be "masked", but not removed.
Backward Classes Commission's Chairman Madhusudan R Naik on Sunday said the list of castes in the handbook was not for public information and doesn't have any legal sanctity, it was only to help the enumerators get the list of castes in the drop-down as per the alphabetical order.
He said the app used for the survey will not show these 33 castes with dual identities, with them being masked now. However, the citizen is free to enumerate according to his choice.
"Our survey will commence from September 22. We have made all the preparations. In the public perception, there were misconceptions and certain issues were being debated. Taking note of those concerns, the commission met and deliberated," Naik said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "Taking note of the possible creation of confusion in the minds of the public, we have resolved that the drop-down which is only for our internal consumption, will not prompt certain castes, which were perceived to be something which is not acceptable to certain sections of the people."
"Those castes will not get prompted by the surveyors for noting them down, but however it will remain in the system and anybody out of his free will, can always notify the surveyor that he belongs to such caste," he added.
Noting that in addition, the commission has also addressed certain other concerns like the KYC difficulties that may be faced, Naik said, an app has been introduced to have the face recognition, and it will possibly bring down the concerns with regard to authentication of Aadhaar.
"Otherwise our preparation is complete, we will be commencing our survey from Monday," he said.
The commission's chairman also said, at the request of the administrative authorities of Greater Bengaluru, there may be a delay by a day or two for the survey in the city. "But our programme is there for the entire period of September 22 to October 7," he added.
According to officials, each household will be geo-tagged using its electricity meter number and will be assigned a Unique Household ID (UHID).
During the data collection process, ration cards and Aadhaar details will be linked to mobile numbers.
For those who are not at home during the survey and to address grievances, if any, a dedicated helpline number (8050770004) has been set up. Citizens can also participate online, they added.
Aimed at consolidating their castes strength, seers and leaders of Vokkaligas, a dominant community, have asked their people to identify their religion as 'Hindu' and caste as just 'Vokkaliga', while "sub-caste should be mentioned only if it is absolutely necessary.
There seems to be some lack of clarity among another dominant community, the Veerahaiva-Lingayats, as leaders have suggested the community members exercise their discretion while mentioning their religion, while urging them to mention Veerashaiva-Lingayat in the caste column. There were voices within the community to mention Veerashaiva-Lingayat as a religion, instead of Hindus.
Several other communities like Kurubas, Muslims, Scheduled Castes, Brahmins, among others too have held meetings to decide how they should identify themselves during the survey in order to consolidate their numbers.
The BJP, which has accused the Congress government of conducting the survey "hastily" to "divide Hindus", has also questioned the need for the survey, when the Centre has already announced caste enumeration in the national census.
The government had spent Rs 165.51 crore on an earlier Social and Educational Survey in 2015, which was later discarded.
The Karnataka Cabinet on June 12 approved a fresh survey, effectively nullifying the 2015 exercise, citing Section 11(1) of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1995, which mandates a revision of the state backward classes list once every 10 years.
Several communities, notably Karnataka's two dominant groups--Vokkaligas and Veershaiva-Lingayats--had expressed strong reservations about the 2015 survey, calling it "unscientific" and demanding a fresh enumeration. There were also opposing voices from within the ruling Congress party.
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Om Birla attends swearing-in of new B'desh PM, says India stands ready to support BNP govt
New Delhi (PTI): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday attended the swearing-in ceremony of new Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, and said India stands ready to support Bangladesh's endeavours to build a democratic, progressive and inclusive nation.
Separately, the speaker called on the new Bangladesh prime minister and conveyed the wishes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He also handed over an invitation from Prime Minister Modi to Rahman to visit India, officials said here.
“Glad to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government of Bangladesh led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka today. India stands ready to support Bangladesh’s endeavours to build a democratic, progressive and inclusive nation,” Birla posted on X.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, said in a post on X, “Prime Minister Tarique Rahman conveys his greetings to India and PM Narendra Modi to the visiting India Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at a courtesy meet following the swearing-in of the new government.
“Speaker Birla conveyed wishes and an invitation to India. Both leaders expressed optimism to work together for the well-being of the people of Bangladesh and India, pursuing a people-centric menu of cooperation.”
Birla also met Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and other leaders on the sidelines of the event.
Led by Rahman, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) swept to power with a two-thirds majority with 49.97 per cent votes and 209 seats in the polls held on February 12, results for which were declared on February 13.
The Jamaat-e-Islami, which was opposed to Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971, registered its best-ever performance with 31.76 per cent votes and 68 seats.
The National Citizen Party (NCP) secured the third-highest number of seats, six, and 3.05 per cent votes.
Bangladesh had invited Narendra Modi to the ceremony, but the prime minister could not attend the event as he was scheduled to hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai on Tuesday.
On reaching Dhaka, Birla said the swearing-in of Rahman was an important moment that would strengthen people-to-people relations and shared democratic values between the two neighbours.
“Honoured to be in Dhaka representing India at the swearing-in ceremony of the new government led by Tarique Rahman as the prime minister. It's an important moment that will strengthen people-to-people ties and shared democratic values between our two nations,” Birla said.
Birla was accompanied by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and other officials.
