Ambekar framed the RSS’s approach to caste through social harmony rather than structural confrontation (file photo)

New Delhi: Drawing a line between politics over welfare and caste data, RSS national publicity chief Sunil Ambekar said the Sangh supports the caste census but opposes its use to “divide the society”, even as he outlined the organisation’s position on key debates ranging from caste reforms and women’s participation to equation with the BJP.In a conversation with TOI, Ambekar framed the RSS’s approach towards caste as one through social harmony rather than structural confrontation. He said, “If mutual affection increases and discrimination ends, even big issues can be resolved. Without harmony, even small issues become big fights.”He said access to temples, cremation grounds, water sources and public places should be open to all, adding that RSS volunteers are engaged at the local level to address such concerns. Pointing to institutions such as Vidya Bharati, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Ekal Vidyalaya and Seva Bharati as part of a broader outreach network, he said leadership is increasingly emerging from marginalized communities, including women.On women’s participation, Ambekar defended the parallel structure of the Rashtriya Sevika Samiti, saying that it reflected the RSS shakha model. At the same time, they acknowledged the need to expand the role of women, noting that participation in decision-making and outreach is increasing through a coordination mechanism called “women’s relations.” He also flagged off the centenary theme of “Kutumba Prabodhan”, which aims to encourage families to support women’s participation in public life.On caste census, he reiterated that RSS supports it for welfare, but opposes political misuse. “Democracy requires representation, but politics should not pit one community against another,” he said, arguing that social unity could counter divisive mobilization. Despite perceptions of polarization, he said, “on the ground we see unity”, citing gatherings such as the Kumbh and Ram Mandir Abhishek.Addressing the RSS-BJP equation, Ambekar said the Sangh remains a social organization focused on “man-building”, with volunteers working in all fields, including politics. He stressed that the organizations work independently, while describing India’s structure as “society-centric” in contrast to the Western state-centric model. He said that while political parties work within electoral cycles, the RSS works on a long civilizational horizon through “Lokmat Jagran”.On criticism linking Hindu nationalism to democratic backsliding, Ambekar rejected this premise, describing Hindu culture as “united” and rooted in ideas such as “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”. He argued that India’s civilizational ethos enables co-existence and strengthens democracy in a diverse society.On concerns over discrimination against people from the North-East, he said the term “racial discrimination” is incorrect, blaming historical distortions and limited dialogue for past tensions. He said the exchange programs have reduced misunderstandings and called for handling such issues sensitively.On global conflicts, Ambekar said India should be guided by peace and principles, with the government taking decisions based on strategic assessment.

Jammu: The Vice Chancellor of Jammu University has constituted a high-level committee to examine the syllabus of the Political Science postgraduate course after it was involved in a major controversy over the inclusion of a chapter on the political thought of Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah.According to an order issued by the office of the Dean of Academic Affairs, the committee has been tasked to “thoroughly review the issue and submit its report at the earliest”. The panel will be led by Professor Naresh Padha, Department of Physics, and will include heads of the departments of Philosophy, History and Sociology, and directors of the Department of Strategic and Area Studies. Assistant Registrar (Academic Affairs) will function as Member Secretary.ABVP workers had protested in the university on Friday demanding withdrawal of the chapter on Jinnah. The protesters, led by ABVP Jammu and Kashmir secretary Sannak Shrivatsa, raised slogans against the administration and warned that if the material was not taken back they would be “forced to launch a strong democratic movement throughout Jammu and Kashmir”.“Our government should take note that the Department of Political Science at Jammu University has released its syllabus for 2026-2028… and some individuals are being presented as representatives of minorities, including Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Mohammad Ali Jinnah,” Srivatsa said. These are the same individuals who propounded the two-nation theory and played a role in Partition and “teaching about them raises serious concerns”, he said.Srivatsa further said, “We will wait and see what the committee suggests. The university authorities should understand that academic freedom does not mean neglect of national sentiments.”Professor Baljit Singh Mann, head of the department of political science, had on Friday defended the curriculum, saying the inclusion of Jinnah and others is “purely academic” and in line with the curriculum followed by universities across the country as well as UGC norms. He said, “Our aim is to present different viewpoints so that students can assess the merits and demerits and distinguish between right and wrong. This is an academic exercise, not advocacy.”When asked by media persons on Saturday, he said that he had already made his stand clear and stood by what he had said a day earlier.

New Delhi: Power distribution companies in Mumbai, Delhi and Noida emerged as the top performing companies in 2024-25 among all power utilities surveyed by the power ministry.Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd (AEML) in the capital, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL) and Noida Power Company Ltd (NPCL) in Uttar Pradesh topped the distribution utility rankings. South Gujarat Vij Company Limited and Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport stood fourth and fifth respectively.Delhi’s three power utilities – BSES Rajdhani, BSES Yamuna and TPDDL – topped the discoms’ consumer service ratings, followed by Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd and Tata Power Company Ltd (Maharashtra).Both the reports were released at the India Electricity Summit 2026 on Friday.Although there are 76 government and private power discoms in the country, 66 were evaluated for the two surveys as the remaining 10 failed to submit the required documents. For the CSRD report, discoms were classified into six different categories based on customer feedback. Discoms were evaluated on four parameters: operational reliability; Metering, Billing and Collections; fault rectification and grievance redressal; and connections and other services.The performance of six discoms was classified as A+, 21 as A category and 27 as B+. While 10 were placed in B category, one each was placed in C+ and C categories. No discom was classified as D in the rating.“The objective of this tiered grading is to encourage healthy competition and continuous improvement in service quality,” the government said in a statement.Officials said the CSRD report aims to formulate a comprehensive strategy to enhance consumer satisfaction and promote inter-disciplinary learning. “It examines a range of consumer-centric services, uses the service standards of the electricity rules to assess discoms in key sectors, and monitors and evaluates compliance and implementation of these rules,” an official said.For the Distribution Utilities Ranking Report, a comprehensive and objective assessment of the performance of power distribution utilities was conducted using a multi-dimensional assessment framework including institutional capacity, financial stability, operational efficiency and service delivery outcomes.Officials said the survey is conducted every year and the past performance of discoms is also taken into account while preparing the final rankings. The report shows where the discoms stood in the last assessment, whether their performance had improved, and by how many places these utilities jumped or slipped compared to the previous survey.

Here are the top news stories of the day:

PM Modi speaks to Iran’s President, condemns attack on ‘critical infrastructure’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian, strongly condemning the attacks on critical infrastructure amid the Middle East crisis. He warned that such actions threaten regional stability and disrupt vital global supply chains.The prime minister also extended Eid al-Fitr and Nowruz greetings amid the conflict and said, “We expressed hope that this festive season will bring peace, stability and prosperity to West Asia.”Read the full story

Natanz targeted again: US, Israel attack Iran nuclear site, no radiation leak reported

The United States and Israel launched fresh strikes on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, escalating the ongoing conflict. Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that the Natanz facility was targeted in the joint US-Israeli strike.It said there were no immediate signs of a radioactive leak and there was no danger to residents of the surrounding area.Officials described the attack as part of continuing attacks on the country’s infrastructure, noting that Natanz had already been targeted during a previous round of military action earlier this month. Read the full story