GREAT INDIAN RESERVATION: UNITING PEOPLE BY DIVIDING THEM SINCE 1950

“Breathe in, breathe out. Calm down. I’m sure you’ll get into a good university!”

It was the second round of CET counseling. I was just reassuring him to get his mind off reality.

“Yeah, easy for you to say that now, considering that you already got into one.  Where is this amazingly good university that I’m going to get into? Please tell me Abhi, I’m waiting.” (Sarcasm overload)

“Trust me, okay? We’ll figure something out. I’m sure you’ll get into a good one.”

“Yeah, once I’m done shooting everybody who has a reservation, my turn will come. That I’m sure of!”

All I could do was blankly stare at the message.

So, this was during the sunny April and May of 2014 that my batch of 12^th graders appeared and tested their luck in the entrance exams. It’s amazing how nobody cares if they are lucky enough to get decent marks to crack these entrance exams anymore. What matters is if you are lucky enough to be born under the right caste. Yes my folks, we are talking about the ‘Great Indian Reservation: Uniting people by dividing them since 1950’

After what seemed like a very long wait, the aspirant engineers and doctors finally received a token of love from the universities, in the form of ‘CET’ and ‘AI Rankings’. I remember this one incident very clearly because nobody had seen it coming! A friend of mine gave her IIT entrance tests, and she did not get in. She was one of the smartest people I had known in my life! Apparently, there were around 10,000 people smarter than her (not to make it very obvious, let’s say her ranking was 13,000). In the same class, was another student, smart; not smart enough though, who appeared in the same exam. His ranking was 19,000. Today, he studies in IIT Madras. If “Oh, wait, what just happened?” was the thought that flashed into your mind, then don’t be surprised, this isn't the case of one or two people, but thousands in this country. Isn't it evident when people from general category cannot make it to their dream college or job, but they see their ‘very good’ friend sitting right there, happy, even with lower grades, or job experience? Oops! No longer a very good friend!

Welcome to India.

The caste system isn't something new in India. It has been there ever since Aryans set their foot on this side of the continent, and that was around 1500 BC; a long time ago. But out of everything history has contributed in enhancing our rich culture (which includes the Vedas, the Puranas, the amazing town planning from Indus Valley, which we desperately need today!) caste system is the only ‘contribution’ that has dug its roots deep into our soil, like a weed that just can’t be plucked out. Every year, hundreds of seats get reserved for SC, ST and OBCs, which I agree isn't a bad thing. What really bothers me about this entire set up is the fact that even though the majority of the people in India belong to general category, the numbers of seats are just not enough. Let’s take a very small example. What if a student who has scored 68% and has an AI ranking of 19,000 comes from an extremely rich family which can afford any college in the country, manages to get a seat (free of cost at times) because he has a reservation, but a Brahmin boy living next door with limited means, who has scored 90% and has an AI ranking of 9,000, doesn't get a seat, because hey, it’s the problem with the caste he was born to (a factor that he clearly can’t control), isn't it fair? No, it isn't fair.

What seemed like a boon once, to be born to a higher caste, seems like a bane now. How is it logical for the government to promote equality by dividing us? If the backward sectors of the society have to be treated equally, then why not treat every category as the general category? When did the definition of ‘equality’ change to ‘favoring the select few”?

The government needs to amend its laws as the times change, because the mentality of the society changes with every generation that adds up, or goes extinct. Reservation should be given based on the economic background of a person, that the caste he was born to. Knowing that India has a huge sector of the population below poverty line, it might seem impossible for this to happen, but doesn't it seem logical that a person is valued and judged based completely on his knowledge and ability than the caste which he was born into, which isn't even in his hands?

To throw more light on the fact that reservation doesn't show its glory only over the education system (even if my article hovers over it), but also over other fields, here are some statistics that might help us understand this better.

Public sector jobs are divided into 4 categories: Group I (or A), II (or B), III (or C) and IV (or D). In 1959, out of all the people who took up jobs in the public sector, approximately 1% were SC in group A jobs, around 2% in group B, 9% in group C and 17% in group D. Explicitly, very less number of high profile jobs were taken up by SC and their proportion increased with jobs that require lesser qualification or skill. With reservation tightening its grip over the Indian society, the numbers mentioned above rose to 10%, 12%, 16% and 21% till 1995. Clearly, this was a positive change, a change towards equality in terms of caste. But do we still live 1959? Are our thoughts still on the same path as in was in 1959? The answer is clear, no. Today, with reservations dominating the country, general category faces the threat of unemployment or poor education, not because they are not skilled enough, but because their skills don’t matter.

Reservation wasn't a bad idea, after all, looking at the above data, but the way reservation is being implemented now is terribly wrong. Do we need to reserve seats in an organization which already has limited seats, where people without reservation have to suffer? Can’t our government simply increase the number of seats or colleges which provide admission to all sectors based on merit? Can’t the reservation be implemented based on the economic background of an individual? Who is truly benefiting from such a system? Clearly, no one.

Reservation in itself is a way to enhance caste inequality in India. Filled with irony to the brim, it focuses on eradicating caste system by implementing it indirectly, poisoning the minds of kids born in this generation who can look beyond caste, creed, and gender. We have spent enough time concentrating on the pleas of the reserved class of the society, isn't it time to take action before general category becomes the new “reserved”? Just something to think about.