“agar aap aarakshan k saath nahi hai to aap uske k khilaaf hain!!” “If you are not in favour of reservation, than you are against it!” I was watching the trailer of the soon to be released flick Aarakshan, when I came across this dialogue. Does this mean that if I am in favour of merit, I am against all those people who unfortunately come under the category of backward class? Well I don’t agree!
The trailer of the movie very easily gives a negative shade to the character that fights against reservation, but what is wrong in asking for a fair competition? Why can’t everyone compete on the basis of their capabilities and not on the basis of their caste?
According to the reservation system, those not belonging to the designated communities can compete only for the remaining positions, while members of the designated communities can compete for all positions (reserved and open). That means, the open category students can compete for just 50.5% of the seats where as the reserved category students can apply for all the seats. Studies based on the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) indicate that many communities that fall under the Backward Caste category in many parts of India are socioeconomically better-off than those belonging to Forward Caste category. Does this fulfil the idea of ‘equality’ - the basis on which reservation was created? Allocating quotas is a form of discrimination which is contrary to the right to equality.
The most important question is has reservation really helped the needy? Reservations have been present in the country since 1902. It has been 109 years and no backward class has moved to a forward state. Several generations have gone by and still there is hardly any improvement in the said backward classes. Then what is the point of having reservations?The concept of having reservation in higher education is totally wrong. A seat in a premier institute wouldn’t really help if the person cannot cope up with what teaching there unless and until he has the basics in place. A person who may lack the basic knowledge may get in a good institute through reservation and somehow manage to get a job again through reservation, but he will not be benefitted as sooner or later he will struggle to compete with the more able colleagues. Unfortunately, reservation in higher education and jobs doesn’t provide a solution, it just ignores the problems. Emphasis should be given to proper primary and secondary education so that groups under-represented in higher education institutes and workplaces become natural competitors. A proper basic education will assure that everyone would be able to compete solely on the basis of their competencies and capabilities.
The 60% of India that is rural needs schools, health care and infrastructure in rural areas, not reservation in urban institutions.
P.S. This is not meant to hurt anybody's sentiments. I am not against any individual, I am just against the faulty system.
a lot of admiration the way you have put up the facts... straight talks.. no non sense...!!
ReplyDelete-Devanshi.
Good thought provoking blog.
ReplyDeleteI really admire the questions asked that you asked about the actual benefits of reservation. The blog shows your thoughts and as well as your research on the subject.
Personally I feel that now the government should focus on rural - urban distinction and not upper- lower caste. The latter is not very relevant anymore.
-Harshada
I hold a similar opinion of things here. Help those who really need it. A person doesn't inherit the fact that he is underprivileged. But reservation dilutes the whole purpose of helping the needy. A person belonging to the reserved classes is now like born with a silver spoon.Make them capable and competent. Hold a person's hand not to make him dependent but to support him to become independent,so that he never has to look out for your hand again.
ReplyDelete@ Harshada: Thanks a lot for the admiration and appreciation :) I also feel the same!! The needy do not actually benefit so we need some other ideas.
ReplyDeleteRural-Urban may be a good one, but then there are people in the rural areas who are very rich! India needs something that really cuts out all such people!
@ Ajvad- i made the point abt rural- urban coz we are talking abt education. The rich in the rural areas send their kids to cities. They dont study in their area.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to put up BPL criteria, we all know the kinda ppl that actually get the BPL cards are not the intended beneficieries.
But if you say, every 2-3 villages shd hv a college with NAAC credit then it becomes more feasible.
-Harshada
@Devanshi: Thanks a lot! M glad you liked it :)
ReplyDeleteU hav put up ur thoughts in very well manner...I too agree with many of the points raised by u.. and I appreciate the question raised by u tht when no backward class has come up so whts the need of having a reservation. But here I hav a slightly diff view. The concept of reservation had emerged due to the need to groom people who are otherwise not able to come up in society. To help those who cannot afford to get all the basic necessities and cannot avail all those benefits and privileges that others hav in society. Reservation is nt always bad. The underline thought behind this concept was good but the problem is with the implementation of this thought. So the solution should also be of the problem. Problem is nt reservation, the prob is the way people are using it. According to me reservation should be on the basis of the person's financial position and not on the basis of caste. Common ppl of the country and Politicians should not use it as tool for their personal benefits. It should be used as a tool for the well being of the society and benefiting the country at large.
ReplyDeleteAs far as reservation in colleges is concerned I agree it should not be there. Infact if it is implemented in a right way , the necessity of havin reservation in colleges will not be thr nymore
ReplyDelete@Tanvi: You are totally right. Its like the phrase "Give a man a fish and you'll feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and you'll feed him for a lifetime". Reservation was meant to be a shield, but now it is nothing less than a sword for those who misuse it!
ReplyDelete@Harshada: Yes may be that is an option which might really help if executed well! But you know the condition of the education system in our country na?
ReplyDelete@Reshma: I get your point! That was the exact thought in my mind when I wrote this! Its not reservation that I am against, its the caste based reservation that I am against! Financial basis is totally fine!
ReplyDelete@Ajvad- I know. That's why admire you writing about it.
ReplyDeleteReservation is a major issue but the worst part is its not the only major issue in the education system
- Harshada
@Hashada: Yes! unfortunately our country has lots of issues and our politicians keep on ignoring them!
ReplyDeleteHad it been an ideal system, IIT me hota main !! :(
ReplyDeleteI would like to share my bloag as a comment... I am not in favor of current reservation nor in favor of "NO RESERVATION"... The hindi is not well written, eventhough I hope u can get the message.. please..
ReplyDeletehttp://mydaysinfrance.blogspot.com/2011/08/indias-caste-based-reservation-policyan.html
Yeh Ajvad, i just want u to focus on your own contradictory views in this blog.
ReplyDeleteI'm quoting this directly from ur blog.
see if u can comprehend what exactly u are saying.
"Studies based on the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) indicate that many communities that fall under the Backward Caste category in many parts of India are socioeconomically better-off than those belonging to Forward Caste category."
"Reservations have been present in the country since 1902. It has been 109 years and no backward class has moved to a forward state. Several generations have gone by and still there is hardly any improvement in the said backward classes. Then what is the point of having reservations? "
n last excuse tht i would want to hear is "the so called backward classes were falsely included in the 'backward class category' "
so what exactly is ur opinion abt reservations improving/harming the socio-economic status of backward classes ?
Prasad the points you stated are two different points all together. I guess you are confusing them up. Please take them independently.
ReplyDeleteLet me clarify the points..!!
"Studies based on the National Family Health Survey.."
By this point I mean (or the survey means) that there are people who are very well of financially but belong to the community which is considered among the "Backward Caste" category. On the other hand there are people who are financiall very weak but unfortunately they can not avail the facilities that the prior mentioned family can just because the caste they belong to isn't considered backward. For me that is injustice!
"Reservations have been present since..."
Well the point I am making here is very clear..!! None of the community/caste included in the list of backward caste has developed enough in the past 109 years to come out of the list. So it is very clear that the reservation system is not helping!
And first of all I am not here to give you any excuses! These are just my views. And I never said that the whole community or was falsely included. All I am saying is there are people who do not really need reservation (as they are well off) but still misuse it for their benefit. And there are people who would really benefit from it, but are never able to get the chance!
So according to me "caste based reservation" isn't a very good idea. Rather reservation should be on the basis of the financial position of the person/family.
Yeah i 2 have a same view that reservation system should be based on financial basis and that too with strictly 2 generation reservation policy.for example : if I get reservation on the basis of financial position, then only my children are eligible of reservation and not their following generations and why am i giving emphasis on generation policy in reservation system? becoz being from backward class category i had observed people wasting/misusing reservation benefits.
ReplyDeleteBut only writing blogs will not help the cause. Today only 53% of indian population actually vote and majority of them are from rural area, where people give vote for just Rs.500!!( I am not blaming them becoz they dont have any other option.) So guyz like you and me(gen y) who have access to all the information and enough common sense, should make some fundamental changes in the system.