Politics of reservation

Reservation has always been a major ally of vote bank politics in India. Let it be the reservation in education, workplace and governance. Political parties have always given sops to the backward and scheduled communities knowing that they are major vote share. But has reservation really been pro people and pro India. For a fair competition the start line has to be equal – but certain communities were lagging. You gave them free education from elementary to higher secondary and they have come a step closer to the line. You have given them reserved seats in colleges and free boarding to make them equal all other communities. But you dint stop, you pushed them ahead with preferential employment in all government institutions. You again pushed your voter bank ahead by giving them promotions in workplace based on community and mocking the system of merit. This leaves the system in the hands of unworthy individuals which definitely has a impact back to common man irrespective of caste and creed when administrators, doctors and defence forces have undeserving leaders.

And is reservation really helping on ground level? Lets take an example, in an instance there were two students in a reputed private school, they ended up gaining scores 198 and 170. The one who scored 170 would end up in reserved seat because of the fact that he is from a scheduled caste while the one with 198 cant make it because they are already hundreds to compete with when in open quota. With the same coaching, the same boarding, the same atmosphere – if one could end up in free seat, where is the sense of equality. I suppose that education and learning is not linking to genes, if so would such an act be rational.  And how could a student who is able to handle the economics of a private institution and board in it be classified under scheduled class. Reservation was based on social status of caste because caste had a relevance to their livelihood in the early 90s. With the first generation having tasted the benefits of reservation, the second generation which is uplifted again makes use of the system. Solution would be to base it on socio economic conditions than solely on caste; in such a way that students from rural sides with schooling in public schools are given preferences over other backward class students from private schools.