The new fever to have gripped India is Arjun Singh’s or Congress Party’s yet another silly gimmick. Hiking reservations to almost 50% in IIMs, IITs and Central Universities – the cream of the country.
There are presently reservations in these institutions, but hiking them to 50% of the total seats will lead to incredible devaluing of the country’s top institutes. If students were denied seats on merit, that is the greatest injustice in humanity next to denying food. Education is the birthright of every citizen of the world, more so in India where it is valued highly.
Supposing students are denied seats based on merit and admitted based on their caste, this will greatly dilute the talents in the IITs and the IIMs. The presently well-regarded institutes will fall in the eyes of all Indians as well as the world. It has become quite a common headline to read of the high starting salaries that IIM graduates are paid.
But now companies may start to discriminate against the lower castes because they gained an IIM degree through the back door.
Or world-renowned universities may stop admitting IIT graduates because their quality is no longer assured.
On the other hand, reservations have done a great deal of good to India. They have levelled the playing field for the SCs and STs and even the BCs. Now we see more and more of the so-called ‘lower’ castes in mainstream education and employment, not only in govt. but also in private.
But then again, our crass politicians have been digging Indians yet another hole by declaring OBCs, MBCs etc. and including more and more castes in these ‘lower’ caste groups to gain petty votes during elections. And we also see the caste leaders lobbying for their caste to be called ‘lower’.
Where else in the world would you see a game where the captains and the players want so desperately to lose?
Reservations have done good to Indians and they should continue for a decade or so at a sanely permissible level of around 25%. They they should be gradually dealt away with and replaced with “Affirmative action” where when two candidates are of equal merit, the one from a socially-deprived background is given preference.
I would hope that reservations continue for another decade at 25% and then be dissolved over the next decade into affirmative action. Why, affirmative action could even be made mandatory across public and private sectors – I don’t think anybody would protest.
Or would you? Have your say below…
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