ISSN (Print) - 0012-9976 | ISSN (Online) - 2349-8846

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The Political Economy of the Jat Agitation for Other Backward Class Status

The changing caste realities in Haryana and their links with economic processes became visible in the recent protests of Jats for Other Backward Class status. The concerns of Jats are embedded in twin processes initiated in 1991: the “Market” and the “Mandal.” Led by economic liberalisation, the Market demands certain attributes and levels of education and social skills to profit from its growth process, and Jats are perceived to be lacking in these aspects. In contrast, the Mandal has facilitated the relative mobility of lower castes, such as OBCs and Dalits, through reservations in government jobs and education. Thus, Jats have responded to this crisis by changing the discourse from one of domination to one that highlights their deprivation to bolster their demands for OBC status.

 

The Political Economy of the Jat Agitation for Other Backward Class Status

The changing caste realities in Haryana and their links with economic processes became visible in the protests of the Jats for Other Backward Class status. The concerns of the Jats are embedded in twin processes initiated in 1991: the “Market” and the “Mandal.” Led by economic liberalisation, the job market demands certain attributes and levels of education and social skills to profit from its growth process. The implementation of the Mandal Commission’s report has facilitated the relative mobility of lower castes such as OBCs and Dalits through reservations in government jobs and education. The Jats have responded to this crisis by changing the discourse from one of domination to one that highlights their deprivation to bolster their demands for OBC status.

NEET Could Undo Tamil Nadu's Achievements in Public Health

Tamil Nadu has performed extremely well in most health indicators because creative technical intervention in the state has been coupled with social mobilisation. The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test ( NEET) has the potential to reverse all past achievements—the innovative reservation policies and the incentive structure which ensured a seamless flow of health personnel in rural areas.

Politics of Jallikattu

The protest of Tamils against the ban on Jallikattu is a trigger. The pent-up anger against the successive policies of the central government and corporate encroachment of resources is the main cause of massive turnout in the protests. The protests displayed the limits of the Hindu right’s attempts to make inroads into the state’s politics by valorising Tamil language and culture. The protests indicate a continuity of Tamil politics with renewed strength through social media activism.

A Comparison of Developmental Outcomes in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu

The long-standing debate on growth and development has been renewed in recent works of Jagdish Bhagwati and Amartya Sen. This paper intervenes in this debate with evidence from Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu, which, unlike Kerala, did not have initial advantages over Gujarat, outperforms the latter on nearly every development indicator at the level of indicators as well as in the rate of change. This is despite Gujarat having a slightly higher economic growth rate. Tamil Nadu's relative success is the result of state intervention in providing essential public services. Further, the history of social mobilisation in the state has been crucial in ensuring the formulation and efficient execution of social welfare measures.

Caste as Social Capital

There are suggestions that caste networks can be used as a means to reduce transaction costs and promote economic development. Based on critiques of the "social capital for development" literature and the experience of the knitwear cluster in Tiruppur, this article contends that caste-based economic networks reinforce socio-economic hierarchies and generate new forms of exclusion.

A Tamil Spring?

A new generation of college students in Tamil Nadu has taken up the cause of the Tamils of Sri Lanka. Articulate, wellinformed and uncontaminated by the influence of time-serving politicians they have successfully forced an agenda on the three main political parties in the state.

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