Dalits Media watch
News Updates 10.09.12
No SC/ST professors in JNU, DU despite promotion quota - The Times Of India
ADW goof-up stalls Dalit scholar's UK programme - The Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article3878670.ece
Economic inequality reason for caste discrimination: Puttanaiah - Deccan Herald
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/277600/economic-inequality-reason-caste-discrimination.html
UGC hikes SC/ST fellowship for post-doctoral research - The Hindustan times
No help to SC/ST students may land banks in trouble - Deccan Herald
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/277562/no-help-scstamp8200students-may-land.html
Marathi writer criticised for 'casteist' remarks - The Hindustan Times
The Times Of India
No SC/ST professors in JNU, DU despite promotion quota
Akshaya Mukul, TNN | Sep 10, 2012, 01.51AM IST
NEW DELHI: Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University and Allahabad University, all of them directly under the HRD ministry, do not have a single SC/ST professor despite the policy of reservation in promotions.
Moreover, DU and JNU don't have a single SC/ST associate professor (reader). BHU has three SC associate professors, not one from the ST category and 112 SC and 30 ST assistant professors (lecturers), the entry level post.
In JNU, there are 25 SC and 10 ST assistant professors. However, it does not have a single SC/ST research scientist. Allahabad University has just one SC associate professor, STs again drawing a blank. At the lecturer level, Allahabad University has 15 SC and two STs.
An RTI query to University Grants Commission, JNU and BHU by Banaras-based Mahendra Pratap Singh revealed a similar situation in 31 central universities across India.
The Hindu
ADW goof-up stalls Dalit scholar's UK programme
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article3878670.ece
D. Karthikeyan
"Another awardee got the funds released after he joined a course in UK "
A Dalit student who has made it to a premier educational institution in the United Kingdom has been denied scholarship after being awarded one by the Adi Dravidar Welfare (ADW) Department. This has come as a dampener at a time when Dalits are slowly moving forward and have started to enter the upper echelons of higher education.
K. Saravanan is a scholar selected by the School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, for Ph.D. research with a fellowship awarded by the department under a scholarship scheme for SC students for studying in universities abroad.
He was selected for the scholarship in 2009 (November 19, 2009), according to the documents obtained through the Right to Information Act. The scheme supports SC students for four years.
After his interview in 2009, he was declared successful and given confirmation letter to proceed for higher studies. However, until now, the ADW Department has not released any funds. The aspiring candidate was shocked to know that his scholarship was cancelled due to insufficient funds, after he had joined the course. Mr. Saravanan was chosen for the fellowship by the competent authority and his proposal went through an elaborate process. The University of Manchester admitted him to the Ph.D. Programme in Drug Discovery only after a rigorous test and discussion.
On November 19, 2009, the ADW Department held the interview for scholarship and Mr. Saravanan was one among the two candidates selected for the SC student foreign scholarship.
According to the endorsement letter issued by ADW Commissioner P. Sivasankaran, Mr. Saravanan was provisionally selected for the overseas fellowship scheme. Mr. Sivasankaran had sent a letter to the Head, School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, that the government of Tamil Nadu would cover tuition fees, maintenance allowance, and contingency allowance of Mr. Saravanan. Meanwhile, Mr. Saravanan was asked to join the university after producing the award letter.
The ADW Department, in a letter, had advised him to proceed with his visa formalities and asked him to join the course, making financial arrangements on his own, as it might take some time to get the administrative approval. As he was not in a position to mobilise the required funds, he had waited for the release of funds.
During 2011, on the request of ADW Department, again Mr. Saravanan submitted the admission letter and the approval was sought for the release of funds. On the belief that he would be awarded the scholarship, Saravanan got his visa to UK and proceeded on his journey by borrowing money from relatives, friends and teachers. The ADW Commissioner again wrote to Prof. Whitehead requesting that Mr. Saravanan could be allowed to join the University of Manchester to pursue Ph.D. However, the Secretary wrote to the ADW Commissioner that the time period to get the fellowship had been closed for the said financial year (2011-12) and also no sufficient funds were available. The information collected through RTI Act states that ADW Minister, N. Subramanian, had rejected his application on the ground that the candidate had not joined the said programme in September 2011. But Mr. Saravanan contends that the Department had sent the relevant files only in September 2011 to the Principal Secretary (Finance) and Chief Secretary, who signed the files in December 2011.
Appeal to Jayalalithaa
The RTI documents reveal that ADW Department had goofed up the whole issue as it had misquoted the tuition fee as 7,000 pounds, though Mr. Saravanan had clearly mentioned it as 17,000 pounds. The ADW Department cited it as a typographic error. As a last resort, he has written to the Chief Minister's special cell seeking justice. He is awaiting a favourable order from the Chief Minister.
Deccan Herald
Economic inequality reason for caste discrimination: Puttanaiah
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/277600/economic-inequality-reason-caste-discrimination.html
Mysore:Sept 10, 2012 DH News Service
Ryot leader K S Puttanaiah blamed economic inequality as one of the reasons for the entrenched caste discrimination in the country.
He was speaking at a programme to discuss present politics and status of Dalits, organised by Karnataka Rajya Dalit Sangharsha Samiti (KRDSS) here on Sunday.
He said those with education, financial resources and power are respected, but those at the lower strata of the society are looked down upon by people. By providing BPL cards, the country is upholding the socio-economic inequality, he added.
The administration of the country is currently based on caste system. A particular strata of the society is controlling financial and educational institutions. At a time when discriminated societies have to fight together in order to do away with inequality, they are involved in infighting.
Slamming the government, he said even though a pay commission has been constituted for government employees, no such measure has been taken for farmers, daily wage labourers and those working in the unorganised sector.
He said even though the prime minister has been urged to take measures, he has not considered the issues plaguing the country.
KRDSS convenor Lakshminarayan Nagawara, district convenor Devagalli Somashekar, ryot leader K C Basavaraju and others were present.
The Hindustan times
UGC hikes SC/ST fellowship for post-doctoral research
K Sandeep Kumar K Sandeep Kumar, Hindustan Times
Allahabad, September 10, 2012
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has significantly hiked fellowships for SC/ST students for postdoctoral research. As per the new norms, research scholars of SC/ST categories will now receive Rs. 25,000 per month for the first two years and R30,000 per month from the third year onwards in
the five-year period for which the fellowship is granted. Until now, the SC/ST scholars used to get Rs. 16,000 per month as fellowship.
To make the fellowship more attractive, the UGC has also increased the contingency amount granted every year to the fellows. Now the fellowship will fetch post-doc SC/ST researchers R50,000 every year in contingency grants instead of the earlier R30,000 per year. The UGC's order in this regard has been sent by the commission's joint secretary Dr CS Meena to the registrars of all universities, including the Allahabad University.
As per the order, physically disabled and blind candidates who used to receive R2,000 per month for hiring an escort or reader will continue to receive the same amount besides getting the HRA as per the university/institution rules where they are enrolled. The UGC has directed that candidates selected for the fellowship from the year 2010-11 onwards would be eligible for the new fellowship amount but would receive the increased money in fellowship and contingency grants only with effect from April 27, 2012. The candidates whose five-year fellowship tenure has ended before April 27, 2012, are not eligible for the revised amount. The order also specifies that candidates selected for the fellowship from the year 2010-11 onwards were not eligible for the money given as departmental assistance.
In his order, the UGC joint secretary has asked universities to direct all their affiliated colleges to ensure that the increased fellowship amount is timely provided to the postdoctoral SC/ST fellows.
Deccan Herald
No help to SC/ST students may land banks in trouble
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/277562/no-help-scstamp8200students-may-land.html
Koppal: Sept 9 , 2012 DH News Service
The social welfare department has written to the chief executive officers of all Zilla Panchayats to register cases under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, against those nationalised banks that refuse to open accounts in the names of pre-matric students of these communities to facilitate online payment of scholarships.
The letter by the commissioner of the department has instructed the filing cases in the nearest police stations under Section 4 of the Act against banks that do not open the 'no-frills' accounts. All eligible pre-matric SC/ST students are due to get their scholarships for 2012-13.
The department's move follows reports by the social welfare officers of all the districts over the non-cooperation by the banks.
he department plans to provide scholarships to nearly 12 lakh SC/ST students studying in classes one to 10. It is not possible to demit the scholarships without the accounts being ened.
Success of scholarship
The success of the scholarship programme hinges on the co-operation of the banks and accounts opened in rural banks are not considered.
However, the situation in Koppal district is much better. Though the banks were initially hesitant to open the 'no-frills' accounts, they are co-operating well now, said district social welfare officer S H Angadi.
He said Deputy Commissioner Tulasi Maddineni had impressed upon managers of lead banks and bank officials on the need to open 'no-frills' accounts during a meeting called by her.
A total of 19,000 'no-frills' accounts were opened in the district till September 4, Angadi said, adding that 16,000 more accounts were to be opened.
He said the deadline to open the accounts had been extended to September 19 to help the SC/ST students.
The Hindustan Times
Marathi writer criticised for 'casteist' remarks
Suprateek Chatterjee, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, September 10, 2012
The Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan (ABMSS), the largest annual gathering for Marathi litterateurs, has been embroiled in a controversy. Writer HM Marathe has allegedly asked for votes for the post of president of the sammelan based on his caste.
Known for his pro-Brahmin opinions and writing, Marathe wrote a letter to voters earlier this week in which he stated, "Brahmins have been the enemies of Indian society for nearly 150 years" and that it was time "for Brahmins to come together and fight the misconceptions that exist against them". A part of the letter read, "...The Brahmin community should organise itself and raise a voice against the attempts to create an atmosphere of violence…Brahmins have been shown as enemy number one of the Indian society by several essays and books. A part of this is revealed in the narrations that Brahmins were behind the killing of Sant Tukaram and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. This vengeful propaganda has to be responded to by way of reasoned argument and logic."
His views have prompted outrage from the Marathi literary community. Aroon Tikekar, writer and president of the Asiatic Society, termed his statement "most unfortunate". "By making this kind of a statement, it gets harder to bridge the gap between Brahmin and Dalit communities," he said.
Pushpa Bhave, former Marathi professor at Ruia College, Matunga, said, "The sammelan brings people together for secular reasons — for the love of literature," she says. "It is sad when a literary person brings caste into the equation."
However, Marathe denied allegations of casteism and said his statements had been taken out of context. "I have been analysing changes in society for 65 years," he said over the phone from his Pune residence. "Gross untruths about Brahmins have been systematically spread in our society for over a century. As a writer, I have the right to say what I feel about it." He added that he has no ill-feelings towards members of any caste. "It is politicians who try to divide society along the lines of caste, with issues such as reservation," he said, referring to the amendment, proposed on September 4, to promote schedule castes and scheduled tribes in government jobs on the basis of a quota.
Members of the Marathi literary community say the sammelan started off as a Brahminical institution as it was began at a time when Brahmins were the only ones producing and consuming literature. This changed, however, after the '50s when Dalit literature started entering the mainstream.
Representatives of the Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh declined to comment on the issue till the election process was over.
.Arun Khote
On behalf of
Dalits Media Watch Team
(An initiative of "Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre-PMARC")
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Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC.
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