Reservation Tantrums..

In the wake of recent developments at the level of central government in extending the reservation to the minorities and Other Backward Classes (OBC), I think that nothing lesser than a student movement would be able to force a roll back of the bill. Last year the apex court gave a verdict that in any circumstances the reservation in private un-aided colleges should not exceed the limit of 50% (the ceiling itself is too high as per opinion of experts). Well, the Congress government has made out an amendment in the constitution and it is being put to cabinet approval which empowers state governments to introduce community based reservations in admission to the central as well as private institutes. Not many will feel surprised by seeing that no any party is coming forward for the cause of those who unluckily belong to the Forward Classes and constitutes around 60% of the skilled work-force. All this started with the court ruling against the Aligarh Muslim University which wanted to increase the reservation quota for muslim students. Well, I think it should be a little bit clear that why Congress has to take the amendment route for overriding the court’s verdict.

I don’t know how these con-artists (who are unluckily our political representatives) define the word Forward Classes? What are the criteria on which the line of demarcation between Forward Classes and Backward Classes has been drawn? Every political party feels its duty to criticize BJP for dividing the country along communal lines through the much hyped yatras and undoubtedly Congress, leads the pack. But, I think that bringing out constitutional amendments against the Court’s verdict defies the whole logic of Indian democracy and also puts the Government behind bars for preparing an atmosphere for the murder of democracy. It is grave injustice on the part of those forwards who pay taxes from their hard earned money and now have to worry for the future of their children if they belong to the forward classes. BJP is to be blamed but not for dividing the country along communal lines but for not objecting to this sheer injustice.

How Reservation will affect us?

IIM’s and IIT’s have been the architects behind the making of “Brand India”. IIT’s are rated as one of the best technical institutions in the world and IIM’s are known to have the toughest selection procedure for a post-graduate program. Now, I would like to share here two individual cases which will give you a little idea about how reservation can affect you. I applied to several colleges for an intermediate course in Ranchi University (which is now in Jharkhand). I was waiting in the queue to deposit my form and I started talking to the student in front of me. I got 81% in C.B.S.E. and I was not confident about getting a seat in that college. That guy was having only 55% (33 marks in math) and was more than sure of getting admission into that institute because he belonged to the reservation quota. His father was a forest officer (he might have got his job from the same quota). His sister was a doctor and was teaching in some medical college of Orissa (again the quota system). As expected, I was denied the admission and later I completed my intermediate from a private school.

Second incidence is of this year itself. Symbiosis Institute of Business Management is famous for following a rigorous academic schedule and is known to produce quality management students. Well, the cut-off for the second round of selection procedure was something like this. Gen- 97.25, SC- in 60’s, ST- in 30’s. Well, the seats are needed to be filled and you can see the difference between the level of cut-off for the unreserved and reserved category. Now several questions arise here:

1) Would that student ever be able to compete with the student who has displayed a better logical and analytical ability (much much better I think)? Would they ever be able to do justice with their education ever?

2) What options are left for those students who were obviously better than those who got a seat out of the luck (out of reservation)?

3) Would any of our parliamentarians who have given their nod to this bill will ever allow any doctor (belonging to reserved category) to operate onto them after learning that how they got admission into medical courses and got their job?

With this new amendment coming into action, the immediate effects will be:

1) A degradation in the education level of the premiere institutes like IIT and IIM.

2) Frustration creeping into the talented and hard working youth due to the derth of opportunities.

In the long run, this is going to have severe effects on the economy. But, who cares about that? As long as these political party sticks to their minority appeasement programs they are sure to keep winning the elections.

I want to emphasize that I am not against the reservation rule. But it should not be implemented against the fate and future of million of others. “You can’t open a door for someone by closing a door on another one”. There should be only “one time reservation policy” which allows you to take the benefit of reservation at any but only one stage in your life. It may be at your education, or at job. Our Economist prime minister must understand this thing that we will loose our competitive advantage in the world market if our legislature keeps doing things as weird as this one.