Latest news with #Ramesh


Time of India
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bihar elections: Congress ramps up reservation pitch ahead of PM Modi's visit; alleges NDA has ‘given up' on 65% quota push
File photo: Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh (Picture credit: PTI) NEW DELHI: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Bihar to launch key development projects ahead of assembly elections, the Congress on Friday sharpened its attack on the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government, alleging that it has 'all but given up' on the proposed 65 per cent reservation for SCs, STs, OBCs and EBCs. The policy, rooted in findings from the caste survey conducted under the erstwhile INDIA-bloc, is currently under judicial review. Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, proposed a three-pronged legislative approach to safeguard the reservation framework. 'The double-engine Govt in Bihar has all but given up,' Ramesh claimed. 'But there are three ways out that the INC has been demanding for long that will make the 65 per cent reservations a reality,' he added. Ramesh outlined the party's proposals. First, making the Bihar reservation law part of the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, as was done in 1994 by the Narasimha Rao government to protect Tamil Nadu's 69 per cent quota. Second, he called for a constitutional amendment to bypass the Supreme Court-imposed 50 per cent ceiling on reservations. Third, he pushed for the implementation of Article 15(5), which allows for reservation in private educational institutions, a provision upheld by the apex court but left unimplemented for over a decade. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Confidence packed. Wrinkles left behind. Philips Garment Steamers Book Now Undo 'This has been unimplemented in the past 11 years after the Supreme Court upheld the Constitutional amendment introduced by Dr Manmohan Singh's government in 2006,' Ramesh pointed out. He further said the Congress would 'most definitely' raise these 'issues of fundamental importance to social justice and empowerment' during the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament beginning July 21. The remarks come as PM Modi is in Siwan, Bihar, where he is set to inaugurate multiple infrastructure projects, including the new Vaishali–Deoria railway line worth over Rs 400 crore and a new train service. His visit also includes stops in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, with a mass yoga event scheduled in Bhubaneswar to mark International Yoga Day. The Congress has increasingly tied its reservation pitch to the broader caste-based census framework, demanding immediate legislative action. The move signals the party's intent to double down on social justice narratives ahead of the state polls due in October. Congress leaders have also linked their call for implementing Article 15(5) to the broader agenda of extending affirmative action into the private sector for marginalised communities.


The Hindu
5 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
5 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
6 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.

Mint
10 hours ago
- Mint
Air India crash: Demand for emergency exit seats surges, flyers want to book ‘11A' after Ahmedabad tragedy
Belief in destiny or just peace of mind? Passengers scramble to book the same seat occupied by the sole survivor of a recent Air India crash. Demand for seat 11A on flights has soared across India after it emerged that the only survivor of last week's Air India Flight 171 crash was seated there, The Times of India reported. The seat, located next to an emergency exit on some aircraft, has now taken on an almost mythical status, with passengers requesting it regardless of safety data or seat configuration. 'It has to be a seat next to the emergency exit. I am willing to fork out any extra amount for it,' said Jitender Singh Bagga, a businessman preparing for a flight to the United States, speaking to the news outlet. 'If seat 11A is next to the emergency door of the British Airways flight I intend to take… I want to be in it.' The renewed interest comes after Viswash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British national, walked away with minor injuries from the crash that claimed 241 lives. Ramesh was seated in 11A, adjacent to an emergency exit, and was seen in widely circulated footage staggering away from the wreckage while speaking on his phone. His miraculous escape has sparked a wave of superstition-fueled behavior among travelers. 'I know that life and death is a matter of destiny, but I still want to have my best shot,' said Rajesh Bhagnani, a Kolkata resident, was quoted as saying. 'Nothing like seat 11A if there is an emergency exit next to it.' According to Anil Punjabi, a national committee member of the Travel Agents Federation of India, some fliers are even asking for seat 11A regardless of where it's located on the aircraft. 'It has got to do with mindset and belief in luck. The fliers say it is for their peace of mind,' explained Anjani Dhanuka, regional chairman of the Travel Agents Association of India, in his remarks. 'The seat number offers mental peace,' he added. Ramesh, who was discharged from an Ahmedabad hospital on Wednesday, has not spoken publicly since the crash, but his story continues to reverberate in the public imagination — and on travel booking sites. For some passengers, seat 11A now represents more than just a seat — it's a symbol of hope, luck, and the human instinct to do whatever it takes to survive. Adding to the mystique around seat 11A is a chilling coincidence shared by Thai actor-singer Ruangsak 'James' Loychusak, who revealed he was also seated in 11A when he survived the 1998 Thai Airways crash in Surat Thani that killed 101 people. Now 47, Ruangsak said he got goosebumps upon learning that Viswash Kumar Ramesh — the sole survivor of the recent Air India tragedy — had also been in seat 11A.