Do We Need A Quota For Quality Minds?

This refers to the news item that the honorable Supreme Court of India upheld 27 per cent reservations for the OBCs in central educational institutions while declaring that creamy layer (among OBCs) should be excluded from the quota.

One day India will be a place for minorities, no doubt. The country is fast losing her 'bright brains' to substandard ones. Everyone knows the quality of a person passing out with 90 per cent and getting into professional institution and those passed with grace marks getting into the same institution with reservation tickets. If this person becomes a doctor, engineer or scientist, what will happen to the nation? Will he/she do justice to his profession?

The negative effects of reservation have already started showing on India's growth. Go to any government organization. You would find a person (a reserved candidate) sitting on the helm and ordering his/her subordinates who are much better than him in terms of education, brilliance, and decision-making ability.

What to do? This is the ugly face of India. Several sensitive postings in government organizations are now being held by people from reserved category.

I am not against reservation or people marked as backward class. What I want is equality and fair play. Rerservation should be on the basis of economic condition of the candidate. Several brilliant students are unable to enter into IITs or IMMs due to lack of funds.

Why should we introduce a system to have separate institutions for the people of reserved category? Just like we have it in universities-- regular and correspondence stream of education, OBCs and other backward class people who have secured just pass mark should be allowed to study in this institution. They should be given extra care in terms of education so that when they pass out with professional degrees, they would be at par with the meritorious students.

Instead of announcing cheap rations, free colour Television sets, sops for farmers et al (where half of the money goes the politicians’ hands) government should introduce a transparent poverty alleviation program, Education for all and jobs on the basis of merits. Will they do it in the election year??