August 28, 2026

Home minister Amit Shah marked Raksha Bandhan by spending time with young girls battling Type 1 diabetes. NEW DELHI: Home minister Amit Shah celebrated Raksha Bandhan in Ahmedabad on Friday with local girls diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.Sharing photographs of the girls — who hail from Gandhinagar, his Lok Sabha constituency — tying rakhi on his wrist, Shah posted on X: “Children with Type 1 diabetes require life-long insulin injections, which puts a major financial strain on their families. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our govt is providing such children free insulin for life.”“This visionary initiative, which many developed nations are still striving to implement, showcases the commitment of Modi govt to the principles of “service, compassion and security,” he added.The home minister wished the girls good health and a bright future. “For the Modi government, public service is not merely a responsibility but the guiding principle of compassionate governance. Only when the health of daughters is secure will the future of the family and society be secure. This initiative to provide free insulin to daughters on the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan also symbolizes our commitment to the protection and health of daughters,” he said while speaking on the occasion.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesShah’s rakshabandhan gesture has a personal angle as well. The home minister has, by his own admission, reversed his diabetes by making major lifestyle changes since 2020. Speaking at a World Liver Day event last year, he revealed that by taking requisite sleep, hydration and the right food and regular exercise, he had almost ended his dependence on allopathic medicines and insulin.Type 1 diabetes, however, cannot be reversed or cured. It is linked to genetic factors and attacks insulin-making beta cells in the pancreas. Usually diagnosed during childhood or adolescence, it makes those afflicted with it dependent for life on insulin therapy.The Modi govt had earlier this year decided to expand its Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram to put in place an integrated system for screening, diagnosis, treatment and long-term management of juvenile diabetes.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes, Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India.About the AuthorBharti JainBharti Jain is senior editor with The Times of India, New Delhi. She has been writing on security matters since 1996. Having covered the Union home ministry, security agencies, Election Commission and the ‘prime’ political beat, the Congress, for The Economic Times all these years, she moved to TOI in August 2012. Her repertoire of news stories delves into the whole gamut of issues related to terrorism and internal strife, besides probing strategic affairs in India’s neighbourhood.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosGovt Taps EIL For Quality Checks On 5,000 Km Of Road Projects After Modi’s ‘4th-Party Audit’ Jibe469 Dead In Nepal Floods; 3 Bodies Found In Uttar Pradesh; Kathmandu Declines Foreign Rescue TeamsCongress Alleges ₹36,000 Crore ‘Sugar Scam’, Slams Modi Govt Over Festive Price RisePM Modi’s Central Asia Visit: SCO Summit, Uzbekistan Ties, Putin Meet In FocusCM Suvendu Adhikari Urges Skilled Bengalis Abroad To Return, Promises Jobs Under Double-Engine Govt’Blind Pakistan Activated Spies To Locate India’s S-400′ During Op Sindoor, Ex-Air Marshal RevealsCamac Street Showdown: TMC Blocks Police During Billboard Removal, Banerjee Announces Court MoveNepal Floods: 288 Indians Uncontactable, 21 Rescued So Far, MEA Shares Key Updates | WatchFour Killed, One Missing In Manipur Ambush As Naga-Kuki Tensions Erupt Again, Probe Launch | WatchFake IAS Officer Tripti Rajput Under Probe, Police Recover CBI Cards And Government Documents123Photostories5 jewellery styling mistakes to avoid with traditional festive outfitsLock Upp 2 fame Akanksha Chamola’s luxurious Mumbai home: Elegant interiors, cosy living room and beautiful mandirH1N1 Or COVID-19? Symptoms may look the same, but the diagnosis can mean a very different treatment approachMakeup not lasting all day? Here’s why your base melts by noonThe ‘ick’ explained: 7 reasons attraction between partners can suddenly disappear (and how to bring the spark back)5 reasons people pull away even when they have feelings7 signs you like the idea of a romantic relationship more than your partnerCuff too tight, legs crossed or talking? Cardiologist reveals 5 home BP mistakes that can alter readings5 habits that can quietly damage a marriageNepal flash flood: 7 glacial hotspots around the world facing rising climate risks123Hot PicksNepal floodUPTET Result 2026Sunny LeoneKerala name changeRRB NTPC UG CBT 2 examAnkit Baliyan murderSridhar VembuDelhi murderNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingAnkit Balyan MurderChandigarh MurderSamay RainaUdaipur HotelFlorida Car CrashUS Green Card HolderBengal HospitalTamil Nadu Son MurderElon MuskKanpur Aircraft Crash

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Home minister Amit Shah marked Raksha Bandhan by spending time with young girls battling Type 1 diabetes. NEW DELHI: Home minister Amit Shah celebrated Raksha Bandhan in Ahmedabad on Friday with local girls diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.Sharing photographs of the girls — who hail from Gandhinagar, his Lok Sabha constituency — tying rakhi on his wrist, Shah posted on X: “Children with Type 1 diabetes require life-long insulin injections, which puts a major financial strain on their families. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our govt is providing such children free insulin for life.”“This visionary initiative, which many developed nations are still striving to implement, showcases the commitment of Modi govt to the principles of “service, compassion and security,” he added.The home minister wished the girls good health and a bright future. “For the Modi government, public service is not merely a responsibility but the guiding principle of compassionate governance. Only when the health of daughters is secure will the future of the family and society be secure. This initiative to provide free insulin to daughters on the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan also symbolizes our commitment to the protection and health of daughters,” he said while speaking on the occasion.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesShah’s rakshabandhan gesture has a personal angle as well. The home minister has, by his own admission, reversed his diabetes by making major lifestyle changes since 2020. Speaking at a World Liver Day event last year, he revealed that by taking requisite sleep, hydration and the right food and regular exercise, he had almost ended his dependence on allopathic medicines and insulin.Type 1 diabetes, however, cannot be reversed or cured. It is linked to genetic factors and attacks insulin-making beta cells in the pancreas. Usually diagnosed during childhood or adolescence, it makes those afflicted with it dependent for life on insulin therapy.The Modi govt had earlier this year decided to expand its Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram to put in place an integrated system for screening, diagnosis, treatment and long-term management of juvenile diabetes.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes, Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India.About the AuthorBharti JainBharti Jain is senior editor with The Times of India, New Delhi. She has been writing on security matters since 1996. Having covered the Union home ministry, security agencies, Election Commission and the ‘prime’ political beat, the Congress, for The Economic Times all these years, she moved to TOI in August 2012. Her repertoire of news stories delves into the whole gamut of issues related to terrorism and internal strife, besides probing strategic affairs in India’s neighbourhood.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosGovt Taps EIL For Quality Checks On 5,000 Km Of Road Projects After Modi’s ‘4th-Party Audit’ Jibe469 Dead In Nepal Floods; 3 Bodies Found In Uttar Pradesh; Kathmandu Declines Foreign Rescue TeamsCongress Alleges ₹36,000 Crore ‘Sugar Scam’, Slams Modi Govt Over Festive Price RisePM Modi’s Central Asia Visit: SCO Summit, Uzbekistan Ties, Putin Meet In FocusCM Suvendu Adhikari Urges Skilled Bengalis Abroad To Return, Promises Jobs Under Double-Engine Govt’Blind Pakistan Activated Spies To Locate India’s S-400′ During Op Sindoor, Ex-Air Marshal RevealsCamac Street Showdown: TMC Blocks Police During Billboard Removal, Banerjee Announces Court MoveNepal Floods: 288 Indians Uncontactable, 21 Rescued So Far, MEA Shares Key Updates | WatchFour Killed, One Missing In Manipur Ambush As Naga-Kuki Tensions Erupt Again, Probe Launch | WatchFake IAS Officer Tripti Rajput Under Probe, Police Recover CBI Cards And Government Documents123Photostories5 jewellery styling mistakes to avoid with traditional festive outfitsLock Upp 2 fame Akanksha Chamola’s luxurious Mumbai home: Elegant interiors, cosy living room and beautiful mandirH1N1 Or COVID-19? Symptoms may look the same, but the diagnosis can mean a very different treatment approachMakeup not lasting all day? Here’s why your base melts by noonThe ‘ick’ explained: 7 reasons attraction between partners can suddenly disappear (and how to bring the spark back)5 reasons people pull away even when they have feelings7 signs you like the idea of a romantic relationship more than your partnerCuff too tight, legs crossed or talking? Cardiologist reveals 5 home BP mistakes that can alter readings5 habits that can quietly damage a marriageNepal flash flood: 7 glacial hotspots around the world facing rising climate risks123Hot PicksNepal floodUPTET Result 2026Sunny LeoneKerala name changeRRB NTPC UG CBT 2 examAnkit Baliyan murderSridhar VembuDelhi murderNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingAnkit Balyan MurderChandigarh MurderSamay RainaUdaipur HotelFlorida Car CrashUS Green Card HolderBengal HospitalTamil Nadu Son MurderElon MuskKanpur Aircraft Crash


'Free insulin for life': Amit Shah celebrates Rakshabandhan with girls diagnosed with diabetes
Home minister Amit Shah marked Raksha Bandhan by spending time with young girls battling Type 1 diabetes.

NEW DELHI: Home minister Amit Shah celebrated Raksha Bandhan in Ahmedabad on Friday with local girls diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.Sharing photographs of the girls — who hail from Gandhinagar, his Lok Sabha constituency — tying rakhi on his wrist, Shah posted on X: “Children with Type 1 diabetes require life-long insulin injections, which puts a major financial strain on their families. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our govt is providing such children free insulin for life.”“This visionary initiative, which many developed nations are still striving to implement, showcases the commitment of Modi govt to the principles of “service, compassion and security,” he added.The home minister wished the girls good health and a bright future. “For the Modi government, public service is not merely a responsibility but the guiding principle of compassionate governance. Only when the health of daughters is secure will the future of the family and society be secure. This initiative to provide free insulin to daughters on the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan also symbolizes our commitment to the protection and health of daughters,” he said while speaking on the occasion.

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NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference’s estranged MP from Srinagar Aga Ruhullah Mehdi on Friday said he will resign from Parliament, accusing party chief Farooq Abdullah and the NC leadership of abandoning the fight for restoration of Article 370, despite securing a mandate on the issue in the 2024 Assembly elections.In a two-page letter to Abdullah, Mehdi sought answers over the party’s change in its position on Article 370. His remarks came after Abdullah asked him to seek a fresh mandate for opposing the party line.Referring to Abdullah’s recent statement urging Kashmiris to become self-reliant instead of seeking economic concessions from the Centre, Mehdi said the remarks reflected his own frustration with being expected to adopt a “posture of supplication” before the BJP.He questioned why the party leadership objected when he raised similar concerns over Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional rights.“The uncomfortable truth is that we are not even ‘begging’ for Article 370; we are ‘begging’ for statehood – a right the Supreme Court itself has recognised,” Mehdi said, arguing that the NC’s current position had become indistinguishable from that of BJP.The letter came amid reports that Mehdi is likely to resign from the Lok Sabha on November 3, the death anniversary of his father Aga Syed Mehdi, who was assassinated in an IED blast on November 3, 2000.Mehdi warned that treating statehood as the limit of political aspirations could legitimise the constitutional changes made in August 2019 and weaken protections for Jammu and Kashmir’s land, culture and environment.He also questioned NC’s decision to move away from its 2024 assembly election promise of restoring Articles 370 and 35A.“Today, we conveniently argue that the very regime which abrogated Article 370 will never restore it… That would have been a fair argument. But the BJP was also in power when we drafted our 2024 manifesto. So, why did we include the restoration of Article 370 in our manifesto?” he asked.“Were we making promises we knew we could not keep or perhaps never truly intended to keep? Did we invoke the wound inflicted on the people of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019 merely to derive political mileage, only to conveniently forget our promises after government formation?” he added.Pointing out that nearly 65 per cent of Jammu and Kashmir’s population is young, Mehdi said their future was “increasingly uncertain” due to a lack of jobs and opportunities.“Our land is up for grabs. Our resources benefit everybody but us. Our religious rights, traditions, and language face constant pressure. Our environment is being ravaged by illegal deforestation, mining, and construction in ecologically fragile zones,” the Srinagar MP said.He said elected representatives must fight “this constant degradation and dehumanisation” instead of limiting public aspirations to what the BJP was willing to concede.“It is to ensure that the extraordinary and deeply consequential events of August 2019 do not become the new political normal and to recognise that restoration of statehood cannot be treated as an adequate substitute for what was taken away,” Mehdi said.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines”Rest assured, the resignation will come. It would have come even without you asking, but before that must come accountability,” he added.The letter comes at a time when reports suggest that the Srinagar MP is likely to resign from the Lok Sabha on November 3, coinciding with the death anniversary of his father Aga Syed Mehdi, who was assassinated by terrorists in an IED blast on November 3, 2000.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes, Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India.About the AuthorRohitashwa RanjanRohitashwa Ranjan is a digital journalist with The Times of India, where he decodes Indian politics as a carefully staged production with scripts, subtext and everything behind. His stories track elections, party dynamics and the things that often are buried beneath the headlines. When not parsing vote shares or alliances, he is usually reading between the lines, where the real story tends to reside.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosIndia Plans Javelin Missile Buy From US, Giving Infantry A Battle-Tested Tank-Killing Edge | Watch’Willing & Keen’: Penguin Random House Denies Dropping Sonia Gandhi’s Memoir Over Editorial ChangesGovt Taps EIL For Quality Checks On 5,000 Km Of Road Projects After Modi’s ‘4th-Party Audit’ Jibe469 Dead In Nepal Floods; 3 Bodies Found In Uttar Pradesh; Kathmandu Declines Foreign Rescue TeamsCongress Alleges ₹36,000 Crore ‘Sugar Scam’, Slams Modi Govt Over Festive Price RisePM Modi’s Central Asia Visit: SCO Summit, Uzbekistan Ties, Putin Meet In FocusCM Suvendu Adhikari Urges Skilled Bengalis Abroad To Return, Promises Jobs Under Double-Engine Govt’Blind Pakistan Activated Spies To Locate India’s S-400′ During Op Sindoor, Ex-Air Marshal RevealsCamac Street Showdown: TMC Blocks Police During Billboard Removal, Banerjee Announces Court MoveNepal Floods: 288 Indians Uncontactable, 21 Rescued So Far, MEA Shares Key Updates | Watch123Photostories10 vintage baby girl names that still sound fresh todayJungkook style evolution: From bold eyeliner to quiet luxury, how BTS’ star transformed his fashion5 jewellery styling mistakes to avoid with traditional festive outfitsLock Upp 2 fame Akanksha Chamola’s luxurious Mumbai home: Elegant interiors, cosy living room and beautiful mandirH1N1 Or COVID-19? 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NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference’s estranged MP from Srinagar Aga Ruhullah Mehdi on Friday said he will resign from Parliament, accusing party chief Farooq Abdullah and the NC leadership of abandoning the fight for restoration of Article 370, despite securing a mandate on the issue in the 2024 Assembly elections.In a two-page letter to Abdullah, Mehdi sought answers over the party’s change in its position on Article 370. His remarks came after Abdullah asked him to seek a fresh mandate for opposing the party line.Referring to Abdullah’s recent statement urging Kashmiris to become self-reliant instead of seeking economic concessions from the Centre, Mehdi said the remarks reflected his own frustration with being expected to adopt a “posture of supplication” before the BJP.He questioned why the party leadership objected when he raised similar concerns over Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional rights.“The uncomfortable truth is that we are not even ‘begging’ for Article 370; we are ‘begging’ for statehood – a right the Supreme Court itself has recognised,” Mehdi said, arguing that the NC’s current position had become indistinguishable from that of BJP.The letter came amid reports that Mehdi is likely to resign from the Lok Sabha on November 3, the death anniversary of his father Aga Syed Mehdi, who was assassinated in an IED blast on November 3, 2000.Mehdi warned that treating statehood as the limit of political aspirations could legitimise the constitutional changes made in August 2019 and weaken protections for Jammu and Kashmir’s land, culture and environment.He also questioned NC’s decision to move away from its 2024 assembly election promise of restoring Articles 370 and 35A.“Today, we conveniently argue that the very regime which abrogated Article 370 will never restore it… That would have been a fair argument. But the BJP was also in power when we drafted our 2024 manifesto. So, why did we include the restoration of Article 370 in our manifesto?” he asked.“Were we making promises we knew we could not keep or perhaps never truly intended to keep? Did we invoke the wound inflicted on the people of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019 merely to derive political mileage, only to conveniently forget our promises after government formation?” he added.Pointing out that nearly 65 per cent of Jammu and Kashmir’s population is young, Mehdi said their future was “increasingly uncertain” due to a lack of jobs and opportunities.“Our land is up for grabs. Our resources benefit everybody but us. Our religious rights, traditions, and language face constant pressure. Our environment is being ravaged by illegal deforestation, mining, and construction in ecologically fragile zones,” the Srinagar MP said.He said elected representatives must fight “this constant degradation and dehumanisation” instead of limiting public aspirations to what the BJP was willing to concede.“It is to ensure that the extraordinary and deeply consequential events of August 2019 do not become the new political normal and to recognise that restoration of statehood cannot be treated as an adequate substitute for what was taken away,” Mehdi said.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines”Rest assured, the resignation will come. It would have come even without you asking, but before that must come accountability,” he added.The letter comes at a time when reports suggest that the Srinagar MP is likely to resign from the Lok Sabha on November 3, coinciding with the death anniversary of his father Aga Syed Mehdi, who was assassinated by terrorists in an IED blast on November 3, 2000.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes, Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India.About the AuthorRohitashwa RanjanRohitashwa Ranjan is a digital journalist with The Times of India, where he decodes Indian politics as a carefully staged production with scripts, subtext and everything behind. His stories track elections, party dynamics and the things that often are buried beneath the headlines. When not parsing vote shares or alliances, he is usually reading between the lines, where the real story tends to reside.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosIndia Plans Javelin Missile Buy From US, Giving Infantry A Battle-Tested Tank-Killing Edge | Watch’Willing & Keen’: Penguin Random House Denies Dropping Sonia Gandhi’s Memoir Over Editorial ChangesGovt Taps EIL For Quality Checks On 5,000 Km Of Road Projects After Modi’s ‘4th-Party Audit’ Jibe469 Dead In Nepal Floods; 3 Bodies Found In Uttar Pradesh; Kathmandu Declines Foreign Rescue TeamsCongress Alleges ₹36,000 Crore ‘Sugar Scam’, Slams Modi Govt Over Festive Price RisePM Modi’s Central Asia Visit: SCO Summit, Uzbekistan Ties, Putin Meet In FocusCM Suvendu Adhikari Urges Skilled Bengalis Abroad To Return, Promises Jobs Under Double-Engine Govt’Blind Pakistan Activated Spies To Locate India’s S-400′ During Op Sindoor, Ex-Air Marshal RevealsCamac Street Showdown: TMC Blocks Police During Billboard Removal, Banerjee Announces Court MoveNepal Floods: 288 Indians Uncontactable, 21 Rescued So Far, MEA Shares Key Updates | Watch123Photostories10 vintage baby girl names that still sound fresh todayJungkook style evolution: From bold eyeliner to quiet luxury, how BTS’ star transformed his fashion5 jewellery styling mistakes to avoid with traditional festive outfitsLock Upp 2 fame Akanksha Chamola’s luxurious Mumbai home: Elegant interiors, cosy living room and beautiful mandirH1N1 Or COVID-19? Symptoms may look the same, but the diagnosis can mean a very different treatment approachMakeup not lasting all day? Here’s why your base melts by noonThe ‘ick’ explained: 7 reasons attraction between partners can suddenly disappear (and how to bring the spark back)5 reasons people pull away even when they have feelings7 signs you like the idea of a romantic relationship more than your partnerCuff too tight, legs crossed or talking? Cardiologist reveals 5 home BP mistakes that can alter readings123Hot PicksNepal floodUPTET Result 2026Sunny LeoneKerala name changeRRB NTPC UG CBT 2 examAnkit Baliyan murderSridhar VembuDelhi murderNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingAnkit Balyan MurderChandigarh MurderSamay RainaUdaipur HotelFlorida Car CrashUS Green Card HolderBengal HospitalTamil Nadu Son MurderElon MuskKanpur Aircraft Crash

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UNCCD conference in Mongolia set the stage for enhanced global drought resilience with innovative initiatives. NEW DELHI: The seventeenth session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) conference concluded in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Friday by presenting a new global architecture for drought resilience that will help countries bridge the gap between plans and implementation.Multiple new initiatives were announced during the 12-day conference (COP17). They include .3 billion in new and pipeline finance for land restoration and strengthening drought resilience in vulnerable countries.These initiatives — the world’s first Drought Resilience Index (DRI) and the Drought Resilience Investment Facility (DRIF) — will help countries in assessing their capacity to anticipate, prepare for and adapt to drought, and unlock much larger flows of institutional and private finance for projects that strengthen water security, sustainable agriculture, nature-based solutions and land restoration.DRI’s technical monitoring metrics will enable countries to identify vulnerabilities and inform more effective policies and investments. Its new AI-powered features can help policymakers, technical experts and the public interpret complex data and turn it into practical insights.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesDRIF, on the other hand, aims to mobilise up to 0 million in public and private capital for drought resilience. The facility, launched by UNCCD and Luxembourg, will use public capital to reduce investment risks.“We came to Ulaanbaatar saying that COP17 must be a COP of implementation. We leave with more of the architecture needed to make that possible: political decisions, stronger science, innovative financing mechanisms, investment pipelines and partnerships that can move solutions to scale,” said UNCCD executive secretary Yasmine Fouad.The conference took place against a stark global backdrop as up to 40 percent of the world’s land is degraded, while countries have committed to restoring more than one billion hectares, including 26 million hectares by India, by 2030. India was represented by a team led by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav at COP17.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes, Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India.About the AuthorVishwa MohanVishwa Mohan is Senior Editor at The Times of India. He writes on environment, climate change, agriculture, water resources and clean energy, tracking policy issues and climate diplomacy. He has been covering Parliament since 2003 to see how politics shaped up domestic policy and India’s position at global platform. Before switching over to explore sustainable development issues, Vishwa had covered internal security and investigative agencies for more than a decade.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosIndia Plans Javelin Missile Buy From US, Giving Infantry A Battle-Tested Tank-Killing Edge | Watch’Willing & Keen’: Penguin Random House Denies Dropping Sonia Gandhi’s Memoir Over Editorial ChangesGovt Taps EIL For Quality Checks On 5,000 Km Of Road Projects After Modi’s ‘4th-Party Audit’ Jibe469 Dead In Nepal Floods; 3 Bodies Found In Uttar Pradesh; Kathmandu Declines Foreign Rescue TeamsCongress Alleges ₹36,000 Crore ‘Sugar Scam’, Slams Modi Govt Over Festive Price RisePM Modi’s Central Asia Visit: SCO Summit, Uzbekistan Ties, Putin Meet In FocusCM Suvendu Adhikari Urges Skilled Bengalis Abroad To Return, Promises Jobs Under Double-Engine Govt’Blind Pakistan Activated Spies To Locate India’s S-400′ During Op Sindoor, Ex-Air Marshal RevealsCamac Street Showdown: TMC Blocks Police During Billboard Removal, Banerjee Announces Court MoveNepal Floods: 288 Indians Uncontactable, 21 Rescued So Far, MEA Shares Key Updates | Watch123Photostories10 vintage baby girl names that still sound fresh todayJungkook style evolution: From bold eyeliner to quiet luxury, how BTS’ star transformed his fashion5 jewellery styling mistakes to avoid with traditional festive outfitsLock Upp 2 fame Akanksha Chamola’s luxurious Mumbai home: Elegant interiors, cosy living room and beautiful mandirH1N1 Or COVID-19? Symptoms may look the same, but the diagnosis can mean a very different treatment approachMakeup not lasting all day? Here’s why your base melts by noonThe ‘ick’ explained: 7 reasons attraction between partners can suddenly disappear (and how to bring the spark back)5 reasons people pull away even when they have feelings7 signs you like the idea of a romantic relationship more than your partnerCuff too tight, legs crossed or talking? Cardiologist reveals 5 home BP mistakes that can alter readings123Hot PicksNepal floodUPTET Result 2026Sunny LeoneKerala name changeRRB NTPC UG CBT 2 examAnkit Baliyan murderSridhar VembuDelhi murderNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingAnkit Balyan MurderChandigarh MurderSamay RainaUdaipur HotelFlorida Car CrashUS Green Card HolderBengal HospitalTamil Nadu Son MurderElon MuskKanpur Aircraft Crash

UNCCD conference in Mongolia set the stage for enhanced global drought resilience with innovative initiatives. NEW DELHI: The seventeenth session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) conference concluded in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Friday by presenting a new global architecture for drought resilience that will help countries bridge the gap between plans and implementation.Multiple new initiatives were announced during the 12-day conference (COP17). They include $1.3 billion in new and pipeline finance for land restoration and strengthening drought resilience in vulnerable countries.These initiatives — the world’s first Drought Resilience Index (DRI) and the Drought Resilience Investment Facility (DRIF) — will help countries in assessing their capacity to anticipate, prepare for and adapt to drought, and unlock much larger flows of institutional and private finance for projects that strengthen water security, sustainable agriculture, nature-based solutions and land restoration.DRI’s technical monitoring metrics will enable countries to identify vulnerabilities and inform more effective policies and investments. Its new AI-powered features can help policymakers, technical experts and the public interpret complex data and turn it into practical insights.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesDRIF, on the other hand, aims to mobilise up to $400 million in public and private capital for drought resilience. The facility, launched by UNCCD and Luxembourg, will use public capital to reduce investment risks.“We came to Ulaanbaatar saying that COP17 must be a COP of implementation. We leave with more of the architecture needed to make that possible: political decisions, stronger science, innovative financing mechanisms, investment pipelines and partnerships that can move solutions to scale,” said UNCCD executive secretary Yasmine Fouad.The conference took place against a stark global backdrop as up to 40 percent of the world’s land is degraded, while countries have committed to restoring more than one billion hectares, including 26 million hectares by India, by 2030. India was represented by a team led by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav at COP17.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes, Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India.About the AuthorVishwa MohanVishwa Mohan is Senior Editor at The Times of India. He writes on environment, climate change, agriculture, water resources and clean energy, tracking policy issues and climate diplomacy. He has been covering Parliament since 2003 to see how politics shaped up domestic policy and India’s position at global platform. Before switching over to explore sustainable development issues, Vishwa had covered internal security and investigative agencies for more than a decade.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosIndia Plans Javelin Missile Buy From US, Giving Infantry A Battle-Tested Tank-Killing Edge | Watch’Willing & Keen’: Penguin Random House Denies Dropping Sonia Gandhi’s Memoir Over Editorial ChangesGovt Taps EIL For Quality Checks On 5,000 Km Of Road Projects After Modi’s ‘4th-Party Audit’ Jibe469 Dead In Nepal Floods; 3 Bodies Found In Uttar Pradesh; Kathmandu Declines Foreign Rescue TeamsCongress Alleges ₹36,000 Crore ‘Sugar Scam’, Slams Modi Govt Over Festive Price RisePM Modi’s Central Asia Visit: SCO Summit, Uzbekistan Ties, Putin Meet In FocusCM Suvendu Adhikari Urges Skilled Bengalis Abroad To Return, Promises Jobs Under Double-Engine Govt’Blind Pakistan Activated Spies To Locate India’s S-400′ During Op Sindoor, Ex-Air Marshal RevealsCamac Street Showdown: TMC Blocks Police During Billboard Removal, Banerjee Announces Court MoveNepal Floods: 288 Indians Uncontactable, 21 Rescued So Far, MEA Shares Key Updates | Watch123Photostories10 vintage baby girl names that still sound fresh todayJungkook style evolution: From bold eyeliner to quiet luxury, how BTS’ star transformed his fashion5 jewellery styling mistakes to avoid with traditional festive outfitsLock Upp 2 fame Akanksha Chamola’s luxurious Mumbai home: Elegant interiors, cosy living room and beautiful mandirH1N1 Or COVID-19? Symptoms may look the same, but the diagnosis can mean a very different treatment approachMakeup not lasting all day? Here’s why your base melts by noonThe ‘ick’ explained: 7 reasons attraction between partners can suddenly disappear (and how to bring the spark back)5 reasons people pull away even when they have feelings7 signs you like the idea of a romantic relationship more than your partnerCuff too tight, legs crossed or talking? Cardiologist reveals 5 home BP mistakes that can alter readings123Hot PicksNepal floodUPTET Result 2026Sunny LeoneKerala name changeRRB NTPC UG CBT 2 examAnkit Baliyan murderSridhar VembuDelhi murderNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingAnkit Balyan MurderChandigarh MurderSamay RainaUdaipur HotelFlorida Car CrashUS Green Card HolderBengal HospitalTamil Nadu Son MurderElon MuskKanpur Aircraft Crash

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NEW DELHI: The high-powered task force set up by the Centre to overhaul India’s public examination system has opened a nationwide consultation Friday, seeking suggestions from students, parents, teachers and other stakeholders on making high-stakes tests more secure, transparent and student-friendly.The panel, headed by Infosys co-founder and technology expert Nandan Nilekani, was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month amid heightened scrutiny of the examination system following the NEET-UG paper leak controversy and youth protests over alleged lapses in test conduct.The announcement had come a day after the Centre accepted the demands raised by the youth-led CJP, whose protests over the NEET leak included calls for then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation and withdrawal of FIRs against protesters.“The High-Powered Task Force on Reforms in Public Examinations wants to hear from students, parents, teachers — every citizen,” a senior official said on Friday.The public consultation will remain open till September 13, with citizens allowed to send suggestions through WhatsApp, a dedicated website, email and a toll-free number.Officials said the task force is examining reforms across the examination chain — from institutional processes and question-paper security to use of technology and strengthening of examination infrastructure.It will also look at measures to improve accessibility and inclusion, while factoring in student well-being during the examination process.“The objective is to develop a public examination system that is robust, secure, transparent, equitable and future-ready,” the official said.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe exercise assumes significance after repeated controversies surrounding national-level entrance and eligibility examinations raised questions over paper security, examination management and the ability of testing agencies to respond quickly to irregularities.Apart from Nilekani, the task force includes former ISRO chairman S Somanath, former Intelligence Bureau director Tapan Deka, IIT Madras director V Kamakoti, former education secretary Anita Karwal and logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena.The panel is expected to recommend both immediate safeguards and longer-term structural changes in the way public examinations are designed, administered and secured.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes, Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India.About the AuthorManash Pratim GohainManash Pratim Gohain is a seasoned journalist with over two decades at The Times of India, where he has built a rich body of work spanning education policy, politics, and governance. Renowned for his incisive coverage of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, accreditation reforms, and skilling initiatives, he has also reported on student politics, urban policy, and social movements. His political reportage—both reflective and news-driven—adds depth to his writing, bridging policy with public impact. Through his 2,500 articles and related outlets, he has emerged as a trusted voice in national discourse, particularly in linking education reform to broader societal change.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosGovt Taps EIL For Quality Checks On 5,000 Km Of Road Projects After Modi’s ‘4th-Party Audit’ Jibe469 Dead In Nepal Floods; 3 Bodies Found In Uttar Pradesh; Kathmandu Declines Foreign Rescue TeamsCongress Alleges ₹36,000 Crore ‘Sugar Scam’, Slams Modi Govt Over Festive Price RisePM Modi’s Central Asia Visit: SCO Summit, Uzbekistan Ties, Putin Meet In FocusCM Suvendu Adhikari Urges Skilled Bengalis Abroad To Return, Promises Jobs Under Double-Engine Govt’Blind Pakistan Activated Spies To Locate India’s S-400′ During Op Sindoor, Ex-Air Marshal RevealsCamac Street Showdown: TMC Blocks Police During Billboard Removal, Banerjee Announces Court MoveNepal Floods: 288 Indians Uncontactable, 21 Rescued So Far, MEA Shares Key Updates | WatchFour Killed, One Missing In Manipur Ambush As Naga-Kuki Tensions Erupt Again, Probe Launch | WatchFake IAS Officer Tripti Rajput Under Probe, Police Recover CBI Cards And Government Documents123Photostories5 jewellery styling mistakes to avoid with traditional festive outfitsLock Upp 2 fame Akanksha Chamola’s luxurious Mumbai home: Elegant interiors, cosy living room and beautiful mandirH1N1 Or COVID-19? Symptoms may look the same, but the diagnosis can mean a very different treatment approachMakeup not lasting all day? Here’s why your base melts by noonThe ‘ick’ explained: 7 reasons attraction between partners can suddenly disappear (and how to bring the spark back)5 reasons people pull away even when they have feelings7 signs you like the idea of a romantic relationship more than your partnerCuff too tight, legs crossed or talking? Cardiologist reveals 5 home BP mistakes that can alter readings5 habits that can quietly damage a marriageNepal flash flood: 7 glacial hotspots around the world facing rising climate risks123Hot PicksNepal floodUPTET Result 2026Sunny LeoneKerala name changeRRB NTPC UG CBT 2 examAnkit Baliyan murderSridhar VembuDelhi murderNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingAnkit Balyan MurderChandigarh MurderSamay RainaUdaipur HotelFlorida Car CrashUS Green Card HolderBengal HospitalTamil Nadu Son MurderElon MuskKanpur Aircraft Crash

NEW DELHI: The high-powered task force set up by the Centre to overhaul India’s public examination system has opened a nationwide consultation Friday, seeking suggestions from students, parents, teachers and other stakeholders on making high-stakes tests more secure, transparent and student-friendly.The panel, headed by Infosys co-founder and technology expert Nandan Nilekani, was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month amid heightened scrutiny of the examination system following the NEET-UG paper leak controversy and youth protests over alleged lapses in test conduct.The announcement had come a day after the Centre accepted the demands raised by the youth-led CJP, whose protests over the NEET leak included calls for then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation and withdrawal of FIRs against protesters.“The High-Powered Task Force on Reforms in Public Examinations wants to hear from students, parents, teachers — every citizen,” a senior official said on Friday.The public consultation will remain open till September 13, with citizens allowed to send suggestions through WhatsApp, a dedicated website, email and a toll-free number.Officials said the task force is examining reforms across the examination chain — from institutional processes and question-paper security to use of technology and strengthening of examination infrastructure.It will also look at measures to improve accessibility and inclusion, while factoring in student well-being during the examination process.“The objective is to develop a public examination system that is robust, secure, transparent, equitable and future-ready,” the official said.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe exercise assumes significance after repeated controversies surrounding national-level entrance and eligibility examinations raised questions over paper security, examination management and the ability of testing agencies to respond quickly to irregularities.Apart from Nilekani, the task force includes former ISRO chairman S Somanath, former Intelligence Bureau director Tapan Deka, IIT Madras director V Kamakoti, former education secretary Anita Karwal and logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena.The panel is expected to recommend both immediate safeguards and longer-term structural changes in the way public examinations are designed, administered and secured.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes, Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India.About the AuthorManash Pratim GohainManash Pratim Gohain is a seasoned journalist with over two decades at The Times of India, where he has built a rich body of work spanning education policy, politics, and governance. Renowned for his incisive coverage of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, accreditation reforms, and skilling initiatives, he has also reported on student politics, urban policy, and social movements. His political reportage—both reflective and news-driven—adds depth to his writing, bridging policy with public impact. Through his 2,500 articles and related outlets, he has emerged as a trusted voice in national discourse, particularly in linking education reform to broader societal change.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosGovt Taps EIL For Quality Checks On 5,000 Km Of Road Projects After Modi’s ‘4th-Party Audit’ Jibe469 Dead In Nepal Floods; 3 Bodies Found In Uttar Pradesh; Kathmandu Declines Foreign Rescue TeamsCongress Alleges ₹36,000 Crore ‘Sugar Scam’, Slams Modi Govt Over Festive Price RisePM Modi’s Central Asia Visit: SCO Summit, Uzbekistan Ties, Putin Meet In FocusCM Suvendu Adhikari Urges Skilled Bengalis Abroad To Return, Promises Jobs Under Double-Engine Govt’Blind Pakistan Activated Spies To Locate India’s S-400′ During Op Sindoor, Ex-Air Marshal RevealsCamac Street Showdown: TMC Blocks Police During Billboard Removal, Banerjee Announces Court MoveNepal Floods: 288 Indians Uncontactable, 21 Rescued So Far, MEA Shares Key Updates | WatchFour Killed, One Missing In Manipur Ambush As Naga-Kuki Tensions Erupt Again, Probe Launch | WatchFake IAS Officer Tripti Rajput Under Probe, Police Recover CBI Cards And Government Documents123Photostories5 jewellery styling mistakes to avoid with traditional festive outfitsLock Upp 2 fame Akanksha Chamola’s luxurious Mumbai home: Elegant interiors, cosy living room and beautiful mandirH1N1 Or COVID-19? Symptoms may look the same, but the diagnosis can mean a very different treatment approachMakeup not lasting all day? Here’s why your base melts by noonThe ‘ick’ explained: 7 reasons attraction between partners can suddenly disappear (and how to bring the spark back)5 reasons people pull away even when they have feelings7 signs you like the idea of a romantic relationship more than your partnerCuff too tight, legs crossed or talking? Cardiologist reveals 5 home BP mistakes that can alter readings5 habits that can quietly damage a marriageNepal flash flood: 7 glacial hotspots around the world facing rising climate risks123Hot PicksNepal floodUPTET Result 2026Sunny LeoneKerala name changeRRB NTPC UG CBT 2 examAnkit Baliyan murderSridhar VembuDelhi murderNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingAnkit Balyan MurderChandigarh MurderSamay RainaUdaipur HotelFlorida Car CrashUS Green Card HolderBengal HospitalTamil Nadu Son MurderElon MuskKanpur Aircraft Crash

Vamsikrishna 0
Mayawati’s solo Punjab gamble tests whether the state’s 32% Dalit population can translate into a consolidated BSP vote. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has decided to go solo in the upcoming 2027 Punjab assembly election. This move has put the spotlight on a striking contradiction in the state’s politics: Punjab has India’s highest proportion of Scheduled Castes, but no political party has been able to turn that numerical strength into a durable Dalit vote bloc.On August 25, Mayawati announced that the BSP would contest the polls “alone without any alliance or compromise with anyone”, arguing that electoral tie-ups risked weakening the party’s vote share and demoralising its cadre.The decision carries particular significance in Punjab, where BSP founder Kanshi Ram began his political journey and where Scheduled Castes account for 31.94% of the population, according to the 2011 Census.Yet nearly one-third of Punjab’s population has never translated into nearly one-third of the vote for the BSP – or any other Dalit-centric political formation.Instead, the Dalit electorate has remained divided across caste, religious, regional and economic lines, allowing the Congress, AAP, SAD and BJP to each build pockets of support within it.That makes Mayawati’s 2027 gamble less about the size of Punjab’s Dalit population and more about a difficult political question: Can she turn the state’s 32% Dalit population into a coherent electoral bloc?Punjab’s number paradoxThe numbers explain why every major political party wants a share of the Dalit vote.Punjab had about 88.6 lakh Scheduled Castes in the 2011 Census, accounting for 31.94% of its population – the highest SC proportion among Indian states. The community is particularly concentrated in the Doaba region, which includes Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr.Eight of Doaba’s 23 assembly constituencies are reserved for SC candidates, while both Lok Sabha constituencies in the region, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur, are reserved.Across Punjab, 34 of the 117 assembly seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates. But the political influence of Dalit voters extends far beyond these constituencies.In Punjab, Dalits are divided into several sub-castes and religion. A 2021 analysis by Lokniti-CSDS professor Sanjay Kumar found that Dalits accounted for more than 30% of voters in 54 assembly constituencies and between 20% and 30% in another 45.In other words, Dalit voters can influence far more than the 34 seats formally reserved for them.But there is a crucial caveat: ‘Dalit’ is not a single political identity in Punjab.The community comprises several sub-caste and religious groups, including Ravidassias/Ad-Dharmis, Mazhabi Sikhs, Ramdasias and others. Their geographical distribution, religious affiliations, economic circumstances and political histories differ.That fragmentation has repeatedly prevented the kind of consolidated Dalit politics that emerged around the BSP in Uttar Pradesh.Punjab’s agrarian structure adds another layer. Land and economic power remain disproportionately concentrated among dominant agrarian communities, particularly Jat Sikhs. As a result, Dalit politics in the state often revolves around land rights, employment, reservation, social dignity and access to common resources, rather than caste identity alone.From Kanshi Ram’s Punjab to BSP’s high-water markMayawati pays tribute on death anniversary of Kanshi Ram. The irony is that Punjab was once among the BSP’s strongest political laboratories.Kanshi Ram, born in Punjab, built his early political movement around the mobilisation of Scheduled Castes and other marginalised communities before founding the BSP in 1984.The party’s breakthrough in Punjab came in the 1992 election. It won nine of the state’s 117 seats with 16.32% of the vote, emerging as the principal opposition party in the House. Six of those nine seats came from Doaba, underlining the region’s importance to the party’s political project.But the breakthrough proved difficult to sustain.In 1997, the BSP’s tally fell to one seat, although it still secured 7.48% of the vote. Its vote share then declined steadily — to 5.69% in 2002, 4.13% in 2007 and 4.29% in 2012. By 2017, it had fallen to 1.52%.In 2022, the BSP won just one seat with 1.77% of the vote, contesting as part of its alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal.The steep decline in three decades captures the central problem Mayawati now faces.How 2022 exposed the paradoxIf the BSP’s decline showed the difficulty of sustaining Dalit-centric politics, the 2022 assembly election demonstrated how effectively mainstream parties can cut across caste identities.The AAP won 92 of Punjab’s 117 seats with 42.01% of the statewide vote, while Congress was reduced to 18 seats.The AAP’s performance was particularly striking in SC-reserved constituencies. It won 29 of the 34 reserved seats, while Congress won four and the SAD-BSP alliance one.The result also undercut the assumption that Congress’s elevation of Charanjit Singh Channi as Punjab’s first Dalit CM would automatically consolidate the Dalit vote behind the party. Channi became CM in September 2021, just months before the election. His elevation was widely viewed as an attempt to appeal to the state’s huge Dalit electorate.But in March 2022, Congress suffered a dramatic defeat.SAD and its alliance routeThe SAD has historically had its own Dalit support base, particularly among Sikh Dalits.Its alliance with Mayawati ahead of the 2022 election was an attempt to combine the Akali network among sections of the Sikh electorate with the BSP’s Dalit support base.The combination, however, failed to produce the revival the two parties had hoped for. The alliance won four seats – three for the SAD and one for the BSP – with a combined vote share of around 20%.BJP’s gamble: From alliance politics to going soloThe BJP faces perhaps the most difficult social-coalition challenge of all.Its long-standing electoral arrangement with the SAD ended after the Akali Dal walked out of the NDA at the Centre over the farm laws.The BJP is now trying to establish itself as an independent force in a state where it historically relied heavily on the Akali alliance to provide it with a rural and Sikh social base. That means the party needs to build coalitions beyond the constituencies it traditionally relied on, while also trying to repair its relationship with farmers.Dalit voters are an obvious part of that expansion strategy.But Punjab is not Uttar Pradesh or Bihar. There, the BJP has invested heavily in a social coalition involving non-Yadav OBCs and Dalits. A different caste and religious configuration shapes Punjab’s political landscape, while its agrarian structure and Sikh identity make the BJP’s social engineering considerably more complicated.For the BJP, winning Dalit voters is therefore not simply about adding another community to its support base. It is about constructing an entirely new political coalition in a state where its old alliance no longer provides the same electoral cushion.AAP’s pitch: Welfare, not identityThe AAP has already demonstrated why the size of the Dalit population does not automatically translate into BSP votes.In 2022, the party’s appeal cut across caste lines, combining welfare, anti-incumbency and the promise of an alternative to the traditional parties. It also had the ‘Delhi model’ to demonstrate its pitch.AAP sought to build a political vocabulary around BR Ambedkar, combining Ambedkarite symbolism with a broader welfare narrative.Rather than presenting Dalits as a separate electoral constituency, the party has sought to fold their concerns into a larger promise around government schools, healthcare, jobs, welfare delivery and social dignity.However, now the 2027 election will test whether AAP can retain that support after a full term in government.Congress has history, but not the Dalit lockCongress has historically had a strong base among both Hindu and Sikh Dalits in Punjab, but its 2022 performance showed the limits of that advantage. In the 2017 election, the party won 21 of 34 SC-reserved seats; by 2022, after making Charanjit Singh Channi the state’s first Dalit CM and projecting him as its CM face, Congress was reduced to just four reserved seats, while AAP won 29.The setback has not ended Congress’s Dalit outreach. In January 2026, Channi himself raised questions within the party over the representation of Dalit leaders, pointing out that several key Punjab Congress positions were held by Jat Sikhs.For Congress, the 2027 challenge is therefore not winning Dalit votes from scratch, but rebuilding a social coalition it once had, without reducing Dalit politics to the Channi factor alone.Mayawati’s real gambleMayawati’s decision to contest alone is therefore both ideological and organisational.The BSP has something only a few parties can claim: a political vocabulary explicitly built around Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram and Bahujan mobilisation. Punjab also provides the demographic foundation for such a project.But the party’s electoral history demonstrates the enormous gap between having a potential social constituency and converting it into votes and seats.The challenge is not simply to persuade Dalits to vote for the BSP. It is to persuade different Dalit communities that their interests are sufficiently common to vote for the same party. That is a much harder proposition in Punjab than the 32% figure suggests.Ready to play a spoilsport?There is, however, another reason Mayawati’s decision could matter even if the BSP does not return to anything close to its 1992 performance.Punjab’s 2027 contest is shaping up as a fragmented battle involving AAP, Congress, BJP and SAD, although the possibility of a BJP-SAD reunion remains open.In such a contest, even a relatively small but geographically concentrated BSP vote could become consequential.The party’s past performance offers a warning to the larger parties. In 2024, the BSP was reported to have remained a significant factor in parts of Doaba despite its shrinking statewide base, with observers pointing to its potential to influence contests in seats such as Anandpur Sahib, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThat is the paradox of Mayawati’s Punjab gamble.The BSP may no longer have the numbers to dominate Punjab’s Dalit politics, but it could still have enough votes to disrupt everyone else’s arithmetic.The 2027 election will therefore test not just whether Mayawati can revive the BSP in Kanshi Ram’s home state, but whether Punjab’s nearly 32% Dalit population can finally translate its demographic weight into political leverage – if not as a single bloc, then as the constituency no major party can afford to ignore.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes, Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India.About the AuthorPallaviNews desk journalist, digital, at The Times of India, with a focus on Indian politics. Over a decade of chasing stories, taming headlines and arguing with commas like they’re part of the opposition. Tracks elections, policy pivots, party drama and the fine print of power, where every word can tilt the narrative. Believes good journalism is clarity under pressure, ideally filed before the next breaking alert crashes in. Powered by deadlines, context, sharp edits and a steady supply of strong tea.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosGovt Taps EIL For Quality Checks On 5,000 Km Of Road Projects After Modi’s ‘4th-Party Audit’ Jibe469 Dead In Nepal Floods; 3 Bodies Found In Uttar Pradesh; Kathmandu Declines Foreign Rescue TeamsCongress Alleges ₹36,000 Crore ‘Sugar Scam’, Slams Modi Govt Over Festive Price RisePM Modi’s Central Asia Visit: SCO Summit, Uzbekistan Ties, Putin Meet In FocusCM Suvendu Adhikari Urges Skilled Bengalis Abroad To Return, Promises Jobs Under Double-Engine Govt’Blind Pakistan Activated Spies To Locate India’s S-400′ During Op Sindoor, Ex-Air Marshal RevealsCamac Street Showdown: TMC Blocks Police During Billboard Removal, Banerjee Announces Court MoveNepal Floods: 288 Indians Uncontactable, 21 Rescued So Far, MEA Shares Key Updates | WatchFour Killed, One Missing In Manipur Ambush As Naga-Kuki Tensions Erupt Again, Probe Launch | WatchFake IAS Officer Tripti Rajput Under Probe, Police Recover CBI Cards And Government Documents123Photostories5 jewellery styling mistakes to avoid with traditional festive outfitsLock Upp 2 fame Akanksha Chamola’s luxurious Mumbai home: Elegant interiors, cosy living room and beautiful mandirH1N1 Or COVID-19? Symptoms may look the same, but the diagnosis can mean a very different treatment approachMakeup not lasting all day? Here’s why your base melts by noonThe ‘ick’ explained: 7 reasons attraction between partners can suddenly disappear (and how to bring the spark back)5 reasons people pull away even when they have feelings7 signs you like the idea of a romantic relationship more than your partnerCuff too tight, legs crossed or talking? Cardiologist reveals 5 home BP mistakes that can alter readings5 habits that can quietly damage a marriageNepal flash flood: 7 glacial hotspots around the world facing rising climate risks123Hot PicksNepal floodUPTET Result 2026Sunny LeoneKerala name changeRRB NTPC UG CBT 2 examAnkit Baliyan murderSridhar VembuDelhi murderNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingAnkit Balyan MurderChandigarh MurderSamay RainaUdaipur HotelFlorida Car CrashUS Green Card HolderBengal HospitalTamil Nadu Son MurderElon MuskKanpur Aircraft Crash

Mayawati’s solo Punjab gamble tests whether the state’s 32% Dalit population can translate into a consolidated BSP vote. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has decided to go solo in the upcoming 2027 Punjab assembly election. This move has put the spotlight on a striking contradiction in the state’s politics: Punjab has India’s highest proportion of Scheduled Castes, but no political party has been able to turn that numerical strength into a durable Dalit vote bloc.On August 25, Mayawati announced that the BSP would contest the polls “alone without any alliance or compromise with anyone”, arguing that electoral tie-ups risked weakening the party’s vote share and demoralising its cadre.The decision carries particular significance in Punjab, where BSP founder Kanshi Ram began his political journey and where Scheduled Castes account for 31.94% of the population, according to the 2011 Census.Yet nearly one-third of Punjab’s population has never translated into nearly one-third of the vote for the BSP – or any other Dalit-centric political formation.Instead, the Dalit electorate has remained divided across caste, religious, regional and economic lines, allowing the Congress, AAP, SAD and BJP to each build pockets of support within it.That makes Mayawati’s 2027 gamble less about the size of Punjab’s Dalit population and more about a difficult political question: Can she turn the state’s 32% Dalit population into a coherent electoral bloc?Punjab’s number paradoxThe numbers explain why every major political party wants a share of the Dalit vote.Punjab had about 88.6 lakh Scheduled Castes in the 2011 Census, accounting for 31.94% of its population – the highest SC proportion among Indian states. The community is particularly concentrated in the Doaba region, which includes Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr.Eight of Doaba’s 23 assembly constituencies are reserved for SC candidates, while both Lok Sabha constituencies in the region, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur, are reserved.Across Punjab, 34 of the 117 assembly seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates. But the political influence of Dalit voters extends far beyond these constituencies.In Punjab, Dalits are divided into several sub-castes and religion. A 2021 analysis by Lokniti-CSDS professor Sanjay Kumar found that Dalits accounted for more than 30% of voters in 54 assembly constituencies and between 20% and 30% in another 45.In other words, Dalit voters can influence far more than the 34 seats formally reserved for them.But there is a crucial caveat: ‘Dalit’ is not a single political identity in Punjab.The community comprises several sub-caste and religious groups, including Ravidassias/Ad-Dharmis, Mazhabi Sikhs, Ramdasias and others. Their geographical distribution, religious affiliations, economic circumstances and political histories differ.That fragmentation has repeatedly prevented the kind of consolidated Dalit politics that emerged around the BSP in Uttar Pradesh.Punjab’s agrarian structure adds another layer. Land and economic power remain disproportionately concentrated among dominant agrarian communities, particularly Jat Sikhs. As a result, Dalit politics in the state often revolves around land rights, employment, reservation, social dignity and access to common resources, rather than caste identity alone.From Kanshi Ram’s Punjab to BSP’s high-water markMayawati pays tribute on death anniversary of Kanshi Ram. The irony is that Punjab was once among the BSP’s strongest political laboratories.Kanshi Ram, born in Punjab, built his early political movement around the mobilisation of Scheduled Castes and other marginalised communities before founding the BSP in 1984.The party’s breakthrough in Punjab came in the 1992 election. It won nine of the state’s 117 seats with 16.32% of the vote, emerging as the principal opposition party in the House. Six of those nine seats came from Doaba, underlining the region’s importance to the party’s political project.But the breakthrough proved difficult to sustain.In 1997, the BSP’s tally fell to one seat, although it still secured 7.48% of the vote. Its vote share then declined steadily — to 5.69% in 2002, 4.13% in 2007 and 4.29% in 2012. By 2017, it had fallen to 1.52%.In 2022, the BSP won just one seat with 1.77% of the vote, contesting as part of its alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal.The steep decline in three decades captures the central problem Mayawati now faces.How 2022 exposed the paradoxIf the BSP’s decline showed the difficulty of sustaining Dalit-centric politics, the 2022 assembly election demonstrated how effectively mainstream parties can cut across caste identities.The AAP won 92 of Punjab’s 117 seats with 42.01% of the statewide vote, while Congress was reduced to 18 seats.The AAP’s performance was particularly striking in SC-reserved constituencies. It won 29 of the 34 reserved seats, while Congress won four and the SAD-BSP alliance one.The result also undercut the assumption that Congress’s elevation of Charanjit Singh Channi as Punjab’s first Dalit CM would automatically consolidate the Dalit vote behind the party. Channi became CM in September 2021, just months before the election. His elevation was widely viewed as an attempt to appeal to the state’s huge Dalit electorate.But in March 2022, Congress suffered a dramatic defeat.SAD and its alliance routeThe SAD has historically had its own Dalit support base, particularly among Sikh Dalits.Its alliance with Mayawati ahead of the 2022 election was an attempt to combine the Akali network among sections of the Sikh electorate with the BSP’s Dalit support base.The combination, however, failed to produce the revival the two parties had hoped for. The alliance won four seats – three for the SAD and one for the BSP – with a combined vote share of around 20%.BJP’s gamble: From alliance politics to going soloThe BJP faces perhaps the most difficult social-coalition challenge of all.Its long-standing electoral arrangement with the SAD ended after the Akali Dal walked out of the NDA at the Centre over the farm laws.The BJP is now trying to establish itself as an independent force in a state where it historically relied heavily on the Akali alliance to provide it with a rural and Sikh social base. That means the party needs to build coalitions beyond the constituencies it traditionally relied on, while also trying to repair its relationship with farmers.Dalit voters are an obvious part of that expansion strategy.But Punjab is not Uttar Pradesh or Bihar. There, the BJP has invested heavily in a social coalition involving non-Yadav OBCs and Dalits. A different caste and religious configuration shapes Punjab’s political landscape, while its agrarian structure and Sikh identity make the BJP’s social engineering considerably more complicated.For the BJP, winning Dalit voters is therefore not simply about adding another community to its support base. It is about constructing an entirely new political coalition in a state where its old alliance no longer provides the same electoral cushion.AAP’s pitch: Welfare, not identityThe AAP has already demonstrated why the size of the Dalit population does not automatically translate into BSP votes.In 2022, the party’s appeal cut across caste lines, combining welfare, anti-incumbency and the promise of an alternative to the traditional parties. It also had the ‘Delhi model’ to demonstrate its pitch.AAP sought to build a political vocabulary around BR Ambedkar, combining Ambedkarite symbolism with a broader welfare narrative.Rather than presenting Dalits as a separate electoral constituency, the party has sought to fold their concerns into a larger promise around government schools, healthcare, jobs, welfare delivery and social dignity.However, now the 2027 election will test whether AAP can retain that support after a full term in government.Congress has history, but not the Dalit lockCongress has historically had a strong base among both Hindu and Sikh Dalits in Punjab, but its 2022 performance showed the limits of that advantage. In the 2017 election, the party won 21 of 34 SC-reserved seats; by 2022, after making Charanjit Singh Channi the state’s first Dalit CM and projecting him as its CM face, Congress was reduced to just four reserved seats, while AAP won 29.The setback has not ended Congress’s Dalit outreach. In January 2026, Channi himself raised questions within the party over the representation of Dalit leaders, pointing out that several key Punjab Congress positions were held by Jat Sikhs.For Congress, the 2027 challenge is therefore not winning Dalit votes from scratch, but rebuilding a social coalition it once had, without reducing Dalit politics to the Channi factor alone.Mayawati’s real gambleMayawati’s decision to contest alone is therefore both ideological and organisational.The BSP has something only a few parties can claim: a political vocabulary explicitly built around Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram and Bahujan mobilisation. Punjab also provides the demographic foundation for such a project.But the party’s electoral history demonstrates the enormous gap between having a potential social constituency and converting it into votes and seats.The challenge is not simply to persuade Dalits to vote for the BSP. It is to persuade different Dalit communities that their interests are sufficiently common to vote for the same party. That is a much harder proposition in Punjab than the 32% figure suggests.Ready to play a spoilsport?There is, however, another reason Mayawati’s decision could matter even if the BSP does not return to anything close to its 1992 performance.Punjab’s 2027 contest is shaping up as a fragmented battle involving AAP, Congress, BJP and SAD, although the possibility of a BJP-SAD reunion remains open.In such a contest, even a relatively small but geographically concentrated BSP vote could become consequential.The party’s past performance offers a warning to the larger parties. In 2024, the BSP was reported to have remained a significant factor in parts of Doaba despite its shrinking statewide base, with observers pointing to its potential to influence contests in seats such as Anandpur Sahib, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThat is the paradox of Mayawati’s Punjab gamble.The BSP may no longer have the numbers to dominate Punjab’s Dalit politics, but it could still have enough votes to disrupt everyone else’s arithmetic.The 2027 election will therefore test not just whether Mayawati can revive the BSP in Kanshi Ram’s home state, but whether Punjab’s nearly 32% Dalit population can finally translate its demographic weight into political leverage – if not as a single bloc, then as the constituency no major party can afford to ignore.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.Here are more Raksha Bandhan wishes, Bhadra kaal and Shubh Muhurat from The Times of India.About the AuthorPallaviNews desk journalist, digital, at The Times of India, with a focus on Indian politics. Over a decade of chasing stories, taming headlines and arguing with commas like they’re part of the opposition. Tracks elections, policy pivots, party drama and the fine print of power, where every word can tilt the narrative. Believes good journalism is clarity under pressure, ideally filed before the next breaking alert crashes in. 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