Youth For Equality Delhi University

HC raps govt on Sachar panel report

2008-05-13T18:43:00.001+05:30

The Central government came in for some searing criticism by Delhi HC on Monday with respect to implementation of Sachar Committee recommendations for welfare of Muslims.

"You (government) are trying to please one community and this is where the rot lies," were the scathing remarks of an angry bench headed by Justice T S Thakur while dealing with a petition pending in HC since December last, challenging the Sachar committee recommendations.

"You are trying to please one community. Poverty is the common enemy. You should fight against poverty rather than saying that you would fight against poverty for one community only," the bench observed during the hearing.

The bench wondered why the government's benevolence was targeted at one community alone, "You are saying that more money be spent for one minority community. Should it not cut across caste and religion? Does the Sachar committee say that facilities are available to other communities?" the HC demanded.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/HC_raps_govt_on_Sachar_panel_report/articleshow/3034398.cms

YFE DU team visit Darbhanga for post flood relief managment programme

2007-12-02T13:58:00.000+05:30

A team from Youth For Equality Delhi University Chapter visited the flood affected district of Darbhanga in Bihar.

The basic objective of the project was to assess the post-flood management programmes in operation in the flood-affected region, to analyse the various factors that hamper quick recovery from the flood, to find out alternatives to the problems and to inculcate efficiency in the system to mitigate the losses incurred due to floods in the region concerned. It is pertinent to note that the region in question has witnessed regular occurrence of floods almost every year for several decades now and thus, the level of preparedness for flood and efficiency in post-flood management programme become noteworthy.

At the preparatory stage, three problem areas viz. education, health and sanitation were identified and to begin with, the major government schemes targeted towards these problem areas were studied. These schemes if implemented properly could drastically reduce the problems faced during flood. The major schemes which we selected for study were Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, National Rural Health Mission, Mid-day Meal Scheme, Rajiv Gandhi Drinking Water Mission and Total Sanitation Campaign. This was to be followed by an appraisal of these schemes in the flood-affected region of Darbhanga.

On visiting the area, many new dimensions were added to the programme and it got further diversified to include health and sanitation, education and economy as its major target areas. The problems crippling these areas were identified through observation and interaction with the local people. Taralahi was chosen as a sample-village for carrying out intensive research and coming up with solutions to tackle the various problems of a flood-affected region. Taralahi-Santpur Village Development Society, an NGO working for the development of these twin villages at local level, provided assistance to the Youth For Equality-Delhi Univ. team in carrying out the study at the local level. Various alternative solutions were considered and finally a proposal consisting of most suitable alternatives, which could solve the common problems of flood-affected region and if implemented, transform Taralahi into a model village, was drafted. This proposal was submitted to the Commissioner, the District Magistrate, the Executive Director for Public Health Engineering, the Civil Surgeon and the Deputy Development Officer for Darbhanga district and other officials concerned. The DM himself assured to approve all the projects subject to sustained initiative on our part.

With a view to empower local people to stand up for their rights and hold the government agencies accountable, an awareness drive was launched simultaneously and maximum participation of local people was ensured. People were informed about the various schemes launched by the government and the means whereby those benefits can be availed to them. They were informed about the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, the Mid-day Meal Scheme etc and the procedure to file RTI. Rural masses were addressed on issues such as importance of education and their problems heard and sorted out. It was on people’s behest that an enrolment drive was launched on Oct 9, 2007 and over 500 children were enrolled. Interactive sessions with the rural population were conducted with the aim of inculcating a sense of initiative, participation and collective responsibility. Community participation is also expected to play a major role in the success of various government schemes the implementation of which is sought after under this project and there is no better guarantee to people’s rights than awareness and vigilance.

MAJOR PROBLEMS OF TARALAHI, THE INITIATIVES TAKEN AND THEIR IMPACT

Taralahi village, housing a population of over 30,000 people, suffers from extreme infrastructural under-development which paralyses its economic and social life. Absence of economic opportunities, educational facilities, sanitation, health-related and other social necessities renders inhospitable living conditions and poor quality of life. Frequent occurrence of flood is a major obstacle to improvement in living standards of the people. Life in the village comes to an absolute standstill with the occurrence of the flood. Many areas of the village are cut off from the rest as water floods the river-banks, fields and plains. There are not enough boats to connect the fragmented areas of the village to one another during the flood period. Traversing across the river even in the absence of flood is a difficult task for the villagers, due to scarcity of boats and absence of a bridge. The flood relief from the government is inadequate and unplanned. Some missionaries are reported to have come to the villagers’ assistance this year by providing them with boats, lamps, salt, edibles and other life-saving necessities.

HEALTH AND SANITATION

Life in Taralahi is characterized by acute malnutrition and lack of hygiene among other problems. The problem aggravates after flood as water-logging due to absence of proper drainage mechanism provides favorable conditions for mosquito-breeding, insect-breeding, spreading of infections and diseases, manifestations of which can be seen in the inhabitants in the form of skin problems, eye-infections etc. absence of proper toilets in houses as well as public-toilets adds to the hygiene concerns, particularly after flood. People are left with no other choice but to defecate in open which not only renders an unhygienic environment but also contaminates surface-water. As people traverse across the contaminated standing water, probabilities of catching infections are very high. Most of the children living here are severely undernourished, many of them underweight or suffering from deficiency-diseases. There is no provision for medical aid to the villagers.

Most of the efforts towards sanitation are discouraged by the fact that during flood season, things would hardly work. Elevation of the level of houses is beyond the affordability of most of the villagers. Many villagers live in small huts due to high density of population in the village, and don’t even have enough land for construction of toilets. Therefore, the government scheme of providing for construction of subsidized toilets for each Below Poverty Line household is ineffective in this area.

Our team met the Civil Surgeon and discussed prospects of expanding health-care services in the village. The Civil Surgeon has committed to provide a Primary Health Centre and a hospital for the village within a month or as soon as the flood-water recedes.
In our proposal submitted to the Commissioner, the DM and the Civil Surgeon, we demanded for the appointment of ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) or trained mid-wives which is a provision of the National Rural Health Mission. The Civil Surgeon has ensured that the process for the appointment is on.
We pressed for the construction of community toilets in the village under in our presentations made to the DM, the Deputy Development Officer and the Executive Director for Public Heath Engineering, under the Total Sanitation Campaign. The DM assured to approve the construction of community toilets. The Executive Director PHED himself accompanied by a team of civil engineers visited the village on Oct 10 2007 on our behest. The construction of as many as 22,000 free toilets for BPL households has been sanctioned.
We also pressed for the provision of drinking water supply to the entire village by constructing a tank, under the Rajiv Gandhi Drinking Water Mission, as many water-borne diseases are common in the region. The land for the same has been demarcated by the PHED and the provision of a 10,000 litres capacity water tank has been sanctioned.

EDUCATION

Education facilities in the village are quite inadequate, with no high school. There is one major school in the village which has been cut off from the rest of the village due to water-logging. The school has ample area to be developed at least into a high school. Many children are yet to be enrolled into school despite having crossed the average enrollment age. Besides the handicaps of water-logging due to flood and incapability in crossing the river to reach school, lack of motivation among parents to educate their children is a major barrier to education. The state of primary education facilities, non-seriousness and non-cooperation of teaching and non-teaching staff, ignorance of procedure among people and misuse of this ignorance by the staff, lack of awareness and consciousness regarding the significance of education, lack of knowledge of government schemes to promote education, such as mid-day meals and provisions for assistance to the underprivileged children to continue education, suspension of school during major part of the year following the flood, poverty and impoverishment of people by flood, causing concerns like education to take a back-stage, with procurement of bare necessities of life occupying most of their time and energy, all collectively make education, even literacy a far-fetched dream.

The Initiative

· An awareness drive was launched to motivate people to send their children to schools. We interacted with over a thousand people in a week’s period and disseminated awareness regarding incentives related to education such as mid-day meal schemes. An enrolment drive was also launched to assist people to get their wards enrolled into schools

· The school in the village was visited to interact with the children and teachers. School bags and stationery items were distributed among the school children to encourage them to study.

· The mid-day meal scheme was not functioning properly in the village-school. Efforts were made to operationalise the scheme in the school by submitting a status report to the DM and Commissioner and interacting with the school authorities

· Issues of timely availability of books to the school children and irregularities in enrolment procedure were taken up in conversation with the school authorities

· YFE-DU will award 5 annual scholarships of Rs. 1000 each for meritorious students as an incentive for them to study and to support their sationery expenditure.

· A library has been set up for children with books on a vast range of subjects including Mathematics, English, Geography, Biology, Physics, and Sanskrit etc. YFE-DU has donated 500 books for the library and will donate Rs. 500 per month for the salary of a librarian who will assist the children in the studies of their choice.

· Efforts are on for getting the intermediate level school upgraded to a high school

ECONOMY

The problem of education and poverty are integrated to a large extent. The educational facilities in the village are inadequate at the primary level itself. They are further paralysed by the flood which makes normal functioning of schools much more difficult as large part of the village is cut off from the area where the school operates. There are no facilities for secondary level schooling. Thus obtaining education requires the villagers to send their wards outside the village which is restricted by the economic constraints as most of the villagers cannot afford to do so. Lack of proper education restricts employability and entrepreneurial skills in the villagers and thus the vicious circle of poverty and lack of education continues.

Most of the land that is occupied by villagers for housing or cultivation purposes is submerged during the floods.

In Taralahi, betel is cultivated on sixty acres of land which is above the level of flood. Around three hundred families earn their livelihood from betel cultivation. Betel is known to be possessing anti-carcinogenic properties. IIT-Kharagpur has developed a technology for processing betel to make mouth-fresheners and extract oil which is useful in medicinal preparations. If such a plant is set-up in Taralahi, it will make Taralahi an economically self-reliant village and provide full internal employment to its population. The only hindrance is the monkey-menace and certain plant diseases which destroy the crop. To overcome this problem, we made a presentation before the agriculture and forestry departments. Through their intervention, the plant disease has been identified and efforts to overcome the monkey-menace are on. The success of this initiative will set an unprecedented example of an economic self-reliance for the whole region.

We invite you to post your views here and help us in bringing prosperity to these backward regions of the country.

Orissa cuts OBC quota by 16%

2007-11-17T11:15:00.000+05:30

The Orissa government has decided to reduce reservation for backward classes from 27% to 11.25%, reducing quota in government jobs from 65.75% to 50%. It was done to comply with a Supreme Court ruling to cap reservation, chief secretary Ajit Tripathy said. Tripathy said the reservation for scheduled tribes and scheduled castes would continue to be 22.5% and 16.25%. "The cut in the quota is an interim decision," he remarked. The government is awaiting the apex court's verdict in a case about excess quota in Tamil Nadu, where the total reservation is 69%. In 1994, then chief minister Biju Patnaik had hiked the reservation for backward classes to 27% following the Centre's decision to fix reservation for OBC category at the same level. This resulted in the quota percentage touching 65.75 in the state.

2007-11-12T00:06:00.000+05:30

Recommend ST status for Gujjars, Rajasthan Govt. told

2007-11-11T18:15:00.000+05:30

THE HINDU

NEW DELHI: The chief patron of the All-India Gujjar Sangharsh Samiti, Delhi MLA Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, on Saturday described the Rajasthan Government’s decision to concede five of the six demands put forth at the November 3 Gujjar rally in Ramlila Grounds here as a “major victory for the community”.
Statement
In a statement here, Mr. Bidhuri claimed that the show of strength and unity put up by the community and its leaders during the massive rally in Delhi were the primary reason why the BJP Government in Rajasthan had yielded their demands.
Mr. Bidhuri said five of the major demands conceded by the Government include payment of Rs.5 lakh each to the families of the 30 people who had died during the Gujjar agitation; a government job for one person from the family of each of those killed; compensation between Rs.10,000 to Rs.1 lakh to those injured in the agitation and footing of their treatment expenses by the Vasundra Raje Scindia Government; withdrawal of cases against the Gujjar leaders and their community members registered during and after the agitation; and a judicial inquiry to look into the police firing that left around two dozen people dead.
One-man committee
The Rajasthan Government, he said, had informed the Gujjar leaders that on the demand for Scheduled Tribe status to the Gujjar leaders the one-man committee headed by Justice Jasraj Chopra was doing its job and the report was expected on time.
However, Mr. Bidhuri warned the Rajasthan Government that it should send the recommendation for granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Gujjars to the Union Government before December 15.
Failing this, he said, the community would be forced to launch a nation-wide agitation once again.
He hoped that the State Government would avoid any further confrontation on the issue and send its recommendation before the deadline.

JNUSU Election Result

2007-11-09T15:57:00.000+05:30

It is real heartfelt moment for the representatives of Youth For Equality to offer warm thanks from the core of heart to all the supporters of YFE and JNU community for reposing such enthusiastic faith and confidence in the agenda and effort of Youth For Equality. Thanking the supporters is not the exact expression of our feeling as with the single stroke of their vote JNU students have evoked the resilience of the youth power. The Youth For Equality is honored and overwhelmed with the massive support of the JNU student. We place our heartfelt complements to the entire JNU student community for being sided with Youth For Equality. The mandate also placed heavy responsibility on the shoulder of YFE also. We will try our best to meet the aspirations and futuristic model of development schemed by the youthful minds and voters of this university. The election result is a clear manifestation of rejection of desperate and divisive agendas of other parochial political parties. The desperate and divisive ideas coming from either left or right side of the aisle have seriously been questioned by the student community. Now the responsibility of the Youth For Equality has been increased in manifold and we will try our best to shoulder those responsibilities without any delay.

The votes pulled by our Central Panel in the JNUSU Elections 2007 are as follow:

The Youth For Equality has won nine councilor posts, the highest number of councilors by any single organization, one each in the School of Biotechnology (Himansu), School of Information Technology (Bikram Singh) and School of Physical Sciences (Pradeep), three in the School of Life Sciences (Nitin, Dibya and Shefali) and three in School of Computer and System Sciences (Shivam, Sandeep and Bipin). The agenda raised in our election manifesto will be covered to the possible extent over the year as the student community reposed faith in our capability.
Once in a while in a nation’s life, one organization like YFE emerges from the shadows and shatters the idyll. Suddenly the organization becomes the torch bearer of society amidst the wreckage of the past and the eyes of the representatives of the organization are surveying a grand tomorrow. The organization in this case YFE becomes a force, an idea that storms the minds and hearts of people, and forever shifts the centre of political gravity.

We hereby appeal all the youths of this nation to be united and raise their voice against these divisive forces to save this nation from further division. We will participate in all the student unions of all Indian Universities and will spread our views across the nation and justice will prevail on this land.

Youth for Equality Long Live! Social Justice Long live!

Ad-GURU Prahllad Kakar campaigning in JNUSU ELECTION for YFE candidates

2007-10-31T19:44:00.000+05:30

Lets make Ambedkar's vision a grand success

2007-10-31T14:56:00.000+05:30

Youth For equality is fighting against the cased based discrimination in society which is a threat to national integrity. Our honorable representatives in the parliament have left no stone unturned to implement the 27% reservation in higher educational institutions.But we a group of well meaning youths of this nation are fighting against this in Supreme Court and the hearing is still going on. We hope the justice will prevail in this land.

We appeal all the students of Jawahar lal Nehru University to exercise their democratic right to choose their representatives for JNUSU on 2nd November. Being a student of University like JNU which is considered to be the most sensitive about the socio economic issues of the nation, they should understand how hazardous this reservation policy to the society now and this policy is not going to benefit any common man of this society, instead it is acting in retrogressive manner. The poor is becoming poor and rich is becoming reacher. The students must understand the basic philosophy of reservation has been diluted to an infinite extent. The phenomenon of reservation was designed to uplift the underprivileged section of society by honorable Dr B.R. Ambedkar but now our divisive politicians are using it as a tool to gain their vote bank.

So we should respect our hero Dr Ambedkar’s view and make his vision a grand success and discourage these divisive forces to bring true equality into society.

YFE hereby reassures you, that we are committed to social justice and we very much support the phenomenon of reservation but we strongly oppose the way of its implementation for vote bank politics.

If Youth For Equality wins the election then a strong message will be conveyed to the politicians about our displeasure on the policy and this would definitely put a slap on the face of those who dared to divide us on caste line.

So friends come forward and support the candidates of youth for equality for JNUSU election:

Babita Sharma for president
Sujeet Kumar for Vice president
Swasti Rao for Gen-Secretary
Kumar Avijit for Joint Secretary

YFE PANNEL FOR JNUSU POLL

2007-10-27T12:12:00.000+05:30

Babita Sharma from School of Life Sciences For President
Sujeet Kumar from School of Biotechnology For Vice- president
Swasti Rao from School of International Studies For Gen- secretary
Kumar Abhijeet from School of Language For Joint Secretary

Govt in a fix over excluding creamy layer from OBC list

2007-10-25T18:24:00.000+05:30

It's a tough call for Lalu Prasad, M Karuna-nidhi, S Ramadoss and major OBC satraps to take. The Centre has to soon decide if castes, which have ceased to be backward, should be excluded from the ambit of reservation, in what could put them on the horns of a dilemma. The OBC list has not been revised for a purge since it came into force with Mandal Commission, even though section 11(1) of the National Commission for Backward Castes Act says that a revision be undertaken after every 10 years. Union social justice ministry is set to move a proposal to Cabinet Committee on political affairs for its view on the revision of OBC list. While governments have been chary of excluding the well-to-do castes from the ambit of quota for fear of political repercussions, the UPA regime is caught in choppy waters because the quota law promulgated for admission to backward castes in higher education is at stake. The SC observed that it was surprising that no exercise had been undertaken to identify those who had advanced after 13 years of Mandal-mandated reservations even though castes had been added to the OBC list regularly. There is a view in the government that it could be difficult to get the vexed law pass muster in the apex court if exclusion of those who have become "creamy layer" is not undertaken. When CCPA discusses the social justice ministry's proposal, it could be a tough call for the ruling UPA dominated by OBC outfits like Rashtriya Janata Dal, DMK and PMK. Agreeing for a revision is unlikely to be taken kindly by powerful OBCs, who would see it as a threat to the quota benefits they enjoy. These castes wield political clout as also a dominant voice in the UPA. OBC satraps have been loath to take such a decision for fear of inviting the wrath of their supporters. The consideration led to the quota law bypass the "creamy layer" concept by which the rich among the OBCs become ineligible for quota benefits. However, pitching against the proposal is not easy either, given that quota law itself is open to judicial scrutiny. It is already under a SC stay for nine months after a legal challenge from anti-quota lobby. Insiders, however, felt OBC leaders could still give their nod for revision as it would only be an in-principle approval to bolster the case in SC. Going by history, it is not an easy task to actually undertake the revision. As it happened under NDA regime in 2003 when Mandal Commission completed 10 years of implementation to necessitate the decennial revision. While social justice ministry empowered the NCBC to initiate the process, it proved a non-starter as states could not provide the commission with "requisite data to determine which castes had ceased to be backward".

YFE gears up for JNU polls

2007-10-23T23:12:00.000+05:30

FROM The Asian Age

New Delhi, Oct. 22: Anti-reservation group Youth For Equality is all prepared to get involved with the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students’ Union elections once again. The party had bagged third position in 2006 students’ union elections after the All-India Students’ Association (AISA) and Students’ Federation of India (SFI). In all, 16 students have filed their nominations from the party for the JNU union polls, which are scheduled to be held on November 2. The party has decided to focus more on campus issues than to take up international matter as is generally done by Left parties. "We have our clear visions and missions and we fight for what is directly related to the betterment of the students," said Youth For Equality coordinatior N. Agasti. "The students of JNU are required to realise importance of their votes, especially when higher education is getting deteriorated because of caste-based discrimination. No student till date has benefited from the caste-based reservations," he said. The party will fight for both union as well as councillors’ seats. On the implementation of the Lygdoh Committee report, the party has said that it is in favour of the recommendations. "We respect the committee’s suggestions and will abide by the administration’s ruling," he added.

TN already has highest reservation in the country

2007-10-23T23:10:00.000+05:30

23 Oct 2007, 0556 hrs IST , Swati Das , TNN
CHENNAI: A case against the Tamil Nadu quota is pending with the Madras High Court, which had earlier refused to stay the ordinance. The law will cover nearly 95% of the state's 34 lakh Muslims and 80% of its 37 lakh Christians. Five of the 142 backward classes identified by the Ambasankar Commission — Labbhai (including Maraikkar and Ruthar), Dekkini, Ansa, Sheikh and Syed — constitute 94.6% of Tamil Nadu's Muslim population. Tamil Nadu, which at 69% has the highest reservation in the country, is under the apex court's scanner for exceeding the 50% limit. Last year, a nine-judge bench said the state government's decision to put its reservation law under Schedule 9 to avoid judicial review, was incorrect. A smaller bench is now hearing the reservation issue.

TN House passes minority quota bill

2007-10-23T23:08:00.000+05:30

23 Oct 2007, 0558 hrs IST , SWATI DAS , TNN
CHENNAI: An ordinance issued by the Tamil Nadu government last month reserving 3.5% of the seats in state and private educational institutions and government jobs for backward class Christians and Muslims, received the assembly’s sanction on Monday. The Madras high court has so far refused to stay the ordinance unlike the quota bill for Muslims in schools and universities passed by the Andhra Pradesh assembly that was stayed by the Supreme Court last month. Reservation under the Tamil Nadu Backward Class Christians and Backward Class Muslims Bill is within the 30% reservation for 142 different backward classes in the state. The new law comes into force with retrospective effect from September 15. The ordinance was promulgated three days earlier. "It’s a golden day in the history of the state assembly and social justice," said chief minister M Karunanidhi, who introduced the bill, which was passed by voice vote. Karunanidhi said the bill was based on the report submitted by Tamil Nadu Second Backward Classes Commission headed by J A Ambasankar in 1985. The ruling DMK’s allies — Congress, Left and PMK — welcomed the Bill.

Caste headcount in IITs and IIMs

2007-10-20T00:40:00.000+05:30

The Centre is counting students from Other Backward Classes who have made it to the IITs and the IIMs to "prove" that the premier institutes have been out of reach for most.
The government believes the headcount — of students over the past decade — will show that far fewer than 27 per cent OBC candidates have made it to the Indian institutes of technology and the Indian institutes of management without reservation.
This information will be used by additional solicitor-general Gopal Subramanium to argue in the Supreme Court in favour of reservation, top government sources have revealed. Subramanium is the government counsel in the OBC quota case.
"The census of OBCs will help prove that students from these communities, which form 27 per cent of the country's population, have received far less representation at these institutes," a source at the ministry of human resource development said.
All six IIMs, seven IITs and Banaras Hindu University (BHU), which admits students based on the IIT entrance tests, have been asked to provide lists of all students over the past 10 years.
The IITs and BHU have already sent the lists, officials said. The IIMs, which had taken on the government over the quota law, are yet to do so. They are being given more time because they are going through administrative changes.
Directors of IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore retired this month, and senior professors are in charge of the administration. The director of IIM Calcutta is due to retire by November.
Since admission forms have never had a separate column identifying OBC students, ministry officials are painstakingly counting the numbers based on the students' names.
Initial counting, an official said, suggested that OBCs formed around 10 per cent of the student population at IITs.
The ministry has also asked all technical institutes — including private engineering, management, medicine and architecture schools — to provide information on seats that lie vacant.
"While the IITs and IIMs have said no general category seats ever remain vacant, data from some of the other colleges show they have vacant general category seats," an official said.
This data, the government hopes, will help buttress its claim that lowering the cut-off marks for OBCs would help colleges fill their seats.
Some senior officials, however, are learnt to have warned that the OBC "census" and the count of vacant seats may backfire on the government. The anti-quota lobby would use this data to back its claim that OBCs were "inherently less meritorious", they fear.
The government decision to introduce a quota for OBCs in institutes of higher education from the current academic session had been challenged in court, which ordered a stay.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071019/asp/nation/story_8452430.asp

YFE in JNUSU Election

2007-10-19T21:48:00.000+05:30

Dear Friends
Youth For Equality is contesting in JNUSU election to be held on 2nd November.Your helping hand is highly anticipated to ensure victory of YFE and to drive out Divisive forces.
Please Join hands to make India free from caste discrimination. Please put your best possible efforts to spread this message among all, who are studying in JNU.

Day Scholars of JNU are requested to realize the importance of their votes, when higher education is getting deteriorated because of caste based discrimination. Please don't observe a holiday on polling day.

we will let you know the names of candidates after 23rd October.

You can mail us the details of the student whom you know in JNU.

Rich list fodder for quota fire -1 in 3 OBCs is wealthy

2007-10-12T11:12:00.000+05:30

One in three Other Backward Class households across India maintains a lifestyle and assets representing the highest and second highest wealth brackets, the latest national family health survey has revealed.
While 36 per cent of OBC households are in the highest and second highest wealth quintiles, this proportion is 26 per cent for Scheduled Castes, and only 13 per cent for Scheduled Tribes, the NFHS 2006 has said. The proportion of general category households is 58.5 per cent.
“As far as economic status is concerned, the OBCs are much better off than the SCs or STs,” said Kamala Gupta, professor of urban studies at the International Institute of Population Sciences and chief co-ordinator of the survey.
The proportion of wealthy OBCs has become a controversial issue since the government announced last year it would introduce 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in educational institutions. While anti-reservation activists have been demanding a reservation system that takes into account wealth, the government has maintained that it is not in favour of excluding “creamy layer” OBCs from reservations.
“This data could be used to argue that there is a creamy layer within the OBCs,” said Rajni Palriwala, professor of sociology at the University of Delhi.
The findings are consistent with other surveys that suggest that the general category dominates the highest wealth quintiles, followed by the OBCs, SCs, and STs, in that sequence, Palriwala said.
The survey covering some 100,000 households also found that 40 per cent belong to OBCs, 19 per cent to SCs and 8 per cent to STs. The proportion of the OBCs has increased from 32 per cent in the last NFHS 1999.
“The proportion of SC and ST households has more or less remained the same. We can’t say exactly why the OBC proportion is higher. It may be because of higher fertility or because more people are now claiming OBC status,” Gupta said.
Instead, the survey has shown that the total fertility rate — the average number of children per woman in reproductive age group — is the highest among STs (3.12), followed by SCs (2.92) and the OBC groups (2.75).
Higher proportions of men and women from the OBC category have completed 12 years of schooling compared to men and women from SC and ST groups, the survey said.
The survey did not seek income information, but used a set of 33 assets and housing features to determine the lifestyle of a household. A car, a colour TV, a computer, a cot and an animal-drawn car were among assets evaluated. To assess housing, the survey analysed flooring and roofing, material of exterior walls, number of household members sleeping per room, among others.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071012/asp/nation/story_8426243.asp

Reservation has to pass the test of rationality, fairness: SC

2007-10-11T23:36:00.000+05:30

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that the law providing 27 per cent quota to OBCs in central educational institutions has to pass the test of equality and fairness. "The touchstone of rationality and fairness is the test which the law providing reservation has to pass," a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan observed when the Centre contended that quota for the backward classes was recognised by the Constitution. "Equality and fairness has to be there," the Bench said cautioning that the targeted group of beneficiary comes from the so-called creamy layer. The Bench also said that traditional occupation by which the persons' caste was recognised could not be the ground in the present scenario to identify the backwardness of a person. It said many people of other castes were now opening beauty parlours which was the occupation of the people belonging to traditional barbar community. "The defined occupations are not applicable in the present scenario to identify the socially and educationally Backward Classes," the Bench, which is examining the validity of the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006, observed. "The Varna classification cannot apply now," the Bench said. Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium was arguing that it was wrong to say that reservation was total anathema to the Constitution as contended by the anti-quota petitioners. The court also said that perhaps no systematic survey was done for the identification of backward classes after the 1931 census when Pakistan, Bangladesh were part of India.

Youth for Equality has joined hands with ace filmmaker Shekhar Kapoor and talented actor Nandita Das.

2007-10-04T19:16:00.000+05:30

The Hindu 04 Oct 2007

In an effort to bring today’s youth closer to “Gandhigiri”, Youth for Equality has joined hands with ace filmmaker Shekhar Kapoor and talented actor Nandita Das.

YFE in collaboration with the Karadi Tales Company Private Limited has released an audio book version of Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography titled “The Story of My Experiments with Truth”.
While Shekhar is Gandhi’s voice in the book, Nandita provides the narrative.

The audio book was released in Mumbai on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
“We plan to promote this venture among the youth. We believe this would be one of the best media to make today’s youth understand the concepts of peace and non violence,” said N. Agasti, a coordinator of the Delhi University chapter of YFE.
-- Parul Sharma
http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/04/stories/2007100451460300.htm

Youth For Equality Join Hands With Shekhar Kapur And Nandita Das To Spread The Message of Gandhigiri

2007-10-03T02:07:00.000+05:30

On the auspicious occasion of Gandhi Jayanti “Youth For Equality” (YFE) join hands with Shekhar Kapoor and Nandita Das in an effort to bring today’s youth closer to Mahatma Gandhi. YFE in collaboration with The Karadi Tales Company has released an audio book version of Mahatma Gandhi’s Autobiography: “The Story Of My Experience With Truth”Shekhar Kapur is the voice of Gandhi. Nandita Das provides a splendid narrative that is a backdrop to Gandhi’s life. that includes momentous songs and background scores. Best known for his Oscar nominated film "Elizabeth", film maker and actor

YFE has plans to promote this venture among the Youth through its websites, Communities and groups from where this audio book can be downloaded. Also a series of events will be organized across various Institutes and Universities of higher learning to promote this programme among the student Community.

We believe, this would be one of the best media to make today’s youth understand that Peace and Non violence: An Effective tool to achieve equality in society.

The audio book can be downloaded from http://www.karaditales.com/gandhi/yfe.htm

'Quota should not be based on religion'

2007-09-29T11:02:00.000+05:30

An SC Bench comprising Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan and Justices RV Raveendran and VS Sirpurkar on Friday halted Andhra Pradesh government's move to further admissions to educational institutions under the 4% Muslim quota law. "In other states, Muslim communities are included in the regular OBC list, not on the basis of their religion, but because they are socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC). When you identify a class of people needing reservation, you do so on the basis of their backwardness, not on the basis of their religion. "It appears that when you (AP) were identifying the backward, you had Muslims in mind," the SC Bench elaborated on its reasoning. Vahanvati cited a few communities which had been given the benefit on the basis of reports of the Krishnan Committee and the Sachar Committee and said these sections are the poorest of the poor among Muslims and deserved to get the benefit of the social affirmative action. The Bench said while one could not question the poorest of the poor being included in the SEBC list to avail quota benefits, in the instance at stake, it appeared that "they are getting the benefit on the basis of religion" through this legislation. Unsuccessful in their attempt to dilute the court's impression, Vahanvati and Jaising requested the court to fix the matter for further hearing on Monday without staying the admissions and assured it that the government would report back with the clarifications the Bench wanted. Instead, the court posted the petition filed by T Muralidhar Rao for hearing on October 5 and ordered that till then, no further admission under the new law would take place. It, however, clarified that those already admitted would not be disturbed. Salve pointed out a dichotomy vis-a-vis the poorest of the poor argument advanced by the AP government and said the state had fixed the creamy layer cut-off limit at Rs 4 lakh, meaning thereby that those having an annual income of less than Rs 4 lakh were eligible for reservation. He said the Centre had put an annual income limit of Rs 2.5 lakh to exclude the creamy layer.

SC stays Andhra Muslim quota

2007-09-29T11:01:00.000+05:30

In a major setback to the YSR Reddy government, Supreme Court on Friday halted further admission to educational institutions in Andhra Pradesh under the 4% Muslim quota law, criticising it as an attempt to get around the constitutional prohibition of reservation on the ground of religion. Brushing aside repeated pleas by the state through Solicitor-General GE Vahanvati and senior advocate Indira Jaising not to stop admissions, the court questioned the wisdom of the state in coming out with a reservation law only for the Muslim community. A Bench comprising Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan and Justices RV Raveendran and VS Sirpurakar wondered as to why the state did not follow the other states that provided reservation for the backward among Muslims by including them in the OBC list. The setback for the state government came after petitioner's counsel Harish Salve strongly argued against the Muslim quota. "The AP Reservation in Favour of SEBCs of Muslim Act, 2007, was a thinly disguised communal reservation legislation running counter to the constitutional mandate," he said. This is the second time that the apex court has thrown a legal spanner in the Andhra Pradesh government's plans to introduce a Muslim quota. The Bench made it clear that it was not against Muslims being given quota benefits on ground of backwardness (as other states have done); its opposition was to the use of religion as the consideration.

SC: What's top priority, schools or quota?

2007-09-28T17:17:00.000+05:30

The gradual reduction in central contribution to universalisation of primary education in contrast to its willingness to spend Rs 36,000 crore to create infrastructure to accommodate 27% OBC quota made the Supreme Court on Thursday ask the Centre to specify its priority — children's education or reservation. This query from a five-judge bench headed by chief justice K G Balakrishnan, which is hearing a bunch of PILs challenging the validity of the quota law, came after it noticed that the central share in elementary education programmes in the states had come down from 80% to 50% over the years. "If you cannot meet 80% of the funds required for elementary education, why spend Rs 36,000 crore on higher education? This money could be put in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to empower all children. What is your primary requirement — right to education or social empowerment?" said the bench, also comprising justices Arijit Pasayat, CK Thakker, RV Raveendran and Dalveer Bhandari.

Wriggling out of a difficult situation on which the court wanted him to take a stand, solicitor-general GE Vahanvati said for the government, right to education guaranteed under Article 21A and social empowerment provided under Articles 15 and 16 were equally important as both were fundamental rights of the citizens. "We cannot look at Article 21A and ignore Articles 15 and 16. The measures to achieve results under both spheres have to go hand-in-hand and simultaneously," he said. The court said the government was free to decide its policies, but would do well to consider whether grant of money for universalisation of education would not benefit the backward class. "If you do not give money to fulfil the mandate to universalise elementary education, then 60% of the children belonging to backward classes will be deprived of education. Will they be able to take advantage of reservation in higher education under 27% OBC quota," the bench asked. The foundation was not visible, yet the government was trying to spend money on giving the building an oil paint finish, the bench remarked, summing up its views on the debate. However, the bench clarified, saying: "We are not doubting the Centre's sincerity towards elementary education." Asked about the time-limit that the Centre had fixed for the 27% OBC quota, the SG said the measure was started 60 years after India gained Independence and hence, the question of fixing a time-limit on this social affirmative action did not arise at this stage. "Time-limit cannot be conceived at present when we have started it after 60 years. If Parliament at a later stage finds that a large number of backward class people have socially advanced through this measure, it will consider it at that point of time," he said. Concluding his arguments, Vahanvati said the 27% OBC quota in no way affected the seats available for the general category and hence the court should give the green signal to this social engineering mechanism.

Quota law will perpetuate caste system’

2007-09-20T13:19:00.000+05:30

A disaster to say caste will be starting point to identify SEBCs: Nariman
New Delhi: The OBC quota law “which says the starting point for identification of socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs) is through caste, will result in perpetuation of the caste system in the country,” senior advocate Fali Nariman argued in the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
The importance of Article 15 (1) (non-discrimination on grounds only of caste) “is that we must strive towards the ideal of a casteless society.” But the quota law would perpetuate something which Article 15 (1) “expressly forbids,” he told a Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan.
The Bench is hearing petitions questioning the 93rd Constitution Amendment and the OBC quota law enacted under it.
Appearing for P.V. Indiresan and others, Mr. Nariman said, “It will be a disaster to say that caste will be the starting point to identify the SEBCs. The phrase ‘special provision’ in Article 15 (5), not found in Article 16 (4) [providing reservation], needs to be given its due importance. The ‘special provision’ may include a provision for reservation but not necessarily so — the absence of the word ‘reservation’ in Article 15 (5) and its inclusion in Article 16 (4) are significant.”
Counsel said, “The ‘special provision’ has to be reasonable as not being excessive if there be reservation, and should be limited for a defined period — not for all time to come: must not be unreasonable, excessive or extravagant.”Identification criteria
The assumption that the SEBCs had to be identified from some readily available data such as caste was not well founded. “It is not as if caste has always been the starting point for determination of the SEBCs. There are other criteria sufficient to identify backward groups or communities, for example, income of the family — below the poverty line; educational status; location of residence — rural or urban area; type of living accommodation —kutcha house or no house/rented — urban/rural; occupation or profession of father/guardian — landless, unskilled labourer, etc.”
The backward classes would have to be identified with reference to one or more of these criteria. When so identified, those grouped together would then (and not until then) form a class of citizens “who are socially and educationally backward.” And “you [government] give them free education, scholarship, free books and some other inducements,” counsel said. The ‘special provision’ was not one which could be applied exclusively to certain categories from among Hindus alone. “There are a whole lot of people in other religions who are equally backward. What do you do with those backward classes in other religions?”
Mr. Nariman said the state could not justify ignoring altogether the advancement of the rest of society. Reasonableness was the touchstone of a ‘special provision.’
When the 27 per cent quota law specifically provided for identification of backward classes after proper determination, not doing so would render it unconstitutional. “It is sheer hypocrisy to say that caste will be the starting point for identification of class but, at the same time, you don’t want to have a caste census.”
Mr. Nariman told the judges, “This is not one more case for the Supreme Court to decide. The future of this country is in your hands and you have to lay down guidelines to ensure a casteless society.”

Historical discrimination cannot justify reservation: counsel

2007-09-19T17:54:00.000+05:30

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi: Historical discrimination of certain classes cannot by itself be a factor for determining the beneficiaries of the 27 per cent OBC quota law, senior counsel Rajeev Dhavan argued in the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The correct approach “is to look at the continuing wrong, not past discrimination which was inflicted by other generation for which the present generation cannot be forced to pay the price,” Mr. Dhavan, appearing for the All-India Equality Forum, told a Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan.

The Bench, which includes Justices Arijit Pasayat, C.K. Thakker, R.V. Raveendran and Dalveer Bhandari, is hearing a batch of petitions questioning the 93rd Constitution Amendment and the OBC quota law enacted under the amendment .

Pointing out that vast changes had taken place in the country since the Mandal Commission used the demographic statistics of the 1931 Census, counsel said, “We are concerned with the present as reflected by the past and not to provide equities for historical discrimination except to the extent to which it continues.”

If the present quota law was implemented, it would result in “reverse discrimination.”

“Quotas are not a punishment for the non-reserved category. Reverse discrimination arises when the criteria for identification or the extent of affirmative action is structured in such a manner that the non-beneficiaries who are better qualified are deprived of their entitlement in ways that are unfair.”

Elaborating, Mr. Dhavan said, “If the structural balance of equality in the light of efficiency is disturbed and individual rights [are] encroached upon by excessive support for group expectations, this would amount to reverse discrimination.”

It was not necessary that affirmative action should only take the form of quotas.

“Quotas are mandatory only in respect of political representation made in favour of SCs/STs and Anglo-Indians in Parliament and the State legislatures but discretionary in all other respects.”

Mr. Dhavan faulted the quota law, saying there was a total lack of criteria for identifying the socially and economically backward class status, and caste was being used as a criterion to excite vote banks. “Twenty seven per cent has been mandated on the basis of a criteria and calculation which does not exist. The principles of exclusion and inclusion affect not just the well-off but also the poor, the salaried sector, lower income and middle income families and groups, which have insufficient disposable incomes to address educational concerns other than those offered in India on merit.”

Mr. Dhavan will continue his submissions on Wednesday.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/19/stories/2007091961601300.htm

Youth For Equality,made their presence in DUSU

2007-09-13T00:24:00.000+05:30

NEW DELHI: Continuing its winning streak for the third consecutive year, the students’ wing of Congress, National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), on Saturday swept the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections, with its candidates winning all four key posts. It defeated closest rival, BJP-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), by a huge margin of 2,000-4,000 votes. Not only did the ladies adding to the glamour quotient — Amrita Bahari and Khushboo Sharma — win the posts of president and joint secretary respectively, but even their so-called "tainted" candidate, Devraj Tehlan — who was caught distributing liquor among voters a day before polling in a private television channel sting operation — bagged the vice-presidential post. His other colleague, Manish Choudhary, became DUSU secretary. Polling 10,589 votes, Amrita was the clear winner as she defeated ABVP’s Abhishek’s Tandon by 4,344 votes. Tehlan, whose name was floated many months ago for his contribution to the party, bagged only 8,963 votes. ABVP’s Suman Lata got just 3,517 votes. Soon after Tehlan was announced the winner, he jumped with joy and sprinted out of the counting venue — the sting operation had left him and his party colleagues particularly edgy. The party will, however, probe into the charges levelled against him. "If Tehlan is found guilty, disciplinary action will be taken against him," said outgoing DUSU president Amrita Dhawan. NSUI’s Manish Chaudhary, who maintained a low profile in the polls, too made a good showing with 7,906 votes and defeated ABVP’s Renu by 3,735 votes. All NSUI candidates beat their closest rivals with a good margin of more than 3,500 votes — except for Khushboo Sharma who beat her nearest contender, Manvender Singh, with a slim margin of 2,159 votes. Last year, NSUI had bagged all key DUSU posts, barring that of the vice-presidential post, which went to ABVP, whereas in 2005, it had won all four key positions. Apart from the two key players, other parties like Indian National Student’s Organisation (INSO), the students’ wing of Indian National Lok Dal, and the anti-reservation party, Youth For Equality (YFE), made their presence felt with an unexpected strong showing. But United Students’ Front (USF), the newly formed alliance of four parties, Students’ Federation of India, Chhatra Lok Janshakti, Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha and Ambedkar Students’ Organisation failed to make a mark in the polls. An independent woman candidate, Khushboo, managed to get an impressive 1,631 votes in the race for president’s post, while YFE’s Divyanshu Asopa grabbed the third slot for the vice-presidential elections. INSO’s Dinesh polled 3,556 votes and occupied the third slot in the race for the secretarial post, while Ambika Rai of SFI came third in the race for the post of joint secretary, polling 2,948 votes.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Delhi/NSUI_third_time_lucky_in_DU_polls/articleshow/2351720.cms

SC concerned over increased number of backward castes

2007-09-13T00:16:00.000+05:30

New Delhi, Sept 12: The Supreme Court Wednesday expressed concern over the increased number of castes that figure in the backward classes list for reservations in jobs and educational institutions. "Is there a list of total number of castes," asked a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan while observing "it is strange that when we do not have an outer limit we are adding more castes in the list". The court`s remark came when senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for anti-quota petitioners, said the `creamy layer` eats away into reservation and a backward castes remains a backward class despite the country making economic advancement. "India is shining but backwardness is increasing rapidly with number of backward castes," he said and elaborated that only reason for adding more and more castes can be elections in mind. "The policy of reservation is intended for obtaining votes at the elections," Venugopal said before the bench which is examining the constitutional validity of the Central Educational Institution (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006, providing 27 per cent quota for OBCs in educational institutions. He gave the example of recent Uttar Pradesh assembly election in which Bahujan Samaj Party came to power with 206 seats with a mere difference of four per cent of votes as against its nearest rival Samajwadi Party. The senior advocate said so far as backward class are concerned, by giving them benefit on quid pro quo basis it would be possible for a political party to obtain a large percentage of bloc votes as each caste consist of an identifiable group of voters.
http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?rep=2&aid=394464&sid=NAT&ssid=&news=SC%20concerned%20over%20increased%20number%20of%20castes%20in%20backward%20list

It's turn of upper caste to suffer, TN Govt tells SC

2007-09-11T10:37:00.000+05:30

QUOTA NORM: The Supreme Court has asked Govt to spell out norms for reservation policy:
New Delhi: Having put on hold 27 per cent quota for OBCs in Central educational institutions, the Supreme Court on Thursday wanted to know whether Government could spell out norms for going ahead with its reservation policy and submit a fact-sheet to it.
"Can the court not ask the Central Government to justify with factual situation for continuing with the reservation policy," a five-judge Constitution Bench which is examining the validity of law providing 27 quota for OBCs in Central educational institutions, said.
"Certain norms have to be laid down as a policy," the Bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan said when the anti-quota petitioners said some parameters have to be kept in mind while making a mandatory law for quota.
While senior advocate Harish Salve was pressing that the concept of equality as defined in the Constitution cannot be given a go-by, the Bench remarked that "the government was bound by the recommendation of the National Commission of Backward Caste (NCBC)."
Salve submitted that if the statute calls for reservation for a class, then it (class) has to be identified and government must come out with the parameters about backwardness.
"There are various tiers for backwardness," he said before the Bench, also comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat, CK Thakker, RV Raveendran and Dalveer Bhandari.
While Salve had strong opposition to the Central Educational Institution (Reservation for Admission) Act, 2006, senior advocate K Parasaran, appearing for the Tamil Nadu Government said: "They (upper caste) dominated for centuries and now they should suffer."
At this, the Bench said suppose only 10 per cent people were the oppressor, then why the 90 per cent people should suffer now. Salve also said it cannot be said if Brahmins have oppressed others in Tamil Nadu for years, now it was their turn.
The senior advocate said special provision providing quota to OBCs has to be the act of balance for social engineering. "The identification of OBC must be based on sociological and statistical data. It cannot be on personal expression, data or hunches," he said adding that "political compulsions are driving the reservation policy."
"The legislative and executive action has to be based on established data and what is indisputably the measure of social engineering," he said.
However, "the system is misfiring," he said and elaborated it further by stating that government has not done anything in the post-Indra Sawhney judgement (Mandal case) for identifying the 'Creamy Layer' among the OBCs to exclude them from the benefit of reservation.
"Creamy Layer has no place in the reservation system," he said maintaining that "reservation has become a measure for entrenched right."
Salve said selection of caste for reservation would further perpetuate caste system which then would destroy the purpose of quota by way of special provision.
"If you start with caste, then ensure periodic revision for extending the benefits of reservation," he said, adding that while moving from caste to homogeneous class, the Creamy Layer has to be excluded.
Tracing the history of reservation, Salve said in the pre-1931 Census, people used to plead to be registered as forward case and now reverse was happening.
The court by its March 29 order had stayed the implementation of the law providing 27 per cent quota stating that the data based on a 76-year-old Census cannot be the determining factor for affirmative action.

Battle lines drawn at Delhi University

2007-09-05T15:30:00.000+05:30

Battle lines drawn at Delhi University
Parul Sharma

Most of the students’ outfits yet to release their manifesto

Youth for Equality gets author-motivator Shiv Khera to address students
United Students asking students to rank the different issues related to the University

NEW DELHI: As the date for Delhi University Students’ Union elections nears, all the students’ organisations in the race are getting into battle mode.

While candidates of the different organisations visited various colleges as part of their campaigning on Monday, Youth for Equality roped in author-motivator Shiv Khera to address students on the North Campus. After addressing the students, Mr. Khera formed a human chain with the students and marched some distance with them.

Meanwhile, YFE has also called off its strike after “the administration gave a written assurance that it will follow the model code of conduct of the University in totality,” claimed Amit Kumar Singh, a representative of its Delhi University chapter.

While most other organisations like Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the National Students’ Union of India, the Students’ Federation of India and the Indian National Students’ Organisation will release their manifestoes in a day or two, YFE unveiled its manifesto on Sunday.

Apart from calling for a public debate and mobilising public opinion on all issues like caste-based reservation or inequality and suggesting alternative solutions to the quota problem, YFE has raised a number of campus issues as well.

From starting a helpline for students to checking of “unregulated” fee-hike, from provision of accommodation to all students to setting up a 24 X 7 food plaza on the campus, from making the internal assessment mechanism “more transparent” to making the campus “more gender sensitive” are some of the issues that find mention in the manifesto.

“The present student outfits backed by the main political parties never have a voice of their own. We want a students’ voice, which only the YFE can provide. In strict accordance with the model code of conduct, YFE has adopted such mode of campaigning that will not violate any rule or regulation,” said Amit. United Students has claimed that it might not release a manifesto this year as all the problems that the group had highlighted last year were “still valid”. Its members were conducting a survey asking students to rank the different issues related to the University.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/05/stories/2007090553390400.htm

Survey shows OBCs are actually better off

2007-09-01T09:30:00.000+05:30

In the backdrop of the Supreme Court debate on a quota in education for Other Backward Classes, the findings of a government survey that OBCs’ monthly per capita expenditure is close to the national average, and in some states even better than the general category, could give the issue a new twist.

In rural India, where a majority of the OBC population resides, the monthly expenditure of an OBC family is Rs 556, just Rs 2 less than the national average, a National Sample Survey Organisation report says. “In urban areas, they are closer to the national average than any other social group,” the report, which was released on Friday, adds.

In comparison, the monthly expenditure of Scheduled Castes and Tribes in rural areas is far lower. The SCs spend Rs 474 per month and the STs Rs 426. The general category spends Rs 685 per month. The monthly expenditure of all socio-economic groups in urban areas is better due to availability of jobs.

The report also springs some surprises with state-wise comparisons. For instance, OBCs have the highest per capita monthly expenditure at Rs 635 in West Bengal, about Rs 50 more than the general category.

The situation is similar in Assam and Manipur. In Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir, the difference is just a few rupees.

In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where OBCs make up more than 50 per cent of the population, the difference is Rs 100. But in the more prosperous states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, which have a similar demography, the difference is close to Rs 200.

The reason for OBCs’ higher income can be attributed to their being self-employed and owning agricultural land, like the general category population. The SC/STs are mostly agriculture labourers, the report indicates.

Akhil Mathur of the Council for Economic and Social Research explains that even traditionally, OBCs have had landholdings, though less than the upper castes. Landownership figures in the report show the percentage of OBCs and

general category members owing up to two hectares of land is quite similar. But in case of holdings that are more than two hectares, the balance tilts in favour of the latter.

With good landholdings, the report indicates that OBCs’ food consumption habits are also much better than those of other social groups.

“The SCs are the most disadvantaged group when it comes to landholdings,” the report states.

The report concludes by saying the average standard of living of SCs and STs is on the lower side in comparison to OBCs and the general category.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=39dc277a-b17f-4983-b10b-49adc65478b6

Youth For Equality Candidates for DUSU

2007-09-01T02:05:00.000+05:30

DIVYANSHU ASOPA for Vice President Ballot No: 3
IInd Yr Information Technology
Delhi College of Engineering

DISHA PANNU for Secretary Ballot No: 2
Ist Year LLB
Campus Law Centre(CLC)

VOTE for YFE
................................ to make a difference

Youth for Equality makes its debut in DUSU polls

2007-08-29T10:49:00.000+05:30

The Hindu

Fields candidates for the posts of four office-bearers
“Greater appeal than NSUI, ABVP on the campus”
“We support right causes, don’t care for results”
NEW DELHI: From acting as a pressure group since March-May last year to contesting the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union elections last year, it was a natural progression for the Youth for Equality forum to make its debut in Delhi University this year.
Buoyed by its “moderate success” in the JNU students’ union elections in 2006 and the “solid work” it has done in the past year, Youth for Equality is fielding its candidates for the posts of four office-bearers in the Delhi University Students’ Union elections due on September 7.
“In terms of resources we might not be able to be at par with the National Students’ Union of India or Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, but we definitely have greater appeal than both of them on the campus,” claimed YFE coordinator for Delhi University Chapter Amit Kumar Singh.
Claiming that TFE’s appeal was much wider with post-graduate students than the undergraduate ones, he said: “Last year, when we contested the JNUSU elections for the first time, we stood second on the posts of general secretary and joint secretary and lost the president’s post by only 94 votes. We have been working on the campus and staged a lot of demonstrations on several issues where no other students’ organisation stepped in. The post-graduate students have seen our work and know us better as compared with those who have just joined the University.”
In the past, YFE has claimed that its coordinators facilitated admission of children of slum dwellers and the University’s employees to nearby Government schools and Sarvodaya Vidyalayas.
YFE also ran a campaign spreading general awareness on health, education and the Right to Information Act in about 200 villages of western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
“No promises”
“We are not making any promises to the electorate or else there will not be much difference between us and the others. We want to show the students what our work has been in the past. We will tell them that ours is an outfit that has only students’ representation without any political patronage and they can join us if they want to stand up for real issues,” says Shashank Shekhar, the presidential candidate for DUSU fielded by YFE.
“We support the right causes and don’t care for the results” is the motto of Disha Pannu, a student of Campus Law Centre who is contesting the post of secretary.
“I have spent five years in the University and I have never seen these big student organisations working. It is easy to sit in an air-conditioned room and criticise the Government. If we want to solve the problems faced by the students, we have to get up and take action on it. We want to reform the students’ union,” she declared.
It is the same enthusiasm that propelled Divyanshu Asopa, a student of the Delhi College of Engineering, to throw his hat into the ring. “I wanted to enter the system and change it. It is difficult to manage engineering along with campus politics, but where there is a will there is a way. I have participated in a lot of activities organised by YFE. Different colleges have different issues and we will be aiming at addressing all of them,” says the 20-year-old DUSU vice-presidential candidate.

Parliamentary panel for quota in higher judiciary

2007-08-18T11:43:00.000+05:30

NEW DELHI: In a suggestion that will bring the higher judiciary into the ambit of quota conundrum, a Parliamentary committee has recommended reservation for Supreme Court and High Court judges. Contending that the recommendation was within the provisions of the Constitution, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice in its report said the Constitution "has to be read and interpreted harmoniously and holistically" and Articles 124 and 247 have to be read with Articles 14 and 15(4). "Without needing any further Constitutional amendment, the provision for reservation in the higher judiciary has been already included in Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution," it said. Calling for quota for SCs, STs and OBCs in the higher judiciary "to meet the ends of social justice and equity," the report says there is no reason why judiciary too should not represent the reality of social milieu in which it has been created. "When the Executive and Legislature are brought under the ambit of Constitutional reservation, it is but natural that Judiciary, the third pillar of democracy, should also be covered by the principle of reservation," Committee chairman E M Sudarsana Natchiappan told reporters here. "Otherwise, it creates a dubious distinction among the three pillars of democracy. This is the major rationale regarding reservation in judiciary," Natchiappan said. The caste-based reservation already exists for the judges of subordinate courts. Questioning the higher judiciary for "not taking a broader view" of society while appointing judges, the Committee goes on to say, "Through a shrewd process of manipulation, the Indian judiciary has been keeping the competent persons of the downtrodden communities from the purview of appointment of judges. "This nexus and manipulative judicial appointments have to be broken. Reservation in judiciary is the only answer," it points out. The Committee also cites the National Commission to Review Working of the Constitution to prove its point. "In higher judiciary, the representation of SCs, STs and OBCs is inadequate. Out of 610 judges in various high courts, there are hardly about 20 judges belonging to the SCs and STs," the Commission has observed. Hinting that persons of the same upper caste and community were always climbing the ladder of judicial hierarchy, the Committee also cites an apex court judgement of 1993 in its favour. "Even today, there are complaints that generations of men from the same family or caste, community or religion, are being sponsored and initiated and appointed as judges, thereby creating a new theory of judicial relationship," the apex court had observed.

SC Bench says quota must end

2007-08-17T16:49:00.000+05:30

NDTV Correspondent
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 (New Delhi)
The Supreme Court has asked whether the reservation policy will go on without any time frame. The observation was made by a five-judge Bench while hearing the ongoing OBC quota case.''After 10 years or after a century, one day reservation must come to an end,'' the Bench said.The SC made the observation when petitioner's counsel Harish Salve argued that quota issue can go on without any time frame.Earlier, the apex court stayed the 27 per cent OBC quota for the current academic year in the central higher educational institutions like the IIT and IIM and the Centre's plea to vacate the plea has come to a cropper thrice.

YFE DU takes on DUSU

2007-08-13T01:05:00.000+05:30

Rallies, Dharnas, Hunger Strikes, Supreme Court cases!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Each and every democratic tool available brought in use. BUT IS THE GOVERNMENT LISTENING?
Most probably not.
So that the government can't bury our voice and the justice prevail, we, YOUTH FOR EQUALITY, in continuation of our opinion building exercise, have decided to take on the politicians and fight DUSU election. It is of paramount importance for us to gather a huge mandate to awaken the sleeping Casteist politicians. It is our attempt to show that the mandate of the people is for the peace and harmony, and not for the divisive agenda of the politicians.

With this goal in our mind and your support, we shall tread this unexplored territory of Student Politics.

To kick start our campaign, a Signature campaign has been launched, where we seek the signatures of the students of various universities on the issue of caste based reservation, to be sent to the President of India.

For signature campaign forms, you can contact:

Hemant. Ph no. 9871978304. 78, Jubilee Hall, Delhi University. Delhi-110007

Nagender: Ph no. 9868700361. 210, D.S. Kothari Hostel, Delhi University. Delhi-110007

Abhishek: Ph no. 9810404037, 321, Mansarovar Hostel, Delhi University. Delhi-110007

Manoranjan:9968173299. 145, Brahmaputra Hostel, JNU, Delhi.

WHAT WE WANT FROM YOU

1. You can spread this message among your friends in different colleges of DU. And ensure that they come forward and support us through exercising their VOTING RIGHT.

2. You can volunteer in distributing YFE leaflets/pamphlets at various locations like, metro stations, U-specials, your college premises, neighborhood, etc.

3. You can play an important role by spreading this message through various online networking mediums like Orkut, yahoo groups, blogs, etc.

4. Ours is student organization, whose financial needs are met by our supporters and well-wishers. So, even donation of the cost of a movie ticket will be of great help in supporting our cause.

Expecting your full hearted support!!!

YFE DU team

North Campus: 9873850568, 9911738450, 9990656985

South Campus: 9313509958, 9211649335, 995318650

West Campus: 9811548797, 9990562278, 9868578749

East Campus: 9868700361, 9873987173, 9818208654

Central : 9818552848, 9911445518, 9911765750

Maya rolls out quota in PDS shop allotment

2007-08-12T15:39:00.000+05:30

LUCKNOW: Undeterred by industry uproar over her move to make sops conditional on quotas, UP chief minister Mayawati on Saturday announced a round of 'atta-dal' politics by making allotment of all fair price shops under the Public Distribution System on a quota basis over the next three months. She has ordered 21% of FP shops to be given to SCs, 2% to STs and 27% to OBCs. The policy had been in the books but not implemented by successive governments. The decision, made known on Saturday, is viewed as an attempt by Mayawati to consolidate her support base ahead of the 2009 parliamentary elections. PDS plays an important role in village politics. There are around 71,814 fair price shops catering to 1.7 crore families with ration cards. Of them, around 65.85 lakh card holders are below poverty line (BPL) and around 40.95 lakh are covered under the Antyodaya scheme. A total of 6 crore people depend on subsidised provisions bought with ration cards. The government has issued an order asking all DMs/district supply officers (DSOs) to allot all the PDS shops reserved for SCs/STs and OBSs on top priority. After regular reviews, action would be taken against those found responsible for any lapse, the order said. Significantly, horizontal reservation has also been made admissible in the reservation category of fair price shops in rural and urban areas. This goes as 20% for women, 8% for family members of soldiers wounded or killed in action, 5% for freedom fighters/wife of reserved category and 2% for disabled persons. Likewise, the government has also decided to tone up the PDS, which in public perception is in a shambles in the state. To that end, the government has fixed the responsibility on all DMs to ensure effective distribution of foodgrains, sugar and kerosene to all card holders.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Maya_rolls_out_quota_in_PDS_shop_allotment/articleshow/2274607.cms

UP govt orders 30 per cent quota in private sector jobs

2007-08-12T01:02:00.000+05:30

A STEP FURTHER: Mayawati decided to implement 30 per cent voluntary reservation in the private sector.
Lucknow: After transforming her party from a party of Bahujans to the party of the Sarvajans, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati has now played a new card.
While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had recently urged the private sector to actively participate in nation building, Mayawati has gone a step further and decided to implement 30 per cent voluntary reservation in jobs in the private sector; 10 per cent each for the schedule caste, the OBCs and the economically weak among upper castes.
“According to our policy there will be reservation of 10 per cent for SCs, 10 per cent for OBCs and 10 per cent for upper caste people belonging to the poorer sections of the society,” says Principal Secretary, CM, Shailesh Krishna.
The formula is likely to be implemented in private industries, the service sector, educational institutions, infrastructural firms and disinvested units.
In return, these organisations will receive special grants and aid from the state government.
“The concession is a kind that that includes free lands. The package of concessions will be decided sector-wise,” says Krishna.
Although Mayawati has got the approval of her Cabinet for reservation in private sector, it is still not clear what kinds of concessions or grants will be given to those industries who wish to enter into a contract with the state government.
The government says the policy is being implemented keeping in view the shrinking job opportunities in the government sector.

OBC quota: SC refuses to vacate stay

2007-08-09T19:21:00.000+05:30

New Delhi, Aug 8:
The Supreme Court today refused to lift stay on the implementation of 27 per cent quota for OBCs in elite educational institutions."We are not going to pass any interim order," a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice K. G. Balakrishnan said. The Bench observed that OBC quota can't be implemented in current academic year. The Bench said it will hear the main petition to examine the Constitutional validity of the Centre Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act 2006.The Centre had yesterday told the court that it was willing to keep the 'Creamy Layer' out of the 27 per cent quota for OBCs in elite educational institutions. The Centre had sought vacation of the apex court's interim order staying the implementation of 27 per cent quota for OBCs in elite educational institutions.The SC while giving its decision questioned that why was there such a hurry for reservation when clear statistics was not available. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court K. G. Balakrishnan also clarified that the court had not given an interim decision. The Supreme Court while refusing to vacate stay stated that constitutional validity should be decided first. It also stated that adequate infrastructure was not in place and political mileage was being derived out of this. The SC order has come as a huge setback for the ruling UPA government which had been trying to press for the stay

Mentor of Social Justice????????????????

2007-07-30T14:55:00.000+05:30

Dowry case against Arjun Singh for 'demanding' Mercedes
CNN-IBN
COURTING CONTROVERSY: The FIR says Arjun Singh demanded a Mercedes car and a flat.
New Delhi: Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, in reaction to the Anti-Dowry Act registered against him said it has nothing to do with him and that he stays away from family matters.
A case under the Anti-Dowry Act has been registered against the Minister, his wife Beena Singh, son Abhimanyu Singh, grandson Abhijeet Singh and three others at a police station in Moradabad.
Moradabad SSP Prem Prakash said the case has been registered on the direction of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Chandausi, on a complaint by Madhvendra Singh, the father of Arjun Singh’s grand daughter-in-law Priyanka Singh.
Madhvendra Singh has alleged that his daughter's in-laws had been demanding a Mercedes car and a flat from him and his daughter was being tortured when their demand was not met.
The case has been registered on the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate's order, on July 27.
When asked why there was a two-day delay in registering a case despite the court order, Prakash said, “The matter was being inquired into.”

JD(U) moves SC for 27% OBC quota

2007-07-27T15:59:00.000+05:30

NEW DELHI: Competition to support 27% OBC reservation in central educational institutions (CEIs) got hotter with JD (U) and the Bihar government trying to steal the thunder from RJD and Congress by moving the Supreme Court in support of the contentious quota provision. Both JD(U) and the Nitish Kumar headed JD(U)-BJP coalition government on Thursday joined Centre’s counsel, senior advocate K Parasaran, in requesting the court for vacation of the stay on the implementation of CEIs (Reservation in Admissions) Act, 2006, that stalled admission of OBC candidates from the 2007-08 academic year. The Congress-ruled states, the DMK government in TN and RJD have already come out in support of the quota law and backed Centre in its attempts to vacate the stay on its implementation. The SC said the plea for vacation of stay would be heard on July 31, while a five-judge constitution Bench would begin hearing on a bunch of petitions challenging the validity of the Act as well as the 93rd Constitution Amendment Act enabling the states to provide for quota in education. Bihar government went a step further than the Centre and said it is ‘‘keen to provide reservation in admission in unaided (private) educational institutions other than minority institutions’’. It said it was fully agreeable to the 93rd Amendment, which inserted clause-5 in Article 15 of the Constitution, enabling the states to make any special provision for advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes or for SCs and STs in admission to educational institutions, including private ones.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=FLASH&file_name=cap1%2Etxt&counter_img=1

Metro Concession Petition by YFE-DU

2007-07-26T11:47:00.000+05:30

Metro Concession Petition

Maya echoes Centre on quota in pvt sector

2007-07-21T13:35:00.000+05:30

NEW DELHI: Barely days after the Centre conceded the option of private sector quota, BSP chief Mayawati on Friday made a strong plea for introducing job reservation in private sector, setting up the possibility of using it during election time to corner what is now an extremely friendly Congress.
Given a new constituency she has cultivated with 'sarvjan' slogan, Mayawati took care to demand job quota for poor among upper castes. She said quota for SC/ST and OBCs be filled across the country.
The demand for private sector quota, which Mayawati said she had discussed with the Prime Minister during her meeting, is significant as an indicator to a future political strategy.
Mayawati is expected to step up Dalit rhetoric. Sources said there have been uncomfortable signals from the ground after her increasing emphasis on Brahmins during elections as well as during her first two months of government. This has created doubts in the minds of her core voters.
The dramatic decision to raze the Gomti Nagar cricket stadium in Lucknow was interpreted by political observers as an attempt to demolish the doubts among Dalits. Coming within a week of the PM’s panel ruling out quota and instead plumping for skill development to increase the share of SCs/STs in the private sector, Mayawati has made a clear bid to stand distinct from Congress.
Her forays into poll-bound states of HP, MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, which have stro-ng presence of tribals and Dalits, could see the twin, balancing demands being raised to mobilise votes. That these assembly polls would mark a countdown to Lok Sabha battle makes it a threat both for BJP and Congress.
Mayawati's forceful demand that the Constitution be amended if needed to fulfill her demand and that reservation policy be put in the 9th schedule to make it immune from legal challenge, sits well with her directive to party workers to carry out a LS campaign "to make her the PM".

BSP has begun the groundwork not only in UP but also Maharashtra and MP to work up a tally which makes it an indispensable player at the Centre.

OBC quota admissions stayed

2007-07-16T21:52:00.000+05:30

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday restrained Delhi University and Symbiosis International University from admitting students under the 27 per cent quota for Other Backward Classes.While Symbiosis had sought to implement the quota law by providing seven per cent reservation to OBC students this year, Delhi University had sought details from applicants whether they belonged to an OBC or not, though no admission was made.A Bench of Justice B. N. Agrawal and Justice P. P. Naolekar stayed the admissions after it was brought to the notice of the Court by senior counsel Rajeev Dhavan and M. L. Lahoty that despite the March 29 stay order, Symbiosis had admitted students under the quota law and Delhi University was in the process of admitting OBC students as it had already sought details.The Bench issued notices to the two universities.
The petitioners, Ankit Kumar and Shashank Shekar of Delhi and Youth for Equality, Delhi University Chapter, said the action of Symbiosis, a deemed university, would make redundant an order of the apex court which, while staying operation of the Central Education Institutions (Reservation in Admissions) Act, 2006, upheld their contention that the State "which has the sole authority and power to determine who are socially and educationally backward classes, has no relevant data and has conducted no surveys which can form the current basis for identification of socially and educationally backward classes of citizens for conferment of any privilege on any individual".They said Delhi University had also sought details in its application form whether the applicant belonged to an OBC with a view to providing them admission under the OBC quota.They sought a direction to quash any such admissions and an interim stay if already admitted.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/17/stories/2007071750210100.htm

Related Links:
http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=383078&sid=NAT

http://www.indlawnews.com/769A768C87682852C59697422E80C4F8

http://www.saharasamay.com/samayhtml/articles.aspx?newsid=80221

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070019139&ch=7/16/2007%206:15:00%20PM

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=589104db-b44a-4288-aa7e-80172aa6faa6&&Headline=OBC+quota+in%26nbsp%3b+Symbiosis%2c+DU+stayed

4 per cent reservation for Muslims in jobs and educational institutions

2007-07-15T11:08:00.000+05:30

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070712/nation.htm#3

Ordinance on quota for BC Muslims issued
Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, July 11
After a series of legal setbacks, the Andhra Pradesh government has
issued a fresh ordinance to provide 4 per cent reservation for
socially and educationally backward Muslims in jobs and educational
institutions, excluding the "creamy layer".

The AP Reservation (in favour of socially and educationally backward
classes of Muslims) Ordinance 2007 was promulgated by Governor
Rameshwar Thakur, following which a gazette notification has been
issued.

According to the notification, dated July 7, a new group under the
head "E" will be created in the Backward Classes list for the purpose
of providing reservation to the Muslims with the application of
"creamy layer" norms of the central government except in the case of
annual income limit which has been fixed at Rs 4 lakh.

The quota is applicable to 15 social groups among Muslims who have
been identified as socially and educationally backward by the state
Commission for Backward Classes. The BC Commission's report was
approved by the cabinet at its meeting here on July 4, paving the way
for issuing the modified ordinance to scale down the quota to 4 per
cent, as against 5 per cent planned earlier, to overcome the legal
hurdles.

While reduction in quota will ensure that total reservations in the
state will not exceed 50 per cent, a ceiling prescribed by the Supreme
Court, the categorisation of the community on the basis of
socio-economic status will help stave off criticism over
religion-based reservations.

The high court had, in November 2005, quashed an earlier ordinance,
terming it as "unconstitutional and arbitrary." The Supreme Court had
refused to grant stay on high court order in January last year.

It is estimated that the 15 groups, identified as backward, account
for nearly 80 to 85 per cent of Muslim population. According to the
2001 census, Muslims constitute 9.2 per cent of the state's total
population of over 7 crore.

At present, the BCs, who are categorised into A, B, C and D groups,
are being provided 25 per cent reservation while Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes have 14 and 7 per cent quota respectively.

In tune with its election promise, the Rajasekhar Reddy government had
first issued a GO in July 2004 providing for reservations to Muslims.
It was struck down by the high court in September 2004.

Later, the government constituted a four-member Backward Classes
Commission and based on its report issued the quota ordinance in June
2005, categorising the entire Muslim community as Backward Class.

While quashing the ordinance, the court pulled up the commission for
not following proper methodology while recommending inclusion of
Muslims in the BC list.

The new ordinance is also likely to face rough weather as several
Muslim organisations have already opposed the "caste-based"
reservation system on the ground that Islam does not permit division
of people on the basis of caste.

Symbiosis, DU decision on OBC quota challenged in SC

2007-06-29T20:43:00.001+05:30

New Delhi, June. 28 (PTI): The 27 per cent quota for OBCs in Symbiosis, Pune and the provision of a separate column for identifying them in the admission form by Delhi University have been challenged in the Supreme Court.

The petition filed by Youth for Equlaity, a recently formed trust, has sought to restrain Symbiosis International University and Delhi University, from going ahead with their respective decisions on OBCs from this academic year (2007-08).

The petition filed through advocate M L Lahoty alleged that the actions of both institutions were in utter disregard and violation of the March 29 order of the apex court, which stayed the implementation of 27 per cent quota for OBCs in elite educational institutions.

The apex court had stayed the implementation of the section 5 of the controversial legislation -- The Central Education Institutions (Reservation in Admissions) Act, 2006 and later refused to vacate its order.

Subsequently, petitions challenging the validity of the Act were referred to a five-judge Constitution Bench.

Youth for Equality, which earlier also had questioned the validity of the Act, alleged that both universities deliberately decided to go ahead with the 27 per cent quota for OBCs despite being aware that the Centre has deferred the implementation of the controversial provision of the Act.

"Serious note of their action needs to be taken as these acts are in deliberate defiance of the direction of this court both in letter and spirit," the petition said while seeking quashing of the Symbiosis' April 30 notification and Delhi University's action of providing OBC as a category in the Common-pre-Admission-Form, 2007.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200706281864.htm

Related News:
www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=3cc89afc-e12a-4662-8cc2-a9de4c8a1b80&MatchID1=4482&TeamID1=6&TeamID2=3&MatchType1=2&SeriesID1=1117&PrimaryID=4482&Headline=Petition+against+DU+decision+on+quota

www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?rep=2&aid=379661&sid=NAT

www.indlawnews.com/31DC572D42D4256A291B3DBB2146CC02

A Letter To PM By YFE-DU

2007-06-28T23:55:00.000+05:30

YOUTH FOR EQUALITY DELHI UNIVERSITY CHAPTER
To,
Prime minister, government of India
Cc to 1. Minister of human resource development
2. Chairman UGC
3... vice Chancellor University of Delhi
Subject: Implementation of 27% reservation for OBCs in the appointment of lecturers and extension of age limit for retirement in central universities.
Sir,
On 29th march the honorable Supreme Court of India, in an order put a stay on the act that allowed 27% reservation in admission to central educational institution seeing that the state which has the soul authority to determine who the backwards are did not have relevant data relating to OBC.
It is ironical that the government is now extending the reservation for OBCs in the appointment of lecturers which is based exactly on the same definition and data which has been rejected by the honorable court while hearing a petition filled by Youth For Equality. The honorable court asked the government “why a firm data base could not be evolved first, so that the exercise could be undertaken thereafter”. This honorable court in a judgment in Indra Swahney held “in the case of posts at the higher echelons e.g., Professors (in Education) provision of reservation is not advisable” (Indra Swahney 112). Hence we find this move “ignoring and violating” honorable court’s observation.
The decision to increase the retirement age of professors from 62 years to 65(can be extended to 70) years is also not justifiable as the only ground made by the ministry was the expected shortage of teachers due to implementation of reservation and hence increment of seats in admissions. As per the orders of honorable Supreme Court since no extra reservation in admission is going to take place and as a result of that no increment of seats for students is going to take place and hence there is no point in raising the retirement age from 62 to 65. This also does not go along with state’s duty and the common minimum program of UPA government to provide employment to maximum population and hence bring its citizens under the net of social security.
Being a cognizant student organization we would like to request you to reconsider the very rationales and give it a rethought as this policy will have a long term consequence on our society.
Thanking you
Youth For Equality Delhi University Chapter (9911445518, 9911765750, 9990110717)

Enter, central OBC teacher quota

2007-06-27T08:18:00.000+05:30

CYRIL SAM

New Delhi, June 25: The 27 per cent quota for Other Backward Classes has been extended to lecturer posts in universities run by the Centre.

The human resource development ministry has asked all central universities and deemed universities to implement the quota for OBCs on the basis of a declaration of intent made after the Mandal commission flare-up.

The Backward Classes Commission, through which the central recommendation must pass, has also given its stamp of approval.

“The government is using the fact that it doesn’t need to go through the legislation route to implement job quotas to bring reservations for lecturers silently,” said Nisha Tomar, the Delhi University co-ordinator for the anti-quota group, Youth For Equality.

Unlike reservation in education — which needs a law — the government can bring in quotas in jobs on its discretion under Article 15 of the Constitution.

“Nothing in this article… shall prevent the state from making any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes,” the article says.

Universities — many are averse to the Centre’s reservation policy — cannot be hauled to court if they decide not to implement the quota for teachers because it is not a law.

However, the notification is in effect a directive as the universities receive funds from the Centre and many are at the government’s mercy.

“We have received the notification and will introduce OBC reservations now,” A.K. Dubey, the registrar of Delhi University (DU), told The Telegraph.

Officials of many other central universities echoed him. Minority institutions, however, are exempt from the reservation.

The largest university in the country, DU has around 7,000 lecturer posts, including the teaching staff of its over 60 colleges. Central universities across India in all have around 50,000 lecturer posts.

DU’s executive council took the decision to implement the quota on March 23. Sources said that fearing a furore, the decision was not given too much publicity.

All central universities already have 22.5 per cent lecturer seats reserved for SCs and STs, though many of these seats are lying vacant.

All examinations for central government jobs through the Union Public Service Commission also have the 27 per cent quota for OBCs.

In Bengal, OBC quota for teachers works out to 7 per cent and applies only from primary classes to Class XII.

The anti-quota activists have launched a signature campaign — both online and on campuses across India — against the move. They are also planning to petition the Supreme Court soon, although it is not clear on what ground the central directive can be challenged.

The group is fighting a legal battle with Pune-based Symbiosis Institute, a private institute that went ahead with the OBC reservation for students this year despite a Supreme Court stay on government-aided colleges from implementing it.

The activists of Youth for Equality contend that the shortage of qualified faculty will get accentuated with the move to reserve seats for OBC candidates.

“Deserving” candidates, they said, would be barred because of the quota.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070626/asp/frontpage/story_7975149.asp

Sign The Petition : Save The Nation

2007-06-24T01:11:00.002+05:30

Teachers are the makers and the government is now bringing its divisive agenda to this dignified line of work. Government has issued a notice for the implementation of 27% reservation for OBC in the appointment of teachers in central educational institutions from current academic session. Please come forward against this destructive policy.

Plz Sign this petition

http://www.petitiononline.com/E162/

SC cautions Symbiosis on OBC quota admissions

2007-06-19T08:41:00.000+05:30

Symbiosis varsity move on OBC quota challenged

J. Venkatesan

New Delhi: The Symbiosis International University’s move to implement the 27 per cent quota for OBCs and admitting students belonging to the OBCs has been challenged in the Supreme Court.

Counsel Subramonium Prasad made a mention before a vacation Bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and P.P. Naolekar about the filing of the petition by two students and sought early hearing. He said despite the stay order, the University had admitted students. The Bench, while posting the petition for hearing in July, observed “if they had admitted they will be doing so at their own peril.”

The petitioners, Ankit Kumar and Shashank Shekar of Delhi, said the action of the Symbiosis, which is a Deemed University, would make redundant an order of the apex court which while staying the operation of the ‘the Central Education Institutions (Reservation in Admissions) Act, 2006’ upheld their contention that the State “which has the sole authority and power to determine who are Socially and Educationally Backward Classes; has no relevant data and has conducted no surveys which can form the current basis for identification of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes of citizens for conferment of any privilege on any individual.”

They said the Delhi University had also sought details in the application form whether the applicant belonged to OBC with a view to providing them admission under the OBC quota.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/06/19/stories/2007061979401100.htm

Also check this Link:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/SC_cautions_Symbiosis_on_OBC_quota_admissions/articleshow/2132397.cms
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/SC_cautions_Symbiosis_over_OBC_admission/articleshow/2132651.cms
http://in.news.yahoo.com/070618/48/6h4n5.html
http://justsamachar.com/national/sc-cautions-symbiosis-over-obc-admission/
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1104295
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/33994.html
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=88351
http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=481917

Your Helping Hands:

2007-06-17T09:31:00.001+05:30

How Can You Help Us:

1. You can help us in spreading the cause.
2.you can help us financially* (to cater the need of Legal Battle and other YFE activities)
3.You can help us in kinds (handbills,T-Shirts, stickers, etc.)
4. Senior well wishers can guide us at several fronts.
5. You can promote our cause online.
6. Media people can help us in publicizing our cause.
7. You can provide us books, copies, pencils, school bags. These materials we need to support underprivileged children for their education. We are running complementary schools for underprivileged children, with an aim to expose Govt's exploitation policy, to common man.
8. For YFE School,We need not only resources to run this school (as we will be providing them complete school bags and other essential supplements) but also volunteers who can give one or two hours time per month to interact with children. Also we need young students from various faculties, whose one hour contribution at the weekend may go a long way in shaping the carrier of a child from weaker section of society.
9. You can start awareness campaign at your localities as per the feasibility.

http://youthforequalitydu.blogspot.com/2007/05/we-need-your-help-and-encouragement-in.html
Your generous contribution may go a long way to carry forward YFE and achieve the goal of a nation free from caste discrimination.

OBC RESERVATION IN TEACHING POSTS IN CENTRALL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

2007-06-10T14:40:00.000+05:30

Tribal students who don’t want quota crutch

2007-06-09T00:02:00.000+05:30

8 Jun, 2007 l 1455 hrs ISTlINDIATIMES NEWS NETWORK

DEHRADUN: While reservation fires and hatred rage all over the country, a small school, the Information Technology Institute for the Tribes of India (ITITI), nestled in the green of the Doon valley, has set an example worthy of emulation. All its Class XII students have secured a first division in this year’s board examinations.

In an era where 90% marks is the norm, this achievement may not seem much. But when you account for the fact that the ITITI is a free residential school for the poorest of poor tribal children drawn from the remotest corners of 10 Himalayan states of the country, it stands out.

The students come from far-off places such as Chushul in Ladakh and Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and other remote corners of India and some actually saw a motor car, and most boarded a train, for the first time in their lives while making it to the institute.

The school, which depends entirely on help from well-wishers for its survival, has done remarkably well in the board exams. Apart from all students of Class XII passing with a first division, six of the 25 students in Class X passed with a first division and all students from Class VI through Class XII lived up to the school’s name by doing exceptionally well in Computer Sciences.

One of the oldest students of the school, Sangsi Pame – who hails from a village across Mokukchang in Nagaland -- secured a first division in Class XII and said he would like to pursue an MBA, competing through the general category and not for a reserved seat.

Pame’s plans, however, have come to a nought as he has to go back home to farm and help his brother's family. He said he was unable to arrange for money to pay for an expensive BBA and then an MBA. Similarly, Khagyab from Ladakh wants to pursue medicine but is frustrated that he may not manage to do that for lack of funds.

Some of the students are also distraught that while they would like to get out of the quota syndrome and get accepted in society on their own terms, the recent agitation for reservation makes them slightly insecure and wonder if they would not lose out. A tough call for young children who are doing everything possible to make a mark on their own.

The school, which currently has 140 students, can only grow from here, provided, of course, that it continues to get support from its posse of well-wishers.

ONLY CASTE CAN NOT DECIDE BACKWARDNESS

2007-06-06T12:52:00.000+05:30

 Do You Support the Govt’s policy of OBC reservations?

 Do you think the caste should be the only decisive criteria for backwardness?

 How far the mechanism of Reservation has benefited the really underprivileged.

 Do you think the existing reservation system in India needs any rectification?

We invite all the citizens who have an opinion on this subject to post their views.

for further quries
plz feel free to mail us at youthforequality.du@gmail.com

Atrocities at Anna University

2007-06-02T16:49:00.000+05:30

It is now known that Karunanidhi' s grandson got admitted in to BE - Computer Sciences course of the Guindy Engineering Collegege of Anna University (Guindy) under quota for the community and was not admitted in to the course on Merit. This is a sample as to how the reservation policy of Karunanidhi and the like are enforced and why they want the reservations in the matter of admission and appointments in to higher educational and professional educational institutions. Further, such persons who get admission on quota basis not only deprive the intelligent students with right credentials but also waste the state fund as is now being reported in the media. These students do not attend classes and they get exempted from the required attendance norm by a special government order! Where is the autonomy of the Universities and what is the answer of the Union Minister Arjun Singh for such notorious irregularities by the family of a irresponsible, charecterless and incompetant Chief Minister. If the Vice Chancellor has any honour, he should have thrown the GO in to the dustbin and should have asked the Government to keep off the University campus. If he is a decent and cultured person, he should resign the vice chancellorship and should ask the Governor/Chancellor to intervene in the matter. I ask the people of India to rebel against such anti educational systems to restore education to a natural glory in which it was before. I appeal to Judges of Madras High Court and Supreme Court to take SuoMoto Cognisance of the matter and initiate fit proceeding against the Anna University.

Dr.R.K.Balasubraman ian
Tel: 044 24641773

No 70, Chitrakulam North Street, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004

Violence in Rajasthan highlights larger absurdities of community classification

2007-06-02T16:24:00.000+05:30

Violence in Rajasthan highlights larger absurdities of community classification

The widespread violence in Rajasthan, with Gurjjars agitating for Scheduled Tribe status, is an ominous sign of the future shape of our politics. It is a microcosm of the myriad ways in which the Indian state has produced a fatal conjunction of identity politics and redistributive concerns. This violence is not simply an aberration but has deeper structural causes. These are more likely to be exacerbated rather than resolved by the strategies our political parties have adopted.
At the very basic level this agitation is an outcome of the fact that distribution of state benefits is based, not on any justifiable criteria, but on the raw assertion of community power. The entire edifice of reservations in Rajasthan has been based on this premise. The inclusion of the Jats — a community powerful along many axes — in the OBC category is an example. This inclusion has led to an escalation in caste politics. It increased the stakes for the Gurjjars who have, in terms of representation, been marginalised in many different ways. On the one hand, Jats now dominate the OBC quota; on the other, Meenas, who dominate Rajasthan's police and civil services, zealously guard the portals of the ST category.
But the stakes have increased for the Gurjjars recently for three reasons. Gurjjars, historically, have had comparatively little political clout in Rajasthan. There is the imminent danger that the only constituency where Gurjjars claimed to have some nominal representation, Dausa, is likely to be declared a reserved seat, depriving Gurjjars of what shards of political representation they have. To his credit, Sachin Pilot does not himself appear to have fanned these fires, but the shadow of complete political marginalisation hovers over the community. The agitation has taken a violent form precisely because the Gurjjars cannot rely on normal political clout the way Jats and Meenas do. Moreover, as political scientist Leela Ram Gurjjar has pointed out, two traditional Gurjjar sources of livelihood, husbandry and agriculture, are both increasingly precarious because of various forms of land alienation under way. But their educational backwardness makes the Gurjjars less equipped to take advantage of other livelihood opportunities. They have almost no representation in the higher police force and civil services. Third, the few educated Gurjjars, particularly those returning from the army (who were important in this agitation), have a heightened sense of alienation precisely because they more viscerally sense their claims will not be heard without an assertion of power.
In short, the agitation is a product of multiple absurdities by the state. It exposes the degree to which reservation has no connection with fairness, has created new forms of domination in the social justice garb, and that sends the message to every community: you better mobilise on community identity if you want to be heard. It is not a coincidence that just days before this agitation, there was a call for Rajputs in Rajasthan to mobilise as a single community to demand benefits from the state. This pattern is, in various forms, going to be repeated in many states: communities clamouring to be included in one category or the other, or for further sub-classification .
Our classifications have become absurd from the point of view of social justice. It is fatuous to think that there are some 'objective' facts of the matter that can determine why Meenas should be ST, but Gurjjars not. In fact the whole historical process by which communities like Meenas went from high caste, to "criminal tribe" in the British sense, to ST, is an object lesson in how the state has used identities for its own purposes. The only antidote is a politics of justice centred on a radically new paradigm of how we understand deprivation.
This agitation also exposes the fragility of the state in Rajasthan underneath its glossy veneer. In a prescient article in 1990, Iqbal Narain and P.C. Mathur noted: "The day when the placidity and civility of Rajasthan politics will be rocked by the power drive of the agricultural castes, while bound to happen, is difficult to predict ." That placidity and civility has long been eroding, though not simply by the power drive of agricultural castes. That civility was assaulted by the Hindutva brigade that has openly legitimised raw assertion in Rajasthan politics. Caste has always been salient in Rajasthan but there was often at least a semblance of civility and reciprocity. There used to be a joke about Bhairon Singh Shekhawat when he was chief minister: "If you wanted anything done you simply went to the leader of the opposition. The CM would not say no to him." Whether true or not, this story was an acknowledgment that a cross-cutting dialogue was still possible. One of the precipitating factors in the recent crisis was that government did not consult relevant leaders who could have directed the agitation in a peaceful direction. And the BJP was presumptuous about its capacity to defuse it unilaterally.
Finally, no other state in the world has as much experience handling protests running into the thousands as the Indian state. Yet no other state refuses to learn from its experience. The two important lessons are: if you let resentments simmer, they will come home to roost. There is a kind of political laziness where we refuse to defuse agitations when it is still possible to do so. It is foolish to expect that the deployment of police power is a substitute for political dexterity. The second is that the organisation of our law and order machinery is still such that its deployment inevitably leads to deaths, whether in Nandigram or Dausa. Such incidents always cast doubt on the state's capacity to handle large-scale social protest.
Unfortunately there is no sign that any political party will opt for a new paradigm of social justice. Both the Congress and the BJP in Rajasthan have played the same game. But conflicts of this kind — like that between MBCs and OBCs, or Malas and Maddigas in Andhra — have the potential to escalate all over the country. 'Shining India' needs a politics of inclusion. Unfortunately what passes as the politics of inclusion is a series of involuted collective narcissisms that has lost touch with a concept of shared citizenship.
The writer is president, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi

28 of state's Super-30 make it to IITs

2007-06-01T09:01:00.000+05:30

PATNA: Almost all of them belong to the weaker section of society. But they have made it to the IIT-JEE examination sans reservation. All the 28 successful candidates of Ramanujam School of Mathematics deserve laurels.

Many of these successful candidates are strongly against quota system in the IITs and IIMs. "We do not want any kind of reservation," said at least half-a-dozen students. Out of the 28 successful candidates, three belong to Scheduled Caste (SC) category and two are girls.

Kumar Dipankar has no qualms that he did not study in an English medium school. Dipankar, a product of zila school, Chapra, has succeeded in getting 486 all-India position in the IIT-JEE examination in the general category despite belonging to SC category.

"I studied in Hindi medium up to matriculation. In the inter examination I got 72 per cent marks from Rajendra College, Chapra. I cleared IIT in the third attempt," he said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1600643.cms

In Patna: ‘Don’t ask us our caste, look at IIT’s merit list today’

2007-06-01T08:56:00.000+05:30

J P Yadav:Posted online: Thursday, June 01, 2006 at 0000 hrs

PATNA, MAY 31: Today was a special day at Super 30, the Patna institute which helps students from Bihar’s poorest families clear the IIT entrance hurdle without charging a penny. Twenty eight of its 30 students qualified, including Devyanshu Jha who stood 10th on the All India merit list, and nearly 60 per cent of those who made it are from OBC homes.

As reported by The Indian Express earlier, Super 30, run by mathematician Anand Kumar and police officer Abhyanand, is all about competition, no quota. “Why do you want to know whether I am an OBC? I have not availed any reservation to clear the IIT entrance,” said Abhijeet Kumar.

Most students are from the state’s interiors and never discuss caste. But Pranav Kumar, Anand’s brother who manages the institute, said: “According to my estimate, around 60 per cent of the successful students this time are OBCs. The numbers seem to be rising with every Super 30 batch (this is its fourth year).” Three of the 28 who got through belong to the Scheduled Castes.

Manish Prasad, the son of a school teacher in rural Vaishali’s Patepur, was fumbling for words to thank his teachers. An OBC, he ranked 2,963 on the merit list.

Most OBC students have dropped their surnames. “I am a Yadav. If I use my surname, it gives the impression that I have come through quota and not merit. So I dropped it,” said Santosh Kumar, son of a farmer from Bihta. His All India rank is 3,537.

In this year’s batch, there were also some boys from well-placed families. Abhijeet Kumar’s father is a leading doctor and he could have paid for his classes at any other coaching institute. But he chose Super 30. Devyanshu Jha, who ranked 10th All India, is the son of an engineer.

“Yes, this time some students are from well-to-do families. But our criteria has always been only merit,” said Anand Kumar. Abhyanand, an ADG in the Bihar Police, said conditions at the institute are such that students from affluent families usually stay away. “Why will they come here when they can afford a better institute?” he said.

But Chief Minister Nitish Kumar thinks otherwise. Excited over Super 30’s success story, he has contacted the institute.

“Nitish Kumar spoke to me. He said he will discuss this in detail and explore the possibility of establishing more such institutes for the poor,” said Anand Kumar.

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/5553.html

Online Help Desk For DU Admission

2007-05-31T08:43:00.001+05:30

Disasterous:Arjun Singh's name doing rounds for President

2007-05-29T00:57:00.000+05:30

Arjun Singh's name doing rounds for President
28 May, 2007 l 2149 hrs ISTlPTI

SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Arjun Singh's name has sprung up as a possible candidate for the presidential polls as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Monday held parleys with the UPA leadership on the ticklish issue.

The name of the HRD minister started doing the rounds as Karunanidhi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

The HRD minister, however, denied that he was in the reckoning for the top post. "I am not in the race. It is for the party to decide."

The names of Union ministers Pranab Mukherjee, Shivraj Patil, and Sushil Kumar Shinde are also being mentioned as possible nominees of the ruling alliance.

A decision on the Presidential candidate of the alliance is unlikely before June 8.

The DMK supremo indicated a decision is unlikely before the first week of next month while CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan met him also said that the name may be finalised only by June 8 or 9.

"So far no (no) decision has been taken. We will talk. I will come back to Delhi in the first week of June (for talks). We will come to a decision only then," he told reporters after his 25-minute meeting with Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence.

Meanwhile, Congress spokesman Satyavrat Chaturvedi at the AICC briefing did not rule out an apolitical person for the top job.

Ban caste itself, say Tamil Dalit MLA

2007-05-26T00:23:00.000+05:30

"The constitution has made untouchability illegal, but caste is still alive in our society. Our goal is to have caste itself banned," says Ravi Kumar, a Dalit MLA. A noisy meeting of tribal students in Cuddalore District, south of Chennai, leaves Ravi Kumar hoarse. But he resolutely prepares for his next meeting in his constituency — the historic Vaishnava temple town of Kattumannarkoil.

Kumar is one of the two MLAs from the Viduthalai Siruthaigal (Dalit Liberation Panthers) in the assembly, which has 44 Dalits. His party leader is Thol. Thirumavalavan of the Parayar community, that for centuries announced village deaths by drumming on the parai (a local drum). From the name of this formerly 'untouchable' community had originated the derogatory 'paraiah'. Today, however, 64 per cent of the 1.1 crore Dalits in the state are literate, just 10 per cent behind the state average of 74 per cent.

"This high literacy level among Tamil Dalits is not due to the Dravidian movement," says Ravi Kumar. "In British Raj, only two communities had a good English education: Brahmins and Dalits. The Brahmins, because they served the British in offices and the Dalits, for serving them at home as cooks, bearers and personal attendants. A Tamil Dalit, Rettamalai Sreenivasan, attended the Round Table Conference in London with Dr Ambedkar."

Dalit political awareness in Tamil Nadu began as early as 1895 with the Adidravida Mahajanasabha founded by M Chinnathambi. His son, MC Raja, made a Rao Bahadur by the British, published a Dalit magazine Parayar (which also means 'to speak out') between 1893 and 1900, with a circulation rivalling The Hindu.

However, the last 40 years of the Dravidian movement have not helped Tamil Dalits because of caste demographics.

"Forward castes, including Brahmins, Muslims and Christians, constitute 13 per cent of Tamil Nadu. Scheduled Castes are 19 per cent and Scheduled Tribes one per cent. The rest are intermediary castes who control political power," says P Radhakrishnan, Professor of Sociology at the Madras Institute of Development Studies and author of the study, 'Religion, Caste and State' (2007).

Says Ravi Kumar, "Of the 234 MLAs in the present assembly, only two are Brahmins: Jayalalitha and SV Shekhar of the Mylapore constituency. Middle castes have run the government for 40 years. So who is responsible for Dalit non-inclusion?" In the 2004 general elections, the Liberation Panthers and another major Dalit party, the Puthiya Tamilagam, were kept out of the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) led by M. Karunanidhi of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

Atrocities against Dalits continue, mostly perpetrated by the two most dominant backward castes — the Thevars (mostly AIADMK supporters) and the Vanniyars (the PMK's vote bank). Two years ago at Thinniyar in Tiruchirapalli district Thevars forced Dalits to eat human excrement. Six months later, Dalits were forced to drink urine at Gounderpatti near Dindigul.

"The only radical solution is to ban caste. No wearing caste marks or retaining caste surnames, banning caste-based organisations and abolishing government caste-counting mechanisms like official forms. But will any political party have the guts to do it? Particularly in TN?" challenges Ravi Kumar.

Is this a constitutional amendment whose time has come?

www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print.aspx?Id=56b96ae0-e5f4-454d-8c89-f1f746868380

© Copyright 2007 Hindustan Times

YFE Came Forward to Help Students in Admission in DU

2007-05-20T18:33:00.000+05:30

Dear Friends
Youth For Equality, Delhi University Chapter came out to help those students who are willing to get admission in Delhi University for the academic session 2007-08. We have made a help desk which will help you to solve your problems or queries related to admission. The desk will have informations related to the colleges, subjects, exams. & cut off list of previous years.
Please feel free to call any numbers ,any time.
This help desk will come in structure from last of the May to 15th June.

Here is some informations about the coming admission process:

REGULAR COLLEGES

Starting of sale and receipt of Application Forms for admission to the Colleges
Thursday, 1st June, 2006

Last date for receipt of Application Forms for admission in the Colleges
Thursday, 15th June, 2006
Up to 1.00 p.m.

Notification of First Admission* List by the Colleges
Monday, 26th June, 2006
10.00 a.m.

Admission and Payment of Fees
Tuesday, 27th June, 2006 to Thursday, 29th June, 2006
Up to 1.00 p.m.

Notification of Second Admission* List by the Colleges
Friday, 30th June, 2006
10.00 a.m.

Admission and Payment of Fees
Saturday, 1st July, 2006 to Tuesday, 4th July, 2006
Up to 1.00 p.m.

Notification of Third Admission* List by the Colleges
Wednesday, 5th July, 2006
10.00 a.m.

Admission and Payment of Fees
Thursday, 6th July, 2006 to Saturday, 8th July, 2006
Up to 1.00 p.m.

Notification of Fourth Admission* List by the Colleges
Monday, 10th July, 2006
10.00 a.m.

Admission and Payment of Fees
Tuesday, 11th July, 2006 to Thursday, 13th July, 2006
Up to 1.00 p.m.
*Admission List in the Evening Colleges will be put up on the Notice Board at 4.00 p.m.
*Timing for Payment of Fees for Evening Colleges Candidates will be from 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.
NOTE: Wherever possible Colleges may make arrangement to accept fees on Saturday also. However such arrangement should be notified in advance.
GENERAL NOTE : No student whose name appears in the admission list (or who qualifies on the basis of the percentage indicated in the list) shall be denied admission provided he/she pays the fees by the date and time stipulated.

RESERVED CATEGORIES*

Orientation Programme for SC/ST Candidates
June, 1st to 7th , 2006
10.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon (excluding Sunday)

Distribution of Forms for SC/ST Candidates at the Registration Centres viz. North Campus, South Campus, B.R. Ambedkar College, Rajdhani College
June 1st to 15th, 2006
10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.

Receipt of Forms at the Registration Centres viz. North Campus, South Campus, B.R. Ambedkar College, Rajdhani College
Thursday, 3rd June, 2006 to Wednesday, 16th June, 2006
10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. (excluding Sunday)

Notification of Admission list by the University and issue of Provisional Admission Slip to the Students Only at the North Campus
Thursday, 29th June, 2006
10.00 a.m
*Dates for Registration of Scheduled Castes/Tribes candidates, Children and Widows of the Officers and men of the Armed Forces including para-military personnel killed/disabled in action or those who died/were disabled while on duty.
Dates for further admission lists if necessary will be notified later

PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED CANDIDATES

Distribution and Receipt of Application Forms at the DSW Office
June, 1st to 15th, 2006
10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.

Notification of dates for University Medical Board
To be displayed at the office of Dean, Students' Welfare

Notification of list by the University and issue of Provisional Admission slip
Thursday, 29th June, 2006
10.00 a.m.

NON FORMAL EDUCATION CELL

External Cell
School of Open Learning

Starting of Receipt of Applications for Admission
Monday, 26th June, 2006
Monday, 26th June, 2006

Last date for Receipt of Applications for Admissions
Friday 25th August, 2006
Friday 25th August, 2006

Last date for Receipt of Applications for Admissions with late Fee of Rs. 100
Friday 15th September, 2006
Friday 15th September, 2006

Last date for Receipt of Applications for Admissions with late Fee of Rs. 200
Tuesday 31st October, 2006
Tuesday 31st October, 2006
Note: No admission, under whatsoever circumstances, shall be made beyond Tuesday 31st October, 2006.

NON COLLEGIATE WOMEN's EDUCATION BOARD

For Saturday Centres
For Sunday Centres

Sale of Hand Book of Information at Teaching Centres and Receipt of Preliminary Application Forms for Admission by the Centres
June 3, 10, 17, 2006
June 4, 11, 18, 2006
On all working days (10am to 4pm) at board office June 5-16, 2006. For cut-off dates contact board)

LAST DATES FOR VARIOUS PROCEDURES

Regular College
Non Collegiate
External Cell / School of Open Learning

Last Date for Condonation of Delay in admission with the approval of the Vice-Chancellor.
16th October, 2006
16th October, 2006

Last Date for Change of Subject.
B.A. (Pass) - Elective /M.I.L. and B.A. (Hons) -Main/Subsidiary
1st day of Second Term i.e. 16th October, 2006
1st January, 2007
1st January, 2007

Last date of transfer From I Year B.A.(Pass)/B.Com.(Pass)/B.Sc.(Genl.) to B.A.(Hons)/B.Com.(Hons) Courses (on the basis of initial qualification)
1st day of Second Term i.e. 16th October, 2006

Last date of transfer from Honours to Pass Course
1st day of Second Term i.e. 16th October, 2006

1st January, 2007
LAST DATES FOR MIGRATION
Migration From
Migration To
Last Date
1
Inter University Migration
1st January, 2007
2
Inter College Migration
1st January, 2007
3
- School of Open Learning
- Non-Collegiate Women's Education Board
- Non-Formal Education Cell
Regular College
Ist day of Second Term i.e. 16th October, 2006
4
Regular College
- School of Open Learning
- Non-Collegiate Women's Education Board
- Non-Formal Education Cell
1st January, 2006
http://www.du.ac.in/admissions/2006/ug/ug06/schedule_06g.html

You can also collect info from:
http://www.du.ac.in/ug.html

Cutoff List 2006:
http://www.du.ac.in/admissions/2006/ug/ug06/index.html

List of Course-Colleges:
http://web1.du.ac.in/collegesmain.html

For Entrance Test:
http://www.du.ac.in/admissions/2006/ug/ug06/schedule_06e.html

Anup:9891891873
Shashank:9313509958
Nisha:9911738450
Nikhil:9818552848

SC refers quota case to larger bench

2007-05-17T13:10:00.001+05:30

Raising several questions on the validity of the government's caste-based reservation policy, the Supreme Court on Thursday referred to a larger bench the controversial issue of 27 per cent quota for Other Backward Classes in elite Central educational institutions.
The court felt the government cannot adopt any bullying attitude which could impinge on the fundamental rights of the citizens.
Holding that the issue involved considerable importance of Constitutional law having an impact on the entire nation, a Bench of Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice P K Jain said the larger bench would have to examine whether the government has got unbridled powers to evolve reservation policies without any restrictions.
The court said that it would be the larger bench which would have to review the 93rd Constitutional amendment by which Article 15 (5) was inserted to provide reservation to socially backward sections.
The bench had earlier this year stayed the implementation of the provision relating to OBC reservation in elite institutions like IITs and IIMs in the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation by Admission) Act, 2006.
The Centre approached the court for an urgent hearing on the issue by a larger bench so that a decision could be given at the earliest to enable implementation of the reservation for the current academic year.
Pointing out that the government's reservation policy appears to be violative of various provisions like Articles 14, 15, 21 and 22 which guarantee fundamental rights, the bench wondered what was the yardstick being applied in perpetuating the policies.
The apex court felt that if the government wanted to adopt a policy it should have focused on ensuring compulsory education for illiterates irrespective of the caste barrier.
The bench also raised a query as to why minority educational institutions have been exempted from implementing the 27 per cent quota policy, which had been made mandatory for all non-minority educational institutions.
Inclusion of private educational institutions for the purpose of implementing the policy was unrelated to compelling time, computable data and violative of the constitutional provisions.
Referring to the judgement in the Indira Sawhney case, the court queried why the government failed to exclude the creamy layer from the benefits of reservation.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/may/17quota1.htm

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070012312

Save 'ARTI' Camapign

2007-05-16T10:04:00.000+05:30

ARTI, A NINETEEN YEAR OLD GIRL AND RESIDENT OF MUKHERJEE NAGAR WAS GANG-RAPED TWICE DURING THE LAST FIVE MONTHS. OWING TO THE NON-COOPERATIVE ATTITUDE OF THE POLICE AND PRESSURE OF THE ACCUSED, SHE COULD NOT EVEN REGISTER A COMPLAINT UNTIL MAY 2,2007. IT WAS ONLY AFTER A TWO-DAY PROTEST AND HUNGER-STRIKE BY NEARLY A HUNDRED OF YFE-MEMBERS THAT FINALLY FIR#149 WAS LODGED AT ALIPUR POLICE STATION. ALTHOUGH THE YFE-MEMBERS INVOLVED HAVE DONE A COMMENDABLE JOB BY GETTING THE CASE BOOKED AND PROVIDING SAFE ASYLUM TO THE VICTIM THROUGH COOPERATION OF SOME NGO'S AS SHE WAS BEING CONSTANTLY THREATENED BY THE ACCUSED AT HER HOME, SHE STILL NEEDS YOUR HELP TO AFFORD LEGAL ASSISTANCE AND CARRY ON WITH HER NORMAL LIFE AS SHE COMES FROM A POOR FAMILY AND BEING ILLITERATE AND FOUR-MONTHS PREGNANT, CAN NOT SUSTAIN HERSELF. WE REQUEST THOSE CONCERNED TOWARDS ENSURING JUSTICE TO THE VICTIM TO HELP US FINANCIALLY AND THROUGH ALL OTHER MEANS. YOUR DONATIONS WILL HELP HER IN HER REHABILITATION,MEDICAL AND LEGAL AID AND OTHER NECESSITIES.ALL DETAILS OF EXPENDITURE WILL BE PROVIDED AND TRANSPARENCY DULY MAINTAINED.

DD/CHEQUES DRAWN IN FAVOUR OF YOUTH FOR EQUALITY-DELHI UNIVERSITY CHAPTER CAN BE SENT BY POST OR OTHERWISE TO: MR.AMIT KUMAR SINGH (9911765750) ROOM#73 JUBILEE HALL NORTH CAMPUS UNIVERSITY OF DELHI MONEY CAN ALSO BE DEPOSITED DIRECTLY TO THE Youth For Equality Delhi University Chapter,ACCOUNT#30169094110, PAYABLE AT THE State Bank of India,NORTH CAMPUS DU MAIN BRANCH(NEAR VICE-CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE)

FOR DETAILS CONTACT: 9911738450 (NISHA-DU) 9911765750 (AMIT-DU) 9968173299 (SHWETA-JNU) 9891515363 (MANORANJAN-JNU)

join Orkut Community Save 'ARTI' Camapaign
http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=32450444&refresh=1
Sign the petition online
http://www.petitiononline.com/saveARTI/petition.html --

Youth For Equality , Delhi University

2007-05-14T17:47:00.000+05:30

YOUTH FOR EQUALITY

Delhi University Chapter

Regd No: 1686/07

Reservation for really needy, Education for all

Who we are

India is the only country where people fight to be backward.... ( N R Narayan Murthy)
58 years ago, the architect of modern India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru declared on August 15, 1947 that at the stroke of midnight when the world sleeps, India awakes to freedom. 58 years hence, when the whole world is moving into a new era of development and prosperity, we have been thrust with decision which has the potential to wreck the foundation of our great nation. The political leadership of the country decided to mask its failure in providing our underprivileged brothers with the very basic amenity, i.e. education, by giving them the sop of reservation. It is the most blatant acceptance of our nation’s failure. To counter this menacing decision of the current government, we the students of the nation, decided to come together and fight for our rights. Yes, our rights… right to equality, right to education for all, not reservation for few castes and right to live with dignity. With this vision in mind, our brethren from across the country founded this organization named YOUTHFOR EQUALITY which has since been instrumental in countering this policy of irrational and blind reservation .We are not against any caste or community, but we are youth for equality. What we have been seeing till now as the opposition to the proposed OBC reservation, is just one aspect of equality. The other aspect, which says equal opportunity to the real needy and downtrodden, is what we are focusing on. This is a movement for a better nation.

Our Vision

• A caste-free society with equal opportunity for all
• Upliftment of the underprivileged sections of the society through affirmative actions like free education, scholarship etc, rather than only through the crutches of reservation. Though we support reservation for really backwards and SCs- STs.
• Making India a true knowledge based society where focus should be on grooming the potential not on mere vote bank politics.
• Creating awareness among the masses regarding the ills of this menacing policy of reservation on the basis of caste only..

Our Movement

The announcement of additional reservation for OBCs to the tune of 27% started nationwide protests by the youth of the nation belonging to all strata of society (including the OBCs themselves).

Status Report (Youth for Equality Delhi University)

1. Phase I
2. Phase II

1. What was the Phase 1

Rallies Demonstration and Fasts: (sowing the seeds)
Students of Delhi University felt as cheated and abandoned as anyone else when the government announced the OBC reservation policy. Various calls were given to start a movement against this measure. We were faced with the question of starting a new movement or joining the Youth for Equality? We choose to add our voice to the movement already started to give it strength and an appeal across universities and states; we became Youth for Equality -Delhi University. Then movement started with small meetings, getting like minded people together, organizing rallies, fasts demonstrations, participating in rallies organized by medicos and other organizations.

One Coin One Sign: Save The Nation Campaign

A movement that breaks the ice as first contact movement between those who have the wish to participate in the movement but have yet not participated. Moreover when we have the signature of significant number of people; we would have explained to that number our view point and created a base from which to start a constitutionally permissible peaceful revolution in the political domain. At least our voice will be strong enough to wake the sleeping government from its dream as it gets both the urban and rural voters on the same platform with a positive resolve to get this retrogressive government out. It is this step which will turn Youth for Equality into a resurgent, potent “Citizen for Equality”.

This phase of protest ended with the assurance of honorable Supreme Court of our country that justice will prevail and that they are seized of the matter. Respecting the honorable court, the agitation by striking medico friends was called off in the larger public interest but it was just the beginning of a new phase of protest rather than the end that the government perceived it to be. Phase-2 of our protest is intended towards creating awareness among the masses regarding the ills of this policy, consolidating the scattered and unorganized protests to make ourselves heard in one voice and chalking out our future strategy as regards to different modes of protests without exceeding the honorable court’s directives.

What is this phase 2

Draft of the Fraud Which the Government Commits in Name of Development Policies (run a 100 meter race sitting on a horse that flies)-
A researched and evaluated draft to be prepared as to how the government fools the rural mass as to its development needs with a special emphasis on the downtrodden and the abandoned. It shall critically evaluate as to how very minimal difference has been made even after diverting huge amount of resources towards so called cherished aim which are cherished only on paper not on ground. How the succors of the disadvantaged is gulped down by the advantaged who run a 100 meter race sitting on a horse that flies. A small victory was achieved when on the Youth For Equality strong and unequivocal representation the parliaments standing committee recommended the creamy layer exclusion from the ambit of reservations.

Rural Contact Programme:

People who matter (The Man Who Matter)
It is undeniable that the destiny of the country is scripted by the rural mass whom our politician think can be taken on their side, but if we walk with them tell them what’s really happening with them ,how the aam aadmi is being fooled ,the failure of social justice in India and the dogma of caste we have a thousand hands with us and voice of millions and most importantly the votes which matter.
This movement has already started with Haryana. Youth for equality DU has covered several districts like Mahem, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Hissar in the first leg. The first leg shall culminated with a meeting of 2500 panchayats at Mahem (khaps) Mass contact programme on similar lines in Western Uttar Pradesh ( Bulandshar, Alligarh, Khurja, Meerut). The response of rural mass was remarkable, which indeed forced us to focus on social awareness of various flaws of Govt’s reservation policy and to get common men involved into the movement.

YFE SCHOOL :

In lieu of this we have started a YFE school for underprivileged children in Delhi University campus. The idea is to provide complementary education to specially those children who are not capable of getting quality and complete education (which includes fine arts, yoga, music and other activities). Children of underprivileged section irrespective of caste /religion can have access into this school.
Basic features of this school are as follows:

School will run on Saturday and Sunday from 2P.M. to 5P.M.
This school is meant to provide schooling to those children who are either not registered in any school or deprived of any primary education or for those children who are though registered but yet not getting quality education.
Focus is to provide complementary schooling modern techniques of teaching and provide extra curricular activities (as these features are invisible in government schools) by energetic youth of YFE.
Besides their school curriculum we are planning to get them motivated by screening various children movies, sports activities, yoga, debating, music, painting etc, so that, we can make them realize their potentials.
To select meritorious students from underprivileged group irrespective of caste/religion and to promote them for getting education in schools of high standards, that is not in their reach otherwise.

We need not only resources to run this school (as we will be providing them complete school bags and other essential supplements) but also volunteers who can give one or two hours time per month to interact with children. Also we need young students from various faculties, whose one hour contribution at the weekend may go a long way in shaping the carrier of a child from weaker section of society.

YFE Women’s Liberation Cell:

Youth for equality strongly support equality in all the spheres of life. YFE women’s liberation cell was launched in March 2007, to address the problems women face in this society. Here we aim at bringing girls into the mainstream walks of life. We have already made some progress and have taken up projects to remove child-labour that the girls born in poor families face. Recently (on 2nd May 2007)YFE cadres put their commendable efforts in helping a married women who is a rape victim and under suppression by the goons. After a two day long demonstration in police stations by hundreds of YFE activists an FIR was lodged against the culprits and all steps were initiated to ensure safety of the victim and carry forward the case to provide her justice.

YFE Online Legal Cell:

YFE online legal cell was launched in February 2007, to keep YFE members updated with the legal battle going on in the Supreme of India. Another objective of the legal cell is to work as a back-up team to assisting our lawyers. We have already had 2 online conferences where, various aspects of our legal battle like, Creamy Layer, RTI were discussed.

YFE “Say No to Drugs” Campaign:

Youth for Equality is committed towards a better and healthy society. As one of our many steps to achieve this goal, we launched YFE “Say No to Drugs” Campaign in March 2007. YFE, in collaboration with renowned cyclist and POW activist, Hiralal Yadav ji, organized an exhibition, in March 2007, at Jubilee Hall, Delhi University, addressing the issues of Drugs and POWs.
YFE plans to organize such exhibitions in all the colleges of Delhi University in the next academic year.

YFE Health Camps:

YFE, moving towards its goal of a disease free society, is organizing regular health camps, where we provide free medical checkups for the poor families residing in or around the north campus, Delhi University. The doctors from AIIMS, NHMC, MAMC and other medical institutes regularly visit our camps and provide the much-needed assistance, which normally the poor cannot afford.
We plan to organize such camps on weekly basis and to provide as much assistance as possible.

Progress Made at Legal Front:

YFE filed two writ petitions in apex court challenging the governments proposed reservation bill without any rational ground and proper and adequate data.
Taking cognizance of our writs SC issued notice to governments and scolded it for showing apathy in informing the court about rationale of reservation policy. The honorable supreme court has ordered a stay on the implementation of OBC reservation in Central educational institutions for the academic year 2007-08 on 29th of March. From then the legal battle is continuing and we are giving our best to fight against the Govt machinery. Now we all are at historical cross rode as the decisions by court in this matter and subsequent reaction by government and legislature will decide the fate of reservation in this country.

What YFE did except on reservation issue?

YFE members participated in huge numbers in Priyadarshni Mattoo campaign for justice, justice for Jessica Lal peace march, Right to information campaign etc. to make them grand success.

Progress Made at Political Front:

Till now we have contested JNUSU elections and the results are there for every one to see. We intend to take uch decisions in future too depending upon the prevailing circumstances.
We contested BMC election in Mumbai and stood 4th. We contested MCD election in Delhi on 3 seats and stood 3rd in all the 3 constituencies.

Summary

It is needles to say that YFE has redefined student activism in a true sense। This too at a time when our country is going through a sick phase of Corruption, Sightless Politics and worst of all Inactiveness of the general public। In a phase where every body is fighting for his/her career, if these students have dared to do anything other than their syllabi then that meant only for their country, in fact our country. It is that time when the youth of this country is ready to fight against all evil and struggle until the win. It is that juncture when youth of this country is waiting for you to join hands in an effort to make a new prosperous India of our dreams.

What we need from you:

1. You can help us in spreading the cause.
2.you can help us financially* (to cater the need of Legal Battle and other YFE activities)
3.You can help us in kinds (handbills,T-Shirts, stickers, etc.)
4. Senior well wishers can guide us at several fronts.
5. You can promote our cause online.
6. Media people can help us in publicizing our cause.
7.You can provide us books, copies, pencils, school bags. These materials we need to support underprivileged children for their education. We are running complementary schools for underprivileged children, with an aim to expose Govt's exploitation policy, to common man.
8. You can start awareness campaign at your localities as per the feasibility.

*For financial help:

http://youthforequalitydu.blogspot.com/2007/05/we-need-your-help-and-encouragement-in.html
Your generous contribution may go a long way to carry forward YFE and achieve the goal of a nation free from caste discrimination.

WE WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GET YOUR QUIERIES AND SUGESTIONS TO TAKE YFE AHEAD AND MAKE YFE A ROLE MODEL FOR YOUTH OF THIS NATION.

SC reserves order on OBC quota

2007-05-09T20:47:00.000+05:30

QUESTION OF QUOTA: The Bench has ordered that various questions put forward by contesting parties be compiled.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has reserved its order on the Centre's plea to refer to a Constitution bench the issue of 27 per cent quota for OBCs in institutions of higher education, like IIMs and IITs.
A Bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and L S Panta asked Solicitor General G E Vahanvati and senior advocate Harish Salve to compile the various questions put forward by contesting parties.
This was asked to be done as there was overlapping of points in the questions. The questions would then be considered by the larger Bench.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court had asked various parties related to the matter to formulate the contentious points of law and put them before the court by Wednesday.
The matter had been listed for hearing before a the Bench, which is incidentally, the same Bench that declined to lift the stay on the implementation of the quota on March 29.

The Bench in an interim order had stayed the implementation of the law from the 2007-2008 academic sessions and had dismissed the Centre's application seeking the modification.
Thereafter, the Central Government had requested the intervention of Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and sought an early hearing in the case.
Balakrishnan accepted the Centre's request for early hearing, despite protests from the anti-quota lobby saying it was the CJ's "prerogative and privilege to decide which matter was to be heard on priority".
Meanwhile, after Railway Minister Lalu Prasad's RJD and UPA's ally PMK came in support of the 27 per cent quota and filed an application seeking to plead in the case in support of the central government.
Agencies report that justifying the 1931 census as the basis for arriving at the 27 percent quota for OBCs, Tamil Nadu said "collection of caste-wise details was dispensed with after 1931 census.
The only source in which the details are available is the 1931 census and therefore there is no harm in adopting the population and other details available in the above census.
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/india/05_2007/sc-reserves-order-on-quota-again-40069.html

http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/may/09quota.htm

SC seeks legal view on OBC Quota

2007-05-08T19:43:00.001+05:30

HEARING IT OUT:
SC will decide on Wednesday on the number of Judges to hear the matter. New Delhi: SC asks various parties to the matter to formulate the contentious points of law and tell the court by Wednesday. The Court will decide on Wednesday on the number of Judges to hear the matter finally. The matter has been listed for hearing before a Bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and L S Panta, incidentally the same bench that declined to lift the stay on the implementation of the quota on March 29. The bench in an interim order had stayed the implementation of the law from the 2007-2208 academic sessions and had dismissed the Centre's application seeking the modification.Thereafter, the Central Government had requested the intervention of Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and sought an early hearing in the case. Balakrishnan accepted the Centre's request for early hearing, despite protests from the anti-quota lobby saying it was the CJ's "prerogative and privilege to decide which matter was to be heard on priority".Meanwhile, after Railway Minister Lalu Prasad's RJD and UPA's ally PMK came in support of the 27 per cent quota and filed an application seeking to plead in the case in support of the central government.Agencies report that justifying the 1931 census as the basis for arriving at the 27 percent quota for OBCs, Tamil Nadu said "collection of caste-wise details was dispensed with after 1931 census. The only source in which the details are available is the 1931 census and therefore there is no harm in adopting the population and other details available in the above census.
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/india/05_2007/sc-seeks-legal-view-on-obc-quota-39996.html

NATION OR DISINTEGRATION : The Choice is Yours

2007-05-06T13:01:00.000+05:30

The idea of an integrated India is now on an avoidable hijacking route. The responsibility to save India is essentially on the shoulders of all Indians i.e. all of us. And there is urgency too.

If majority is the best form of government, then undoubtedly Hitler was the most appropriate ruler, said Prof. Deepankar Gupta, an eminent sociologist. Hitler is not only a historical character; he also symbolizes a mindset and epitomizes arrogance. The following two statements just show that such a mindset is still in prevalence.

On the stay order given by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, the TN Chief Minister Mr. Karunanidhi said, “Two SC Judges Cannot Decide For 100 Crore People!” “The SC's order on OBC Quota is unconstitutional and absurd” said a similar politician, Mr. Sharad Yadav and he suggested that the government ignore it. The government is hell-bent not only to ignore the timely intervention of SC but to also use all its might amounting to an almost naked threat to the judiciary.

The charge, that courts do not understand the sensitivity of the matters affecting the masses, is a bogey that politicians put forward to conceal their own ineptitude. The gimmickry and arrogance of the executive can easily be understood from the fact that it was NOT WILLING TO EXCLUDE THE CREAMY LAYER.

After an extensive debate at the Constituent Assembly, the founding fathers were prepared to take the risk; a decision was taken to entrust the judiciary with the solemn task of preventing the fundamental rights of the people from being steamrollered by a popular assembly swayed by the passions and prejudices of the day, and to preserve the cardinal values of the Constitution against majoritarian onslaughts.

Those who give the argument for political gain and thus try to ignore the constitutionality of the act passed by parliament, it is pertinent to remind the words of Chief Justice Patanjali Sastri (1952) “We think it right to point out what is sometimes overlooked, that our constitution contains express provision for judicial review of legislation as to its conformity with the constitution. If, then the courts in this country face up such important and none too easy task, it is not out of any desire to tilt that legislative authority in a crusader’s spirit, but in discharge of a duty plainly laid upon them by the constitution. While the court naturally attach great weight to the legislative judgment, it can not desert its own duty to determine finally the constitutionality of an impugned statute”.

The Parliament is not infallible. In the Emergency, it was clearly wrong in amending the constitution, as it had to reverse its own amendments. During the 19-month long Emergency period the government blandly took the chilling position that no fundamental right existed. When one of the judges asked whether a citizen had a remedy against a policeman wanting to shoot him, the then attorney-general, Niren Dey, replied, “My Lord, not so long as the Emergency lasts. It shocks my conscience and it may shock yours, but there is no remedy.”

The quality of the Constitution depends on the working of the Constitution. Earlier, the Constitution worked because of the quality of leaders in the Parliament. Subsequently power went into weaker hands. Now, power is in very weak political hands with a very narrow and short-term purpose of holding the power only to serve themselves. It is relevant here to emphasize the role of judiciary as told by the constitutional expert Mr. Fali S. Nariman “The width of the judicial power is as long as its reach, subject only to its acceptability by the people: everything turns on the first three words of our constitution, “WE THE PEOPLE”. The opening words do not say: “WE THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE”.

Now, since the issue of OBC reservation is under the careful scrutiny of Hon’ble Supreme Court no subversion through means other than justice should be allowed.
Let us join hands and raise the banner of justice.

Your Helping Hands...

2007-05-01T20:42:00.001+05:30

We need your help and encouragement in fighting for the noble cause. Please send your suggestions/ ideas to youthforequality.du@gmail.com

(1) To contribute by cheque/DD(*), make it payable in New Delhi to YOUTH FOR EQUALITY, DELHI UNIVERSITY CHAPTER.

(2) Direct Transfer to our Bank Account- YOUTH FOR EQUALITY, DELHI UNIVERSITY CHAPTER (Account No. 30169094110 [Current Bank Account]), State Bank of India, Delhi University, New Delhi.

(3) To contribute funds by cash payment you can contact us at youthforequality.du@gmail.com(#) or 9910723754(N.Agasti),9911765750(Amit Kr. Singh),9313509958(Shashank), 9818552848(Nikhil)

(4) Cheques/DDs may be dropped either in any State Bank of India ATM Centre/ Cheque Collection Centre with the Bank Account details included (given in point 2 above), or post-mailed/couriered to Youth for Equality (Delhi University Chapter) c/o Mr. Amit Kr. Singh, Room No.-73, Jubilee Hall, Delhi University, New Delhi. (#)

YFE-DU Campaigning in MCD election

2007-04-01T16:00:00.000+05:30

Youth For Equality, Delhi University campaigned in MCD election.YFE stood three candidates in this election & we have got very courageous support.Result was we came 3rd position on Two seats & 4th position on one seat.

Here is some view of election caimpaign of Kasturba Nagar where Dr. Sanjay was our Candidate...

On Victory Day : YFE-DU Team is on Rajghat

2007-03-29T18:00:00.000+05:30

YFE-DU March On

YFE-DU Team at Rajghat

Remembering Bapu on Rajghat

Taking Pladge For Fight of Equality

YFE-DU Team: Ready to March

YFE-DU on Hunger Strike

2006-12-23T13:12:00.000+05:30

आरक्षण विरोध : डीयू के छात्र भी अनशन पर

नई दिल्ली, जागरण टीम : संसद में ओबीसी आरक्षण पास होने पर डीयू के छात्रों ने भी तीन दिवसीय क्रमिक अनशन शुरू कर दी है। आरक्षण विरोध के साथ ही छात्रों ने गरीब बच्चों के लिए चलाए जा रहे अंशकालिक विद्यालयों के लिए छात्रों से सहायता भी मांगी जिसमें शैक्षणिक सामग्री के अलावा डीयू के छात्रों से शिक्षण के लिए समय देने की अपील की गई। मुहिम का आयोजन यूथ फॉर इक्वैलिटी (यूएफई) की ओर से किया गया है। इधर, एम्स में भी रेजिडेंट डॉक्टरों का आरक्षण विरोधी आंदोलन जारी है। इसके तहत सात दिनों से अनशन पर बैठे 25 डॉक्टरों ने अनशन खत्म कर दिया, जबकि संस्थान के 25 नए डॉक्टरों ने उनके स्थान पर अनशन शुरू कर दिया।
डीयू में यूएफई के सदस्य शशांक ने कहा कि वह लोग जातिगत आरक्षण के विरोध में हैं। स्थायी समिति ने आरक्षण बिल में संशोधन के लिए कुछ सुझाव दिए थे जिसमें क्रीमी लेयर वर्ग को आरक्षण से बाहर रखने की बात कही गई थी।
इधर, एम्स के रेजिडेंट डॉक्टरों का आरक्षण विरोधी आंदोलन जारी है। बुधवार को संस्थान के 25 नए डॉक्टरों ने अनशन शुरू कर दिया है, जबकि सात दिनों से अन्न त्यागकर आंदोलन को आगे बढ़ा रहे 25 डॉक्टरों ने अपना अनशन खत्म कर दिया है। डॉक्टरों के अनशन के बावजूद अस्पताल की चिकित्सा सेवाएं सामान्य रूप से चल रही हैं।

http://epaper.jagran.com/main.aspx?edate=12/21/2006&editioncode=2&pageno=6#

Rural India Contact Programme

2006-06-26T13:12:00.000+05:30

It is undeniable that the destiny of the country is scripted by the rural mass whom our politician think can be taken on their side, but if we walk with them tell them what’s really happening with them, how the aam aadmi is being fooled, the failure of social justice in India and the dogma of caste we have a thousand hands with us and voice of millions and most importantly the votes which matter.
This movement has already started with Haryana. Youth For Equality DU has covered several districts and places like Mahem, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Hissar in the first leg. The first leg had culminated with a meeting of 2500 panchayats at Mahem (khaps). Mass contact programme were organized on similar lines in Western Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

YFE Team In Haryana Village

Villagers of UP

Villagers of Haryana with YFE Team

Amit Kr. Singh Addressing villagers of UP

DU students join anti-reservation protests

2006-05-19T11:56:00.000+05:30

NEW DELHI, MAY 19 (PTI)

Agitating medicos today received a shot in the arm with Delhi University students joining the anti-reservation protests by taking out a march in the varsity's north campus demanding immediate roll back of the proposed OBC quotas in educational institutions.

Hundreds of students shouting anti-reservation slogans led by inspirational writer Shiv Khera took out a protest march from the Arts Faculty to Vice Chancellor's residence.

Terming the proposed policy for OBC quotas "divisive", the students demanded its immediate roll back and a review of the existing reservation policy.

The DU students are also joining the medicos on hunger strike at the AIIMS tomorrow.

Barely 30 of the medical students on an indefinite hunger strike were able to continue with the fast, with the majority of the around 150 protestors having fainted.

"Now, 30 medicos are on hunger strike and their condition is is not good," said Sasmit, a member of "Youth For Equality" spearheading the medicos agitation.

The students and junior doctors of five medical colleges -- AIIMS, MAMC, Lady Hardinge Medical College, University College of Medical Sciences and Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College -- started their hunger strike on Sunday to protest the OBC quota proposal.

The agitating medicos, meanwhile, are organising a march tomorrow from Maulana Azad Medical College to Rajghat and parents of some students are expected to join in, Sasmit said.

The students demanded declaration of preformances and outcome of existing reservation policy at the end of every year, declaration of maximum tenure for which reservations for socially and educationally backward classes and gradual decline in intake of under existing number of reserved seats.

The demands of the students include, roll back of the proposed extra-reservations, conduct a caste-based census with rational, judicious and genuine indicators of social and educational backwardness.

They also demanded setting up of a judicial commission to give a true definition of social and educational backwardness, strict and judicious parameters for determining the creamy layers in OBCs, exclusion of those castes from the ambit of reservation which are no more socially and educationally backward.
http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=386144

related Links:
Shiv Khera to motivate students
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=67948

Quota: DU students march through North Campus
http://news.oneindia.in/2006/05/19/du-students-march-through-north-campus-opposing-reservation-1148048446.html