Karnataka govt committed to implementing caste census report: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, Feb 18 (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that the government is committed to implementing the caste census report.
He said people should not doubt the intention of his government.
"The caste census was conducted scientifically and our government will definitely implement it. There should be no doubt about it," Siddaramaiah said after participating in a pre-budget meeting at Vidhana Soudha with leaders of backward classes and representatives of backward class organisations.
The chief minister said the government is in favour of the caste census.
"Our government has accepted the caste census report. It will definitely be implemented in the coming days," he said.
When the representatives demanded an increase in reservation on the Tamil Nadu model, Siddaramaiah referred to the 1992 Indira Sawhney case and informed them that the reservation should not exceed 50 per cent, and that the previous government's provision of reservation for the economically backward (EWS) was against the spirit of the Indian Constitution.
According to Article (15)(16) of the Constitution, reservation should be given only to the socially and educationally backward, he said.
The caste census report has been prepared scientifically and is useful for understanding the social, economic and educational status of all sections of the society. Accordingly, it will be helpful in formulating government programmes, he said.
The important question is why equality has not been achieved even after so many years. Some people are opposing it due to misunderstanding, the CM noted.
"The aim of our government is to bring the poor, backward, minorities and women into the mainstream," he said.
Siddaramaiah said inequality must go as a large number of people are deprived of opportunities due to the inequality created by the caste system. Everyone should be given equal opportunities, whether they are from the lower community or the upper class.
The chief minister also pointed out that there is discrimination and inequality among the backward castes as well, which cannot be eliminated all at once.
The Karnataka Socio-Economic and Education Survey report, commonly known as the ‘Karnataka caste census’ was commissioned by the previous Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in 2015, with then Backward Classes Commission chairman H Kantharaju heading the committee.
The survey, conducted at a cost of approximately Rs 169 crore, was completed by 2016 but subsequent governments kept it in cold storage.
In 2020, the BJP government appointed Jayaprakash Hegde as the commission chief. Hegde submitted the final report to the Siddaramaiah government on February 29, 2024.
Responding to the demand for free education for the nomadic community, Siddaramaiah said the government has ensured the Right to Education (RTE). Accordingly, the government has allowed free education in government schools and private educational institutions as well.
He said that special attention would be paid to the nomadic community in this budget.
Siddaramaiah also said that he will try to implement programmes for the most backward classes in this budget. He also promised to formulate programmes for the backward classes according to the availability of funds.
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IMF approves USD 206 million emergency funding for cyclone-hit Sri Lanka's recovery
Colombo (PTI): The IMF has approved an emergency funding of USD 206 million under its rapid finance instrument to help Sri Lanka “address the urgent needs arising from the catastrophic Cyclone Ditwah and preserve macroeconomic stability”.
The cyclone caused widespread destruction in the island nation and left over 643 people dead.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the disaster has created urgent humanitarian and reconstruction needs, generating significant fiscal pressures and balance-of-payments needs.
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The emergency financial support provided by the IMF under the rapid finance instrument will help address these pressures, it said.
The IMF added that the cyclone devastation hit when the Fifth Review of Sri Lanka’s USD 2.9 billion bailout was nearing completion.
“Given the time needed to assess the economic impact of the cyclone and examine how an IMF-supported programme can best support Sri Lanka’s recovery and reconstruction efforts while preserving objectives and policy priorities, the Fifth Review has been deferred," it said.
"An IMF mission team will visit Sri Lanka in early 2026 to resume discussions,” it added.
The 48-month extended fund facility deal with the IMF in March 2023 carried hard reforms to Sri Lanka's welfare-based governance.
It was signed after Sri Lanka plunged into an unprecedented economic meltdown with its first-ever sovereign default.
Several hours before the IMF decision, the parliament here approved without a vote a supplementary estimate of LKR 500 billion, which the government said was required to restore the livelihoods of those affected by the disaster.
