Rahul Gandhi demands representation according to population as Bihar census proves OBC + SC + ST = 84%

News Network
October 2, 2023

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New Delhi, Oct 2: Welcoming the release of the caste survey by the Bihar government, I.N.D.I.A bloc parties on Monday accused the ruling BJP of running away from such an exercise, with the Congress pushing its slogan 'jitna abaadi, utna haq' (representation according to population).

Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi cited Bihar's demographics to argue for proportional representation.

He said that the caste census of the Bihar government shows the importance of knowing the caste statistics of the country. 

"The caste census of Bihar has revealed that OBC + SC + ST are 84 per cent in the state. Out of 90 secretaries of the Central Government, only 3 are OBC, who handle only 5% of India's budget! Therefore, it is important to know the caste statistics of India. The greater the population, the greater the rights – this is our pledge," Gandhi posted on 'X' (formerly known as Twitter).

According to the data released by the Bihar government, Other Backward Caste (OBC) and Extremely Backward Class (EBC) together account for 63 per cent of the state’s population. 

Nitish Kumar's reaction

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar congratulated the entire team engaged in the work of caste-based survey stating that it will not only reveal castes but also give information about the economic condition of everyone. "Today, on the auspicious occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, the data of the caste-based census conducted in Bihar has been published. Many congratulations to the entire team engaged in the work of caste-based enumeration!" Bihar CM posted on 'X'.

BJP opposes caste survey

Meanwhile, the Opposition BJP in Bihar has voiced dissatisfaction with the caste survey conducted by the Nitish Kumar government, stressing that it did not give an idea of the "changed social and economic realities" over the years.

State BJP president Samrat Choudhary emphasised that his party had "given its consent" for the exercise and would make an assessment of the findings which have now been made public. "The BJP will give a statement on the findings after studying the same. However, we wish the survey had studied the social and economic conditions of different castes and placed these on record. We need to take into account the changed social and economic realities," Chaudhary told reporters in Patna. 

It should be mentioned here that the findings are likely to favour the ruling 'Mahagathbandhan' which claims to represent the interests of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs). The BJP, which has been generally seen as being pro-upper caste, has begun warming up to the changed political landscape, as evident from the rise of OBC leaders like Choudhary and Union minister Nityanand Rai who headed the party's state unit earlier.

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News Network
March 15,2025

Mangaluru: Parents in coastal Karnataka are facing a significant financial burden as private schools across the region have implemented a sharp 20% or higher fee hike for the new academic year. This marks a drastic increase compared to the 6-15% annual hikes over the past four years. Schools justify the rise by citing increased teacher salaries and rising operational costs.

A parent from a CBSE school in Moodbidri reported that last year, his child's school fee was Rs 23,000, excluding transport and books. This year, it has jumped to Rs 29,000. "Fees for all classes in our school have been hiked by Rs 6,000," he shared.

Similarly, Jean D'Souza, whose two children study at an ICSE school in Mangaluru, said the school has increased fees by Rs 5,000 this year, from Rs 46,000 to Rs 51,000. Another parent from an ICSE school on the outskirts of the city reported a 20% hike and urged the government to intervene and regulate school fee increases.

Additional Costs Add to Parents’ Burden

Parents highlighted that beyond tuition fees, they also bear expenses for transport, uniforms, and books. Monthly transport fees range between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,500, while book costs amount to Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 per child annually. However, some relief comes from schools allowing fee payments in installments. "Many schools permit two to four installments, which helps ease the financial strain for parents," said a school management representative.

Schools Defend the Fee Hike

A school principal explained the reasons behind the steep fee increase this year. "Most schools refrained from major fee hikes after the pandemic. However, teacher salary demands have increased, and with a shortage of trained educators, retaining them is difficult without annual pay raises," he said.

Other rising costs include electricity, water, building maintenance, government fees, and general operational expenses. School managements argue that these factors make the fee hike necessary to sustain quality education.

While parents express frustration over the rising costs, the debate over striking a balance between affordability and sustaining quality education continues. Many now call for government intervention to regulate private school fee structures, ensuring that education remains accessible to all families.

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News Network
March 5,2025

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The number of Indian high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), those having assets more than $10 million, rose 6 per cent last year to 85,698, according to Knight Frank.

Global property consultant Knight Frank on Wednesday released its 'The Wealth Report 2025', which estimated the HNWI population in India at 85,698 in 2024, as against 80,686 in the preceding year.

The number is expected to rise to 93,753 by 2028, reflecting India's expanding wealth landscape, the consultant said.

The increasing trend of HNIW population highlights the country's strong long-term economic growth, increasing investment opportunities, and evolving luxury market, positioning India as a key player in global wealth creation.

India's billionaire population has also seen a strong year-on-year growth in 2024.

"India is now home to 191 billionaires, of which 26 joined the ranks in just the last year, which was pegged at just 7 in 2019," the consultant said.

The combined wealth of Indian billionaires is estimated at $950 billion, ranking the country third globally, behind the US ($5.7 trillion) and Mainland China ($1.34 trillion).

"India's growing wealth underscores its economic resilience and long-term growth potential. The country is witnessing an unprecedented rise in high-net-worth individuals, driven by entrepreneurial dynamism, global integration, and emerging industries," Shishir Baijal, Chairman & Managing Director, Knight Frank India, said.

This expansion is not just in scale but also in the evolving investment preferences of India's elite, who are diversifying across asset classes, from real estate to global equities, he added.

"In the decade ahead, India's influence in global wealth creation will only strengthen," Baijal said.

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News Network
March 3,2025

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala assembly on Monday witnessed heated argument between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front over the increasing violence involving youths as well as the drug menace.

The chief minister blamed it on films that celebrate violence, competitiveness among youngsters and lapses in parenting as key reasons for the increasing violent tendency among the youngsters. He also stressed the need to carry out awareness campaigns and said that there would not be any compromise in enforcement.

Congress gave a notice for adjournment motion in the house in the wake of the back to back incidents of violence involving students, the latest being the death of a tenth standard student at Kozhikode the other day following an attack by five other students. Considering the gravity of the scenario, the government allowed a discussion on the matter.

The Chief Minister was agitated over Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, who presented the notice for the motion, accusing the government of failing to curb the drug menace and also alleged of links of CPM's student outfits Students' Federation of India in brutal violence at campuses. Vijayan was also irked as Chennithala pin pointed the attack on him by repeatedly using 'Mr. chief minister'.

Vijayan said that the increasing criminal tendency among children was a global issue. "As the world becomes very competitive right from studies to jobs, the younger generations are becoming more restless. The competitiveness, which seems to be an outcome of globalization, was also causing enmity in young minds. With parents failing to spend adequate time with children, the children and getting addicted to digital devices," said Vijayan.

He also said that there were police reports that children were even getting attracted to goonda gangs after being influenced by films that celebrate violence. The sensor board needs to look into the matter. Web series and social media were also badly influencing children.

Listing out the number of drug peddling cases nabbed by the police and excise departments in the recent years, Vijayan said that there was no lapse in enforcement.

Opposition leader V D Satheesan extended the opposition's support to the government in fighting the menace.

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