The Reservation Thing...

BCCI to introduce 30% reservation for backward classes in Indian Team…

Indian Railways introduce 50% reservation for backward classes…

Passing percentage for backward classes reduced to 20%...

Backward classes need not pay taxes… Prime Minister…

Backward class people will live 30% longer… The Almighty (what the heck)

I will not be surprised if I get to read any of these in TOI in the morning some day. I had decided not to react on this “Reservation Thing” and express my views anywhere or sign any petition as petitions and protests are hardly paid any attention these days. But later I realized that this political stunt for votes has much more to it than just being a political stunt. This is the time when India seems to be making a mark of its own on the global map, thanks to its skilled workforce. This is the time when graduates from IITs and IIMs are recognized world over for their brilliance. This is the time when Indian IT biggies are being known for their processes and efficiency. I really think that introducing (or rather increasing) reservations in premier educational institutes in India as well as in India Inc. is not an ideal way to support the massive growth we are witnessing today.

Facts:

1. Government has almost made up its mind to increase OBC reservations in IITs, IIMs and other such premier educational institutes to 49% from current 27%.

2. Government has been urging India Inc. to introduce reservations in jobs for backward classes and is now hinting at introducing a law for the same.

India edging over India:

Indeed there is a huge population in India that still does not have access to good educational facilities. There is large rural youth population that does not have access to opportunities as in urban India. We have a problem at our hands here and it needs to be addressed but introducing reservations is going to make matters worse rather than improving them. There is more to the current reservation policy than what meets our eye. First, we need to think from the point of view of an underprivileged student, who will use such reservations…

Where’s the Competition?

Reservations kill the very element of competitiveness. We can introduce better basic education, schools and colleges, more seats and scholarships if we want more people to be a part of modern, developing India. According to me, assisting backward classes to grow is a better option than securing their growth and that too at the expense of someone else’s. We need “National Talent Schemes” for spotting and promoting talent in less privileged sections of society. An underprivileged student surely needs financial assistance for his studies but does he really need assistance in terms of “seats solely reserved” for him? In fact “reserved seats” keep him from trying his best as he surely knows that he does not have to compete with all the students to secure the seat but it’s only the students of his category he is competing against.

Brain Drain:

Thinking from the perspective of a student in general, if he is not able to fulfill his dreams here in India, he will go abroad and fulfill them. We are already seeing this trend in urban India. If the government continues to continue with its reservation policies, the “Brain Drain” is just going to get worse. I strongly oppose reservations introduced in higher education and especially those in IITs and IIMs. We need to keep in mind that IITs and IIMs are not just educational institutes but they are “Best Education” that India has to offer. People go to IITs and IIMs not only because they are brands that assure highest of salaries but also because they are home to some of India’s greatest minds. Interaction and competition with like minded peers is one of the greatest offering of these institutes. It is really unfair to introduce reservations and thus bring down the quality of students in these institutes.

Government’ Stand:

Here's what our respected PM Mr. Manmohan Singh had to say about the stand of the government on the issue:

"We all need to ensure that no group feels excluded from enjoying the fruits of rapid economic growth"
Surely, we need to make sure that India as a whole profits from the massive economic growth we are going through today. At the same time we should not forget the reasons for this rapid growth. It is highly skilled low cost workforce in IT and ITES that has helped our economy gain this momentum. It is those ambitious entrepreneurs from IITs and IIMs that have catapulted India in this vantage position. The very concept of introducing reservations reduces the competitiveness and thus our advantage in these fields.

"Opening up the economy has meant diminishing job opportunities for the socially disadvantaged"
If there is a considerable difference between the skill set of “Socially Advantaged” and “Socially Disadvantaged” people then it’s a failure on the government’s part. It means that the government has failed to narrow down this gap. It is highly foolish of the government to expect the Indian industry to pay the price of its misdeeds by introducing reservations in jobs.

India Inc.’s Stand:

India Inc. has clearly signaled its disapproval on this matter. Industries should concentrate on increasing their stake holder’s wealth rather than anything else if we are to survive in the opened-up economy against other global players. Industry thinks that everyone should come forward and do something voluntarily to improve the condition of the socially disadvantaged but introducing a law and forcing things is not a solution.

Solution:

India has to manage two things at the same time if it has to progress in a true sense. At one hand it has urban population that is living like people in any of the developed countries. These people are rich, have access to best of facilities. On the other hand, it has a large rural population devoid of all such facilities. This rural population cannot afford and does not have access to good educational facilities. But this distinction should solely be done on the basis of income of a family and not on the basis of “which caste it belongs to”. Again, scholarships would be much better as compared to “reserved seats”.

What next?

After strong opposition from the Indian Industry on “reservation in jobs”, the government has softened its stand a bit. Even the IITs and IIMs have not been informed about the new reservation policies. I hope this “Reservation thing” was a mere vote-magnet for the assembly elections and will soon be forgotten by everyone. If not so, we are surely in for a lot of debate and controversies.