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The document discusses the historical context and implications of the reservation policy in India, which was established to provide equal opportunities for marginalized groups affected by the caste system. While the policy aimed to uplift disadvantaged communities, it has faced criticism for its indefinite extension and potential misuse by a select few families rather than benefiting the broader population. The ongoing debate centers on whether to continue, modify, or abolish the reservation system in light of its evolving impact on society.

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8 views2 pages

6 long

The document discusses the historical context and implications of the reservation policy in India, which was established to provide equal opportunities for marginalized groups affected by the caste system. While the policy aimed to uplift disadvantaged communities, it has faced criticism for its indefinite extension and potential misuse by a select few families rather than benefiting the broader population. The ongoing debate centers on whether to continue, modify, or abolish the reservation system in light of its evolving impact on society.

Uploaded by

mayankkumar1031
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as TXT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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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 treatment.
The most significant, pervasive and violent discrimination in our country is the
centuries old caste system. It was abolished by the Constitution in 1952 and
untouchability was declared a crime. There was a category of people called dalits
outside this system who were discriminated and treated as untouchables. They were
thus given reservation by the government. Reservation in India is the process of
setting aside a certain percentage of seats (vacancies) in government institutions
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 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 of
exploitation". The Article further states that nothing in Article 15(4) will
prevent the nation from helping SCs and STs for their betterment. In 1982, the
Constitution specified 15% and 7.5% of vacancies in public sector and government-
aided educational institutes as a quota reserved for the SC and ST candidates
respectively for a period of five years, after which it was to be reviewed This
period was routinely extended by the succeeding governments. The Supreme Court of
India ruled that reservations 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 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 reservation policy in India
or should continue with the tradition? The basic idea of reservation was
undoubtedly superb as it was in all good intent, meant to improve till now the
status of those sections of the society which had hitherto been left uncared for.
However, as we see it today, the policy of reservation has completely changed in
the past few years. There has been unlimited extension of the policy for no one
knows how long, it appears as though the policy has come to stay forever and its
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 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 the society. It not only helped them in
improving their lives and status in the society but also provided them with an
opportunity to represent themselves in various aspects of the decision-making part
of society, something which was denied to them for a long time. Reservations has
come up in educational institutions, in jobs, 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 standards in every sphere or will this become just a tool in
the 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

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