2006-05-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

No to Reservation

For the last few days we have witnessed clashes between two schools of thoughts. One opposing reservations and the other supporting it. Mr. Arjun Singh has proposed quota in higher institutes of education and we may see similar proposal for private sector jobs.

So the question is, does the quota system help those for whom it is intended to? Well one think that should be logically considered. Reservation has existed in India for Sixty Years now. If this is good, it already would have helped the backward classes. But if it has failed for sixty years, how can it help them now?

The other point to be considered is who among the backward classes would it benefit? Obviously what is termed as the Creamy Layer. Those who are really backward, especially living in rural areas would not get any benefit, as they hardly pass class X. So those of the ’CREAMY LAYER BACKWARD CLASSES' living in the cities, well educated would get the advantage. They get as many opportunities as other kids of non-reserved categories. They have educated parents. So do they really deserve this PRIVILEGE?

Lakhs of government jobs belonging to reservation categories are vacant, because they can't find good enough candidates. If these vacancies are filled, many deserving poor open category candidates would get what they deserve.

Pro- quota protesters say reservation is their right. But what about the rights of others, who go through the grind of our outdated and outrageous educational system, spend sleepless nights to study just to get that good percentage or score in that entrance exam which would help them realise their and their parent’s dreams? What about the hard earned money of their parents which is spent on coaching classes in the hope that this is an investment that will get them good returns in the future?

By the time I am writing this blog, medical students are on hunger strike for over 5 days!!! Well, we can’t remain hungry for even more than 5 hours. So we can understand what they are going through. And if this quota proposal is accepted, we will see many vacant seats in IITs, IIMs and medical colleges. For every seat of IIM we have almost 600 students competing. With 50% reserved, that number would be above 1500 by the next year for open category seats.

In 2004 I appeared for MBA entrance test for symbiosis. The results were out in a month. The closing percentile after aptitude was 98.12 for open category! Guess what was the percentile for SC and ST? 52.5 for SC, and amazingly only 1.84 for ST!!!! Weird isn’t it? So if this system is not working where it already exists, how will it work now?