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The document discusses India's reservation system which aims to promote equal opportunities and representation for historically disadvantaged groups. It provides background on the system and its constitutional basis. Issues around its ongoing implementation and whether it requires review are also examined.

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dharmraj jat
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34 views4 pages

English 7

The document discusses India's reservation system which aims to promote equal opportunities and representation for historically disadvantaged groups. It provides background on the system and its constitutional basis. Issues around its ongoing implementation and whether it requires review are also examined.

Uploaded by

dharmraj jat
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

Paragraph typing link: https://unicodepoint.

net/typing/mock-test/english-7

Two thousand years ago, the great philosopher Aristotle said,


"Injustice arises when equals are treated unequally and also when
unequals are treated equally". This profound statement is what lies
at the heart of equality-a fundamental human right. Every human
simply by virtue of being a human being is entitled to equal

et
treatment. The most significant, pervasive and violent

t.n
discrimination in our country is the centuries old caste system. It
in
was abolished by the Constitution in 1952 and untouchability was
o
declared a crime. There was a category of people called dalits
ep

outside this system who were discriminated and treated as


od

untouchables. They were thus given reservation by the


government. Reservation in India is the process of setting aside a
ic

certain percentage of seats (vacancies) in government institutions


un

for members of backward and under-represented communities


(defined primarily by caste and tribe). It is a form of quota-based
affirmative action. Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other
backward classes are the primary beneficiaries of the reservation
policies under the Constitution with the objective of ensuring a
'level' playing field. The Constitution of India states in Article 15(4)
that, "All citizens shall have equal opportunities of receiving

Page 1/4
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education. Nothing herein contained shall prevent the state from


providing special facilities for educationally backward sections". It
also states that, "The state shall promote with special care the
educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of
society and shall protect them from 'social injustice' and all forms

et
of exploitation". The Article further states that nothing in Article

t.n
15(4) will prevent the nation from helping SCs and STs for their
in
betterment. In 1982, the Constitution specified 15% and 7.5% of
o
vacancies in public sector and government-aided educational
ep

institutes as a quota reserved for the SC and ST candidates


od

respectively for a period of five years, after which it was to be


reviewed This period was routinely extended by the succeeding
ic

governments. The Supreme Court of India ruled that reservations


un

cannot exceed 50% and put a cap on reservations. However, there


are state laws that exceed this 50% limit and these are under
litigation in the Supreme Court. For example, caste based
reservation stands at 69% and the same is applicable to about
87% of the population in the state of Tamil Nadu. 'In 1990, Prime
Minister VP Singh announced that 27% of government positions
would be set aside for OBCs in addition to the 22.5% already set

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aside for SCs and STs. This was followed according to the Mandal
Commission which was established in India in 1978 by the Janata
Party government under Prime Minister Morarji Desai with a
mandate to "identify the socially or educationally backward". Now,
the question arises whether there is a need to review the

et
reservation policy in India or should continue with the tradition?

t.n
The basic idea of reservation was undoubtedly superb as it was in
in
all good intent, meant to improve till now the status of those
o
sections of the society which had hitherto been left uncared for.
ep

However, as we see it today, the policy of reservation has


od

completely changed in the past few years. There has been


unlimited extension of the policy for no one knows how long, it
ic

appears as though the policy has come to stay forever and its
un

extension is also as though unlimited, with several more sections


joining the band wagon of the classes under reservation. If we look
at the reservation policy in India, we are the only country in the
world that provides affirmative action based on individual caste
identities. It is a well-established fact that reservations are tools of
upliftment for those disadvantaged groups who have suffered
years of discrimination and oppression at the hands of the higher

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castes. We the people of India, believe in the concept of


'Vasudeva Kutumbakam' where we take each and every person on
equal terms and also take the path of fraternity into its ambit. The
reservation policy in India gave a chance to the backward and
downtrodden people to be on equal terms with the other classes of

et
the society. It not only helped them in improving their lives and

t.n
status in the society but also provided them with an opportunity to
in
represent themselves in various aspects of the decision-making
o
part of society, something which was denied to them for a long
ep

time. Reservations has come up in educational institutions, in jobs,


od

in state assemblies, in Parliament and in every feasible sphere. It


will be a wonder if this system is really going to help us to raise our
ic

standards in every sphere or will this become just a tool in the


un

hands of a few, to forward their own interests, as has been up to


this juncture. The reservation policy has taken only few families of
weaker sections and not the masses

Page 4/4

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