Reservations in Higher Education

Now, I would like to move on to offer my opinion on the issue of quotas or caste based reservations in “autonomous” institutes of higher education. Reservation is essential for the upliftment of a backward section of the society. However, a nation cannot have reservations forever, since the existence of reservations is a symbol of inequality. Reservations are a short term solution, to bring about equality among different sections of the society, while in the mean time we look for a long term solution. The great Babasaheb Ambedkar realised this early and vouched for reservation for the SCs and STs to be repealed/reconsidered after a period of 10 years. Today I am sure he is rolling over in his grave looking at how his noble intentions to uplift the backward sections of society have not only failed miserably but have actually created political vote banks for the politicians of this country to exploit.

The politicians want the backward classes of this country to remain backward and uneducated since otherwise, they would lose their loyal vote banks. If the masses were educated or enlightened, they would begin to question the legislature and the executive about their functioning and demand for developmental policies and competent governments which cannot be offered by any of today’s political parties. This is perhaps why instead of implementing a viable long term solution to bring these sections of society on par with the others; they are still clinging to the short-sighted, short term measures called reservations which, after 60 years, have been proved a failed system. The reason for this is simple. Reservations can never actually uplift the backward classes but will deceive these backward classes and win their votes.

In order to make my point clearer, consider the following illustration or example. When we are affected by a bacterial or viral infection, we usually tend to have fever as the main symptom. It is necessary to treat this symptom, using an antipyretic, while the doctor diagnoses the main problem (which is the infection) and finally prescribes as antibiotic to kill the infection. However, if the doctor were to only treat the symptom, fever, using a crocin, while ignoring the underlying condition, the patient will not get cured for a long time. As a matter of fact, after a certain point of time, he might die. Social and economic backwardness represent the infection in our case, whereas, crocin represents caste-based reservations. Crocin is necessary but not sufficient just like reservations. We need to subscribe to a policy which cures the underlying condition, while resorting to reservations to only keep the symptom in check temporarily.

The reason why reservations can never uplift the backward classes is that certain individuals belonging to those “socially backward” classes, who have availed the benefits of reservation and have prospered, can offer better education to their wards, who also are entitled to reservation, since reservation here is caste based and not based on the economic situation of the party in question. These wards of prosperous individuals avail of reservation benefits once again denying the benefits from reaching the poor and downtrodden of that section. This leads to successive generations of a small proportion of families belonging to these “backward classes” benefiting from the reservations. This is precisely why only a small part of SCs and STs have been uplifted after over 60 years of reservations. Most of them, even today, are illiterate. However, the reservation policy gives hope to the multitude which never can avail these reservations and thus, they cast their votes in favour of the politicians who vouch for reservations. This is precisely why no political party in India has ever opposed reservations and no party has suggested an alternative, feasible long term solution to the education problems of the backward classes.

If the true goal is the social and economic upliftment of backward classes and economically challenged families, what is the use of providing reservations in IITs and IIMs and other higher education institutes to these families which cannot even afford quality primary education? How can someone who does not get quality primary education due to poverty, discrimination and negligence even aspire to get into competitive top tier institutes like the IITs and the IIMs even in the presence of reservation? Even amongst the backward classes, students who get into the echelons of these institutes are those who can not only afford quality primary education but can also afford tuition fee for private coaching for the entrance tests of these institutes.

In essence, these are people who do not deserve or need reservations. Reservations, therefore is by no means a long term solution for the upliftment of the weaker sections of society. The only plausible solution to this crisis is for the government to play an active role in providing the poorer sections of society, irrespective or caste, religion or sex, with free, compulsory and quality primary and secondary education till class X and beyond this point, financially assist those who wish to proceed to higher education. Reservations have not solved the problem in 60 years and they will not solve the problem in another 600 years. The sooner the public, the media and the government realizes this undeniable fact, the better it would be for this country. We need to resort to antibiotics fast to prevent the death of this nation.

Or so i feel, and am expecting a lot of comments as its quite a controversial topic.. so, will be continuing with higher education in the next post as well...