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Reservation in Indian law is a form of affirmative action whereby a percentage of seats are reserved in the public sector units, union and state civil services, union and state government departments and in all public and private educational institutions, except in the religious/ linguistic minority educational institutions, for the socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or the Scheduled Castes and Tribes who were inadequately represented in these services and institutions. The reservation policy is extended for the SC and STs in representing the Parliament of India & state legislative assemblies.
Caste is the predominant factor used for reservation in India, though reservation is also offered based on other parameters like religion, state of domicile, etc. The central government of India reserves 27% of government jobs and proposes to do similarly in higher education, but certain Indian states like Tamil Nadu, which currently reserves 69% seats, have followed caste-based reservations since 1921.
My question to all is that is it really necessary? I mean how do we define the caste system in India? Aren’t we more so economically segregated citizens? Mr. B.R. Ambedkar had introduced this system for a period of 10 years and not 60 years. Aren’t our leaders at fault and isn’t this system a way of covering up their failure? The fact of the matter is, as long as there are caste-based reservations, the caste system is bound to exist! How can it be otherwise? Today, the caste consciousness and animosity is more acute than everbefore! Needless to say, this is a direct fallout of the caste-based reservation system. In fact, the reserved categories themselves have a great deal of vested interest in keeping the caste system vibrant and alive, because reservations are only given on the basis of caste and NOT on economic factors.
When someone with less percentage, less marks gets the seat, or the job, how can anyone say it is due to the merit of the individual? These two simply do not co-exist. No one ever says that there are no talented people among the reserved categories! Far from it.The talented people, no matter what caste they belong to, will certainly reap a rich harvest which they fully deserve.They never need reservation at all!
More so, why isn’t there a quota for medical, transport and other facilities. The government can’t benefit from these restrictions and hence education seems to be the easiest way out. Ever thought, why brain drain is on a high rise? Think about this- will a student from SC/ST/OBC background ever mention that once he gets a MBBS degree? I doubt it. Of course, it is going to tarnish his image(as in showing that he wasn’t meritorious enough). There are various petitions against caste based reservations like this one here, but who is listening? What do u think? Is caste based reservation the need of this country in this era-Yes or No?
P.S: This is what Mr. Azim Premji had to say about reservations:
I think we should have job reservations in all the fields. I completely support the PM and all the politicians for promoting this. Let’s start the reservation with our cricket team. We should have 10 percent reservation for Muslims. 30 percent for OBC, SC/ST like that.
Cricket rules should be modified accordingly.
The boundary circle should be reduced for an SC/ST player. The four hit by an OBC player should be considered as a six and a six hit by an OBC player should be counted as 8 runs. An OBC player scoring 60 runs should be declared as a century.
We should influence ICC and make rules so that the pace bowlers like Shoaib Akhtar should not bowl fast balls to our OBC player.
Bowlers should bowl maximum speed of 80 kilometer per hour to an OBC player.
Any delivery above this speed should be made illegal.
Also we should have reservation in Olympics. In the 100 meters race, an OBC player should be given a gold medal if he runs 80 meters.
There can be reservation in Government jobs also. Let’s recruit SC/ST and OBC pilots for aircrafts which are carrying the ministers and politicians (that can really help the country...)
Ensure that only SC/ST and OBC doctors do the operations for the ministers and other politicians. (Another way of saving the country...)
Let’s be creative and think of ways and means to guide INDIA forward...
Lets show the world that INDIA is a GREAT country.
Let’s be proud of being an INDIAN...May the good breed of politicians like ARJUN SINGH long live...
RSS 
Obama is discriminated by the whites just because he belonges to the negros, Hillary was not voted just because she was a woman though however talented or scholastic or good she is or has been to the Black or White Americans.
In fact, the discrimination is stuffed in our veins, there is no let-up ever, whatever be century and (Yug).
And the need for reservation will always be felt, or else, the vultures (Who say something, but mean other things) won’t let the underprivileged and SC/ST/OBCs survive.
Since the very out set of this universe , there has always been discrimination, and for that solution, the poor, slave, and SC/ST/OBCs have always felt the need of reservation.
Stopping reservation for the underprivileged and SC/ST/OBCs meant nothing but chaos and bring us on the very same threshold.
And last but not the least, the educated people are more prone to discriminating among the SC/ST/OBCs and the underprivileged.
An empty-stomach Pundit, instead of saying Ram, Ram, prefer to go for his bread and butter.
Obama might be discriminated but is he on the verge of losing? I doubt. He is actually creating history by the amount of support he is receiving. And yes, he is a black!
Hillary Clinton wasn’t overthrown. She stepped down herself. She wasn’t forced to do so.
And, I have stated it at the very outset that this is about caste based reservations. Women Reservation is a different issue altogether and I shall surely throw my opinion on it in another article.
Regards.
Though the same is not being done by the SC/ST/OBCs, they are still mum. When the situation of eliminating the reservation would come, there will be chaos and havoc in the whole country, as was done at the time of Mandal commission.
If Obamaa wins the battle, there will always be discrimination among the whites. He is being supported not because he is black, but because,(half the world says) he is misbreed, black and white, so, he is liked and disliked equally by the both races.
And in fact, Hillary did not step down herself, in actual she was not able to fight, that is why she had to make a so-called comeback. Otherwise, why she joined the race. In fact, she had to surrender at last, when she knew of getting nothing but failure.
Last but not the least, i would desperately await your Women Reservation Bill.
And, I would shortly express my views on the Women reservation bill. :)
Regards
Haven’t we got more subtler ways to identify the caste in our culture? For example, the various kinds of naamas on the forehead, or simply the way of dressing etc.
In urban culture it is not so visible, but go to a rural place and you can easily by the look identify castes of people. Even the strature and the way they carry themselves is enough. And of course separate living areas for different castes. This is what we need to attack and not the admission forms.
The forms give vital statistics which that forms the basis for making policies.
Otherwise, the vultures, who discriminate the same mentality, won’t let Women or SC/ST/OBCs, survive and live.
And last but not the least, the leprosy of discrimination can never be cured. It was, it is, and it will be forever, whatever amendments made to the constitution.
We are in fact like a crippled cobbler of Plato (The pot of God) who was adamant enough to accept newness in life.
Now, the reservation looks like a lollipop to some people who also feel to taste it, even now by belittling and forgetting thier age-old cruelty.
The people who earlier snatched the lands by dint of their Muscle power or manipulation, are now feeling the need of reservation.
It stinks nothing but jealousy.
As long as Mayawati was not elected the CM of UP, people used to abuse her, would not talk about BSP, and even the Media turned its blind eye to her. But now she, for some, is apple of discord, while for some she is an apple of Eye.
Mind it here, all those people belong to the upper caste.
By saying so, I am not against uplifting the poor. However, reservation has widened the chasm than bridging it. There are so many other ways that Govt. can come up, as long as bringing poor to the mainstream is concerned.
I am against reservation and that too cast based, I totally discard it in any form. If it should exist at all, then poverty should be the consideration, not the cast.
I’m surprised to see educated youth from metropolitan cities reacting so strongly to the idea of helping out their down-trodden countrymen.Maybe this reaction feigns from ignorance of the overall status of our society, which includes cities,towns,villages and remote tribal areas.One probable reason behind this ignorance is these youth are so immersed in the hectic city life that they can’t imagine the fact that there are villages where there is no electricity,there are places where people can’t draw water from a well because they are from some backward caste, i have even seen a youth from a backward caste getting slapped for dressing up properly.
So in a country where some human-beings are suppressed by other human-beings just for belonging to some caste,then quota for these oppressed and down-trodden human-beings is truly justified.This step is to introduce balance in the society,which is very important.
And one last thing about vote-bank politics backward castes have their own political parties and rarely vote for other parties.
Burns of reservation are felt more in urban india than rural india as general category people r made to FLEE in cities from this so-called ’bahujans’.....in my state in rural areas there r hoardings put on display ”Brahman Bhayamukta gaon”, which means ”brahmins needn’t fear here”!!
Very true as i live in urban India i know about.But what you forgot to mention or chose to ignore is ”the burns of caste-based discrimination are felt more in rural India than urban India”.
As far as your general category people,bahujan thing.........i didn’t get it.Could you please clarify it?
add to it even so called hi-castes..
Hello sir. I am obliged to enlighten you that we, the metropolitanites are not at all ignorant about the woes of our countrymen. I am a social worker myself and have seen poverty, the real face of it. In a village, only SC/ST/OBC do not reside, there are other castes as well. And, we all here are sticking to our valuable point, that is, reservation might be needed but not on the basis of caste. Isn’t it quite some time that we thought about it? It is just an issue of cover up used by the government. Again, reservation is for the down trodden. I see many well to do SC/ST/OBC families. My friends from these castes enjoy reservation(even though they are very well to do). If at all the reservation is put, why not add the economic background to it? I think a country which faces the wrath of some minister who has pulled out his vendetta on not becoming the prime minister is not going to have a bright future.
you said”No reservation should ever exist! If someone is downtrodden take efforts to uplift them!”
That is exactly what reservation is trying to do.
My suggestion is google the word ”hypocrite”
at the expense of our country by putting 45 kg SC soldier on frontier?????
A soldier is a soldier whether he/she is a 45kg SC or 100kg elite.They are the reason why we can blog sitting comfortably at our homes/offices.
Anyways bias creeps through your writings.Take my suggestion google the word ”hypocrite”.
And You said: ”As long as there are caste-based reservations, the caste system is bound to exist”
The discrimination against the sudras (SC,ST) are like the discrimination against the women, as they are still subjected to humiliation and discrimination.
Even today, the Woman bill is lying on the table for approval, but there still is no heed from the Man dominated lobby. What a pity?
You said: ”Will a student from SC/ST/OBC background ever mention that once he gets a MBBS degree?”
What does it mean? Have You ever been among categorized (SC/ST/OBC), if not please go among them. There are enumber of SC/ST/OBC who claim to be belonging to so and so cast.
And last but not the least, unless there is caste-system stuck mentally in the so-called upper-caste people who even now rule our country, the need for reservation will always be felt. Or else, the (SC/ST/OBC) and Women will have to face the stigma of discrimination always.