Five presidential hopefuls will participate in what’s expected to be an intense third Republican debate on Wednesday in Miami. The number of participants for the Republican nominee has come down from eight in Milwaukee during the August debate to five, but the frontrunner Donald Trump will once again give it a miss.

According to a report in The New York Times, the former president will host a rally outside Miami while his rivals engage in verbal bouts on stage. Let’s take a look at five candidates for the third Republican debate.

1) Nikki Haley

The 51-year-old, who served as the US ambassador to the United Nations under the Trump presidency, is the only woman candidate in the race. Haley has impressed voters in the first two outings, and she is currently third in most polls behind Florida Governor Ronald Dion DeSantis. On Tuesday, Hailey’s campaign released a video, targetting DeSantison energy policy, an indication of what’s to come on Wednesday night.

2) Ronald Dion DeSantis

Forty-five-year-old DeSantis, who launched his Presidential campaign in May, avoided targetting former president Donald Trump until the last debate. However, after perhaps noticing the diminishing support for his candidacy, DeSantis said that Trump was missing in action, adding that he should have been on stage. According to a report in Reuters, he is still 40% points adrift of the former US president. In another setback on Tuesday, DeSantis’ biggest donor, Robert Bigelow, a Nevada real estate investor, who has so far funded the Florida Governor’s campaign with over $20mn, said that he was considering switching his support to Donald Trump.

3) Vivek Ramaswamy

Vivek Ramaswamy is a former biotechnology investor and executive. The thirty-eight-year-old political outsider generated some buzz initially but soon came under fire from fellow competitors who have repeatedly underlined his lack of political experience. According to The New York Times, Ramaswamy’s approval ratings remain in single digits and “he does not loom as a major force in the race going into tonight”. Interestingly, Ramaswamy is a big Trump supporter and said he would pardon the former president, should he win the White House.

4) Chris Christie

Chris Christie, who once advised Donald Trump’s White House campaign, has now pitched himself as an alternative to the former president. The former New Jersey governor is now a vocal critic of Trump and even called him “Donald Duck” for sitting out the debates. Christie upped the ante against Trump after a growing number of criminal charges against the Republican frontrunner. But does he pose a threat to Trump?

In a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted from September 8 to September 14, Christie received about 2% support among Republicans.  

5) Tim Scott

The only African-American in the race for the Presidential candidate of the Grand Old Party, Mr Scott was lauded for his remarks about race in the last debate. “There is not a redeeming quality in slavery,” he said, criticising Mr DeSantis’ education policies in Florida, where new guidelines suggested there were personal benefits for slaves who developed skills.

The US senator doesn’t enjoy much recognition or popularity outside his home state of South Carolina and even Scott’s supporters acknowledge he had little chance to win.

According to the polling average compiled by the RealClearPolitics website, Mr Trump’s support among Republicans stands at a staggering 58%, over 44 points ahead of Mr DeSantis, his nearest challenger.
 

Governments and netas since independence have failed Bihar. More than a third – 34 per cent – of families in Bihar live in poverty, surviving on Rs 6,000 a month or less, according to a detailed report of the caste survey tabled in the Bihar Assembly yesterday. Forty-two per cent of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe households are among the poorest. This socio-economic data is even more appalling in a caste-driven Bihar where politics has revolved around Dalit and OBC (Other Backward Classes) votes after 1990.

The report also reflects considerable poverty among the upper castes – more than 25 per cent. The poverty ratio was surprisingly high for the Bhumihars (27.58 per cent) that are supposed to be the biggest land-owning caste of Bihar.

In 1990, Bihar was the poorest and most backward with the lowest literacy rate in the country; in 2023, it remains the same. In this year’s NITI Aayog report on the multidimensional poverty index, Bihar stayed on top for the “highest proportion of multi-dimensionally poor people”. Along with the lowest per capita income, Bihar continues to be the worst performer in maternal and child health, housing, water and sanitation, school attendance, electricity, assets and numerous other human development parameters.

“Historical legacies like the zamindari system and fiscal equalisation, have influenced Bihar’s economic landscape and have been responsible for underdevelopment in Bihar. Low human capital and lack of education and health are also responsible for low incomes. Together with this, Bihar could not reap the benefits of the economic liberalisation in the 1990s and hence its workforce remained primarily dependent on agriculture,” says Ashmita Gupta, member-secretary, Asian Development Research Institute, Patna.

“Hence, Bihar is one of the most underdeveloped states in India stuck in a low growth and high poverty regime. There is no new information (in the survey) as any ranking of states shows Bihar rank lowest,” she asserts.

The survey indicates Bihar’s economy has been growing steadily at an average of 10 per cent or more for over a decade, but its citizens remained mired in poverty. So where did all the growth and economic prosperity go?

Another important finding of the survey is that more than 50 lakh people from Bihar were living outside the state for livelihood or better education opportunities. The lack of non-farm employment opportunities in Bihar has compelled a large number of migrant workers to engage in short term, casual and precarious employment in other states. They live and work in unsafe and unhygienic conditions. Back home, in their villages, their families suffer from low and irregular remittances as well as political exclusion.

The caste survey says only 22.67 per cent of respondents have studied till Class 5, but this increases to 24.31 per cent for people from Scheduled Castes and 24.65 per cent for those from Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs). Only 5.76 per cent Scheduled Castes have finished Grades 11 and 12. The Union Education Ministry too had highlighted that Bihar has the lowest literacy rate in India at 61.8 per cent (data shared in Lok Sabha in 2023).

Bihar’s education continues to be in a shambles. Primary education has only worsened in the last 30 years. The state government has introduced a contract system for recruiting primary teachers, compromising talent and quality. Teachers with fake degrees have been employed in government schools. University and college teachers don’t get their salary on time. Mushrooming below par private universities further cheat students in the name of education. According to the latest report of the Bihar Economic Survey, dropouts are a major problem that pervades all stages of education.

In the past, the Bihar government would shoot down and discredit any negative data from central and other agencies. This time it is the state government’s caste survey, carried out ostensibly to gain electoral mileage in the coming Lok Sabha and state elections. The government chooses not to care about the adverse impact as it seeks Dalit, OBC and EBC votes.

The caste-based political discourse in Bihar has had such power over the years that citizens have been blind to chronic poverty, which seems to be irresolvable. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who created the EBC constituency in the caste survey, hopes to benefit from the new category as none of the major political parties has a state chief that belongs to this group.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has already announced plans to conduct caste-based headcounts if the opposition INDIA bloc comes to power. The alliance also feels that a demand for a caste survey will burnish its “pro-poor” and “pro-social justice” credentials. The BJP has been making inroads among the EBC and Dalit communities over the last few years and the opposition is trying to win back lost ground.

“Caste is a medieval identity. The sooner it is dispensed with, the better. It is ironic that even the Left, which never spoke about caste but always took up issues of class, is now talking about caste. Even BJP leaders are talking more about caste. Congress too is openly talking about making caste a national agenda. None of the parties are giving any hope of socio-economic development. Eighty per cent of social injustice can be eradicated by addressing the question of economic injustice. Social reforms can further take care of solving the remaining twenty per cent,” says Professor N K Choudhary, former Head of Economics at the Patna University.

“This is a turning point in Indian politics. Nitish Kumar’s continuation as Chief Minister with his caste – Kurmi – forming just three per cent of the population, will be difficult. At the national level, the BJP would counter this narrative of caste with religion and nothing will change on the ground in Bihar.”

Alas, neither mass leaders nor political parties in Bihar have development on their agenda. Caste politics has reaped dividends for parties since the 1990s because it appeals easily to masses who, in the absence of prosperity, feel great pride in their caste.

(Bharti Mishra Nath is a senior journalist).

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author.

Construction of one module of the first metro bridge over the Yamuna being built using the cantilever construction technique has been completed, DMRC Managing Director Vikas Kumar has said and added that the entire work is expected to be completed by September.

The bridge — the fifth metro bridge over the Yamuna — is being built under Delhi Metro’s ongoing Phase IV project.

In a recent interview to PTI, Kumar had said that this state-of-the-art bridge would be “visually appealing” and become an iconic landmark similar to the Signature Bridge.

Signature Bridge, which connects Wazirabad to the inner city, is “India’s first asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge”. Its pylon is the tallest structure in Delhi at double the height of the Qutub Minar.

The bridge boasts a viewing box at a height of 154 metres that acts as a selfie point. It shortens travel time between north and northeast Delhi, according to the website of the North East district.

Work on the under-construction bridge over the Yamuna was halted for a few days in July when the river had become swollen due to the rising water level.

“The status is that almost 50 per cent of the work is complete. It is in two modules of 290 metres each, the total length is 580 metres. And, one module is complete, having four spans,” Kumar told PTI.

“Otherwise, the sub-structure is complete. The other module again comprises four spans, this stretch … so, the entire stretch is expected to be completed by September 2024,” he added.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) commenced in 2020 preliminary work on the bridge, which is part of the Majlis Park-Maujpur corridor being built under the Phase IV project.

The DMRC is currently undertaking construction on 65.2 kilometres of three priority corridors spanning 45 stations under the project — Janakpuri West-RK Ashram Marg (28.92 kilometres), Majlis Park-Maujpur (12.55 kilometres), which are extensions of the already operational Magenta and Pink lines, and Aerocity-Tughlakabad (23.62 kilometres) that is being built as the Silver Line to connect the Violet Line and the Airport Line from the respective ends.

The Majlis Park-Maujpur corridor — an extension of the Pink Line — is planned to be opened by March 2025, Kumar said.

The new bridge across the Yamuna will come up between two existing bridges — the Wazirabad Bridge and the Signature Bridge.

With eight spans and nine piers, the bridge will connect the Soorghat and Sonia Vihar stations of the Pink Line.

“This will be the first-ever metro bridge over the Yamuna to be built using the cantilever construction method. A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end,” the DMRC said.

Typically, it extends from a flat, vertical surface such as a wall or a pier to which it must be firmly attached. Cantilever construction allows overhanging structures without additional support. Employment of this technology will make the bridge look aesthetically pleasing, it said.

The DMRC said there have been many challenges in planning and executing this project.

“We did most of the work in time, anticipating the rainy season. However, there were certain things that were left behind, so we had to stop the work during the (recent) flooding. So, that got the work delayed. Otherwise, this bridge could have been constructed much earlier,” Kumar said.

In July, the Yamuna swelled past the danger mark, breaching the all-time record of 1978 and flooding low-lying areas near its banks.

The DMRC’s top official said there were also other engineering challenges.

“The design approval was … in fact, it being a first bridge of its kind for the DMRC. The design, it took some time, but definitely, the execution. In fact, again, most of the work we try to do … again, with pre-cast elements, whatever can be taken, and the rest were done in situ, following a particular method statement that we had followed. No surprises as such in this, because of our preparations,” Kumar added.

Aesthetically also, the design is such that from that point of view, it will be “very appealing to the eyes”, he further said.

The design of the bridge was finalised using the ‘Building Information Modelling’ technology. With the help of this technology, a 3D model of the bridge was prepared with intricate details of the proposed structure, DMRC officials said.

The new bridge will cross the river about 385 metres downstream from the old Wazirabad Bridge and 213 metres upstream from the Signature Bridge, the urban transporter has said.

Various eco-friendly measures are being taken during its construction. All construction activities are being carried out with minimum effect on the floodplains, the officials had earlier said.

Restoration of the floodplain that may be impacted by the construction of bridge alignment or pillars will be undertaken, they had said.

The muck and debris generated will be disposed of scientifically and no dumping will be allowed on the floodplains, the DMRC said.

The four existing metro bridges over the Yamuna are at Yamuna Bank (698.8 metres on the Blue Line), Nizamuddin (602.8 metres on the Pink Line), Kalindi Kunj (574 metres on the Magenta Line) and Shastri Park (553 metres on the Red Line).