If we see the reservation from business man view, we would say, this reservation is creating in-efficient and in-effective organizations. If we see from sociologist view, we would say this reservation is creating efficient and effective societies with, equal empowerment. If someone asks me which one I prefer, I would say I need both. Let’s see the importance of both views and how we can accomplish the same.
As we all know, the purpose of Reservation is, to give advantage to the disadvantaged(Be it gender oriented or cast oriented), in order to empower them financially and socially. The Varna (4 Varna’s) made different people to stick to their own professions and some of those professions are rated as low-key affairs. The so-called higher varna’s have treated them as badly as a democratic Govt cannot accept. When this discrimination was prevailing, our constitution makers thought of giving them certain up-liftment through various means. Reservation is one such means. As we all see today, the means did not accomplish the ends (so-called empowerment), there are structural problems as well as social problems. In order to understand the structural problems, the reservation system was created during a period of Varna’s Domination and our patriarchal society forgot about women (I am not referring the women who get more than 10k/month).
Due to LPG (Liberalization, Privatization, Globalization) the opportunities were created mostly in cities and they were exclusively based on performance. This LPG along with some other factors resulted in a new kind of discrimination, i.e. financial discrimination. So in Cities we see more of financial discrimination than the traditional Varna’s. But in rural areas it is both (to some extent financial has less influence). At this age of unequal empowerment we should have reservation to meet the basic features of our constitution makers i.e. equality and empowerment. But the structure of reservation system may not be the same as before. We need to accommodate the new kind of financial factor also to decide the deserved person. As we can see some our genuine politician have tried to implement, but could not succeed, because of social problems.
The social problems are like, the constitution gave certain advantage to disadvantaged section, they are today fully advantaged people, still they are refusing to give up the extra advantage. It is like the Govt is continuously giving them golden eggs and suddenly want to stop the supply, who will accept, as long as they do not see the importance of equality they do not prefer to give up the advantage voluntarily.
Because of the reservation system, our educational institutions, administration and organizations (which all accept reservations) are becoming in-effective, in efficient and non-competent. I would accept with that administration and organizations are becoming non-competent, but not Educational institutions. Because what every one needs to get the degree is min qualification marks (Lets say 40%), the reservation does not say that you get 30 % and I give you degree, Do they??? Coming to administrations and organizations, this would true, as they have to fill the quotas. If they do not get quota members they have to go for least performed candidates.
So what is the way forward?
- Govt has to introduce creamy-layer concept, which considers financial aspects into the reservation. This needed a phased approach. First we need to introduce the creamy-layer concept in the existing reservation category (With due consideration of local factors), then after 10 to 15 years we need to introduce the creamy-layer for General candidates.
- To perform a job, we just do not need to be topper, at the same time we cannot take worst performed one into job because she/he belongs to a reservation category. So let’s keep minimum qualifying marks below which the candidate is not eligible for the job.
Because, if the Govt tries to change it, it is gone. So we need to wait till some more time may be next 10 years to touch the change (By the time our literacy would be more than 80 %)
