Latest news with #NinthSchedule
The Hindu
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Will take up demand for removal of 50% cap on quota during Monsoon session: Congress
The Congress on Friday (June 20, 2025) reiterated its demand of making the Bihar reservations law a part of the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, amending the Constitution to overcome the 50%ceiling for reservations and implementing Article 15(5) which enables reservations for SCs, STs, OBCs, and EBCs in private educational institutions. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said most definitely the party will take up these three issues of fundamental importance to social justice and empowerment in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament. "The PM is in Bihar today. On the basis of the caste survey conducted by the erstwhile INDIA bloc Government in Bihar, the Bihar Government had proposed 65% reservation for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs, and EBCs. This is under challenge in the Courts," Mr. Ramesh said on X. The double engine government in Bihar has all but given up, he said. But there are three ways out that the Congress has been demanding for long, that will make the 65% eservations a reality, he said. Mr. Ramesh called for making the Bihar reservations law a part of the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. This was done by the Narasimha Rao government in 1994 for protecting 69% reservations in Tamil Nadu, he said. He also called for amending the Constitution to overcome the 50% ceiling for reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs, and EBCs. This ceiling has only been imposed because of various Supreme Court judgments over the past six decades, Mr. Ramesh said. "Article 15(5) enables reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs, and EBCs in private educational institutions also. This has been unimplemented in the past 11 years after the Supreme Court had upheld the Constitutional amendment that was introduced by Dr. Mannohan Singh's government in 2006," he said. Most definitely the Congress will take up these three issues of fundamental importance to social justice and empowerment in the Monsoon session of Parliament that begins on July 21, 2025, Mr. Ramesh said.
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Business Standard
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Will demand for removal of 50% cap on quota during Monsoon session: Cong
The Congress on Friday reiterated its demand of making the Bihar reservations law a part of the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, amending the Constitution to overcome the 50% ceiling for reservations and implementing Article 15(5) which enables reservations for SCs, STs, OBCs, and EBCs in private educational institutions. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said most definitely the party will take up these three issues of fundamental importance to social justice and empowerment in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament. "The PM is in Bihar today. On the basis of the caste survey conducted by the erstwhile INDIA bloc Government in Bihar, the Bihar Government had proposed 65% reservation for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs, and EBCs. This is under challenge in the Courts," Ramesh said on X. The double engine government in Bihar has all but given up, he said. But there are three ways out that the Congress has been demanding for long, that will make the 65% reservations a reality, he said. Ramesh called for making the Bihar reservations law a part of the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. This was done by the Narasimha Rao government in 1994 for protecting 69% reservations in Tamil Nadu, he said. He also called for amending the Constitution to overcome the 50 % ceiling for reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs, and EBCs. This ceiling has only been imposed because of various Supreme Court judgments over the past six decades, Ramesh said. "Article 15(5) enables reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs, and EBCs in private educational institutions also. This has been unimplemented in the past 11 years after the Supreme Court had upheld the Constitutional amendment that was introduced by Dr. Mannohan Singh's government in 2006," he said. Most definitely the Congress will take up these three issues of fundamental importance to social justice and empowerment in the Monsoon session of Parliament that begins on July 21, 2025, Ramesh said. His remarks came ahead of Prime Minister Modi's three-state visit for two days from Friday, a tour that will include the launch of multiple development projects in Bihar and Odisha and his participating in a mass yoga programme on the International Day of Yoga. Modi will be in Siwan in Bihar and Bhubaneswar in Odisha on Friday and will also address public meetings, an official statement said. In Siwan, he will inaugurate the new Vaishali-Deoria railway line project worth more than Rs 400 crore and flag off a new train service on the route. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Will take up demand for removal of 50 pc cap on quota during Monsoon session: Congress
The Congress on Friday reiterated its demand of making the Bihar reservations law a part of the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, amending the Constitution to overcome the 50 per cent ceiling for reservations and implementing Article 15(5) which enables reservations for SCs, STs, OBCs, and EBCs in private educational institutions. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said most definitely the party will take up these three issues of fundamental importance to social justice and empowerment in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament . "The PM is in Bihar today. On the basis of the caste survey conducted by the erstwhile INDIA bloc Government in Bihar, the Bihar Government had proposed 65% reservation for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs, and EBCs. This is under challenge in the Courts," Ramesh said on X. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Book Your Daily Profit By 11 AM With This Superclass By Mr. Bala TradeWise Learn More Undo The double engine government in Bihar has all but given up, he said. But there are three ways out that the Congress has been demanding for long, that will make the 65 per cent reservations a reality, he said. Live Events Ramesh called for making the Bihar reservations law a part of the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. This was done by the Narasimha Rao government in 1994 for protecting 69 per cent reservations in Tamil Nadu, he said. He also called for amending the Constitution to overcome the 50 per cent ceiling for reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs, and EBCs. This ceiling has only been imposed because of various Supreme Court judgments over the past six decades, Ramesh said. "Article 15(5) enables reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs, and EBCs in private educational institutions also. This has been unimplemented in the past 11 years after the Supreme Court had upheld the Constitutional amendment that was introduced by Dr. Mannohan Singh's government in 2006," he said. Most definitely the Congress will take up these three issues of fundamental importance to social justice and empowerment in the Monsoon session of Parliament that begins on July 21, 2025, Ramesh said. His remarks came ahead of Prime Minister Modi's three-state visit for two days from Friday, a tour that will include the launch of multiple development projects in Bihar and Odisha and his participating in a mass yoga programme on the International Day of Yoga. Modi will be in Siwan in Bihar and Bhubaneswar in Odisha on Friday and will also address public meetings, an official statement said. In Siwan, he will inaugurate the new Vaishali-Deoria railway line project worth more than Rs 400 crore and flag off a new train service on the route.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Tejashwi Yadav writes: Why we need 85 per cent reservation and its inclusion in the Ninth Schedule
As readers may be aware, I recently reached out to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the context of the conversations around the caste census. The CM's silence on my demand for including the enhanced state reservation quotas in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution has once again exposed the NDA's so-called double-engine government's hypocrisy on social justice issues. That they have nothing to say clearly reveals their deeply ideological and hostile attitude towards the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalised. The NDA's reluctance to conduct a nationwide caste census in the spirit demanded by Opposition parties like us is rooted in a combination of political, ideological, and electoral calculations. The BJP has long practised polarisation politics through homogenising religious identity. Their aim has been to subsume caste distinctions under a broader religious framework and continue to reproduce the hierarchical varna structures in politics and governance. They are afraid that a comprehensive caste census would throw up hard data on caste-based disparities, reinforcing the relevance of caste in public policy, which goes against the BJP's preferred narrative of a fictional development. The BJP's core leadership and significant vote base, especially in the Hindi heartland, draws heavily from upper castes. A caste census will highlight the marginalisation of OBCs, SCs, and STs in representation and access to power. The BJP fears that a caste census would likely lead to a demand for increased reservations based on population share. This fear drives their resistance to our legitimate demands for social justice. Detailed caste data would provide historically oppressed and marginalised groups a powerful electoral and policy weapon to demand reservation realignment and targeted welfare interventions. The implementation of enhanced reservation quotas based on the findings of a scientific caste census shall be a political decision and a socio-economic imperative rooted in the constitutional ideals of equality and justice. Opposition parties like ours have been pushing for the caste census because it strengthens the commitments made in the Constitution. A caste census provides the empirical foundation to reconfigure reservations in a way that reflects the actual social and economic realities on the ground, thereby fulfilling the constitutional promise of equality and social justice. This is exactly why I am demanding concrete action in Bihar through fresh laws to raise reservations to 85 per cent. We need the Centre's support through the Ninth Schedule because we understand that without constitutional protection, these progressive measures can be challenged and diluted. The artificial and unscientific 50 per cent ceiling imposed by the judiciary – neither representative of the will of the people nor representative of the composition of the society, much less demographic data – needs to be challenged. Nobody can deny that caste census data is essential to rectify the highly skewed development map of India in terms of certain groups acquiring a larger share. By aligning reservation policies with contemporary demographic and socio-economic realities, the state can address the systemic exclusion that persists in education, employment, and political participation. A caste census would provide empirical clarity on the actual representation and deprivation levels of various sub-groups within the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes. An enhanced quota of reservation, guided by the findings of a caste census, would serve as a vital corrective measure to address the historical under-representation of marginalised communities in education, employment, and governance, besides making the private sector reflect the diversity in their employment policy. In essence, reservation without accurate data risks perpetuating inequality; with a caste census, it can evolve into a precise tool for justice and empowerment. What perturbs me is that the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has remained non-committal on this issue for a very long time. I have seen this duplicity firsthand in Bihar politics. The BJP talks about supporting backward classes during elections, but when it comes to concrete action like supporting our 85 per cent reservation demand or pushing for Ninth Schedule inclusion, they maintain a studied silence. There were attempts to thwart it by proxy organisations in the corridors of the judiciary. This dual strategy was employed to help the BJP balance regional pressures while keeping the national position cautious and aligned with broader ideological goals it has inherited from the RSS. This exposes their real priorities and allegiances. If the BJP and their partners in the NDA, especially those from Bihar, cannot do this much after ruling the state for nearly 20 years, one cannot expect anything from them after the recently announced half-hearted national caste census. The BJP's overall reluctance stems neither from administrative challenges nor logistical challenges, but from political apprehensions: A caste census could upend the carefully crafted social coalition it relies on, revive the unmet concerns of social justice, and challenge its ideological framing of Indian society. As we all know, a full-fledged, transparent caste census could produce uncomfortable truths for the BJP, which it cannot spin or suppress. The data would reveal the actual numbers of different caste groups and subgroups and their representation in various sectors, making it impossible for the BJP to continue with their rhetoric while denying real empowerment. My demands in Bihar for enhanced reservations and special legislative sessions are part of this larger battle for transparency and justice. When I ask the CM to convene a special assembly session, I am demanding that we move beyond empty promises to concrete legislative action that can withstand judicial scrutiny through constitutional protection. The time has come for all political parties to decide whether they stand with the constitutional promise of equality or with the forces that want to preserve historical privileges. A comprehensive caste census is the first step towards building a truly representative democracy where policy is based on facts, where resources are allocated justly, and every citizen gets their rightful place in the nation's progress. Until we get this census, our fight for social justice will continue through legislative assemblies, Parliament, and every democratic forum available to us. The truth cannot be suppressed forever, and the people of India deserve leaders who will fight for their rights with data, determination, and unwavering commitment to constitutional values. The writer is the Leader of the Opposition Bihar Legislative Assembly
The Print
08-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Gurjar Mahapanchayat ends after state govt's assurance on meeting their demands
Gurjar leader Vijay Bainsla read out the state government's response before the gathering, which included the cabinet's decision to recommend the inclusion of five per cent reservation for Most Backward Classes (MBCs) in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. The Mahapanchayat was convened by the Gurjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti in the Pilupura area of Bayana. Jaipur, Jun 8 (PTI) The Gurjar community's Mahapanchayat concluded on Sunday at Karwari Shaheed Memorial in Rajasthan's Bharatpur following a consensus over the state government's response to their demands, though a section of the community briefly disrupted train services in protest. The state also agreed to appoint a nodal officer in every district to address cases registered during previous Gurjar agitations, he said. Bainsla added that the government had also agreed to hold monthly review meetings on Devnarayan Board schemes, expedite pending recruitments, and other issues raised by the community. However, after the Mahapanchayat ended, a group of people gathered at the railway tracks near Fatehsinghpura and halted the 54794 Mathura-Sawai Madhopur passenger train for more than 90 minutes. They also removed clips from the railway track, affecting traffic on the Delhi-Mumbai route. Railway Protection Force (RPF), local police and administrative officials held talks with the protesters, following which operations resumed, officials said. 'The train movement remained disrupted for more than one and a half hours,' Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of North Western Railway said. Bharatpur Collector Amit Yadav said the area was vacated after talks. Inspector General of Police Rahul Prakash said the protesters were assured that their concerns would be addressed. Reacting to the incident, Bainsla said that majority from the community was satisfied with the government's response and chose not to focus on isolated acts. 'To get the 5 per cent MBC reservation included in the Ninth Schedule, the state cabinet will recommend the move and urge the Centre to act. This was our key demand and we are happy,' he told PTI. The Ninth Schedule contains a list of laws that are shielded from judicial review. Bainsla also confirmed the government's agreement on appointing nodal officers to dispose of cases from past agitations. Earlier in the day, the Samiti had issued an ultimatum to the BJP government to respond to its demands by Sunday afternoon. Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham urged the Gurjar leadership to avoid agitation, saying the government was open to dialogue. 'Everyone has the right to express themselves in a democracy. But when the government is willing to talk, what is the need for a Mahapanchayat or protest?' he said, while also personally appealing to Bainsla. 'He contested the Deoli-Uniyara seat and attends party meetings. I urge him to resolve the issues through dialogue,' the minister said. Due to the Mahapanchayat, traffic between Bayana and Hindaun City was diverted via alternate routes, and additional police force was deployed to maintain law and order. Kirori Singh Bainsla, Vijay Bainsla's late father, had led several Gurjar agitations since 2006, including rail blockades on key routes. PTI AG OZ OZ This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
