Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah backs campus Shudra Seva Sanghas to nurture new OBC leadership

With nearly 65% of the population below the age of 35 and the demographic dividend increasingly figuring in political discourse, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is backing the formation of Shudra Seva Sanghas in universities and colleges across Karnataka to draw young people from Other Backward Classes (OBCs) into public life and help develop a new generation of political leaders.

The initiative assumes significance against the backdrop of the growing visibility of Gen Z-led protests in Delhi and other parts of the country and concerns within political parties over the declining participation of young people, especially rural students, in conventional politics.

Mr. Siddaramaiah recently inaugurated a Shudra Seva Sangha in Bengaluru, and attended the sangha meetings with the objective of involving students belonging to OBCs of higher educational institutions in social and political activities and nurturing leadership qualities among them.