Posted on 04/03/2007 10:42:11 AM PDT by VeniVidiVici
Hyderabad, April. 3 (PTI): The Congress Government in Andhra Pradesh today said it would support the state-wide strike called tomorrow by an OBC body to protest the Supreme Court's stay on the quota for backward classes in elite educational institutions.
The entire Opposition, including the TDP, TRS, BJP, CPI and CPI(M), had earlier announced that it would back the shutdown called by the Andhra Pradesh Backward Classes Welfare Association.
Expressing solidarity with the strike, the government asked the Road Transport Coproration to suspend its bus services.
All public examinations scheduled for tomorrow would be postponed to a later date, Backward Classes Welfare Minister D Srinivas told reporters here. "We are in total agreement with the demand that the Centre should take necessary measures for implementing the reservation for OBCs," he said.
State Congress President K Kesava Rao said the shutdown was a "democratic expression" and appealed to people to make it a success. "It is heartening that all parties are supporting the bandh. I hope it will be an eye-opener to those who oppose reservations for backward classes," he said.
Apart from participating in the shutdown, the main opposition TDP will hold dharnas in the headquarters of all districts on April 11.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief and MP K Chandrasekhar Rao will take part in a "rail roko" programme in Secunderabad as part of the shutdown.
Does it count as a holiday or vacation?
“Backword” what????????????
I think this has to do with the Indian SC ruling that stayed college “setasides” for “backwards” (lower classes/castes) must go forward.
Someone with more knowledge correct me if I’m wrong but college admissions have traditionally been for only the higher castes. This was overruled recently, setting aside some admissions for lower castes. This SC ruling stays that and the protests for tomorrow protest the Indian SC ruling.
Backward classes!
I read somewhere Muslims are defined as a backward class in India. If so, I can’t help agreeing.
Other Backward Classes-is the official term used to describe economically/socially backward castes ,who are generally regarded as being above the lowest/untouchable castes.
Asia pinglist.
Err,you are wrong.Admission has always been open to all castes with affirmative action programmes stretching back since independence,which were primarily for the Lowest classes called the Scheduled Castes/Tribes.
It’s only been over the last 20 years that the Other Backward Classes have received importance primarily because of their political value.
The Supreme Court didn’t overrule the The reservation order itself itself.What they struck down was that the government relied on weak & insufficient data to promote reservations for OBC groups.
This sort of strike sends more future foreign investment money to China instead of to India.
It is primarily upto the State Government to classify as backward.Certain Muslim groups esp those who are from the lowest castes & are economically weak are classified as backward in some states(like in the South) & can avail benefits of educational quotas.
this issue is US equivalant of affirmative action : it's like having mandatory quota system in US
in india there is already mandatory quota stystem
govt of india wanted to add more people & hence increase the quota.
thanks to supreme court its stopped for now. but here again supreme court ruled against govt on technical grounds.
governing congress party wants quota for muslims also..
Interesting.
I must admit I don’t know how stratified Indian society is with Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, or even what it all means. Plus Backward Classes among minorities; all based on birth and religion.
How do you guys keep it straight?
This seems to be a fairly complex system. Does each state use its own quota system or is there a federal schema?
It is.The Centre can make legislations,but the implementation is at the State level,so that’s what matters mainly.Some articles of the Indian Constitution (Article 341 IIRC) empowers the President of India or the State Governors to create & add to a schedule the lowest castes & tribal groups which need positive discrimination.
In theory,noble intentions,though it’s just a political gimmick.
In most states,it’s pretty straightforward-most people don’t really bother.In States of South India,all the quotas in educational institutions add up to almost 60-70% of the total population.Good thing is that there are plenty of colleges there!!
The problem primarily is in States where caste relations are volatile like those of North or Central India & such quotas are more or less necessary.
Has anyone proposed a merit system wherein caste status is not considered?
Does this quota system also extend to higher education (e.g. university)?
Make that implementation is mainly at the State level.There are quotas also in the Indian Central Government offices & undertakings,educational institutions etc.
Wow! That is a lot of quotas!
Yes,it applies to higher education.All the noise over the recent Supreme Court verdict was made by Students(both for & against quotas) about extending it to elite institutions like the IIT(technology),IIM(Management) & AIIMS(Medicine).
Ofcourse merit is proposed by many people & is in essence used by those elite institutions I mentioned as they,though established by the government,are autonomously run.
But we need to remember that a system giving importance to merit makes sense once you have level playing field from the start.That is mostly not the case if we make cross-caste considerations.
Do many young Indians pay as much attention to caste as do their elders? Only a few of the Indian students who I know pay much attention to caste. One of my friends placed only moderate importance on it, but he was very proud that his wife was from a caste above his own.
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