Essay on Reservation: Need, Problems and Solutions for Class 10, 12 and Mains Exam

Essay on Reservation: Need, Problems and Solutions for Class 10, 12, Mains Exam (UPSC, PSC, SSC)

Reservation in India is a system that provides access to seats in educational institutions, government jobs and legislatures to few sections of the population.  It is a form of positive discrimination to safeguard theinterests of the scheduled cates, scheduled tribes and other backward classes who were once termed as untouchables and were looked down upon. Reservation is basically a government policy supported by various policies, commissions and acts of the Indian constitution. The Maharaja of Kolhapur, Shahu, initiated reservation in favor of the non-brahmins. In 1882, Jyoti Rao Phule and William Hunter accepted the notion of a caste-based reservation system. The Communal Award presented by Ramsay McDonald made provisions for separate electorates for Dalits, Muslims, Sikhs and Indian Christians. The Mandal commission recommended reservation for the OBCs and the Poona Pact decided a single Hindu electorate based on reservations for lower castes.

Need of reservation:

Reservation is a powerful weapon against the social oppressions meted out to the marginalized sections of the society. The marginalized sections mainly the scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and other backwards classes suffered from social, geographical and economical discrimination. Therefore, the reservation was needed for the advancement of the SC, ST and OBC in terms of pursuing education in government institutions (Article 15 -4,5, and 6). Adequate representation of SC, ST, OBC in government jobs (article 16 – 4 and 6).  Ample representation of members in the parliament and the State Legislatures (article 334). The main objective of reservation was to uplift the status of the minorities by means of providing them government jobs and education. It also ensures that the minorities enjoy equal rights and privileges as enjoyed by the non-minorities. About 60% of seats are reserved for the ST, Sc and OBC with regard to the Government jobs like civil services and Government higher education institutions like AIMS, IIHM, IIT.  3% seats are reserved for differently abled persons of all categories. Remaining 40 b% seats are reserved for the general candidates. Out of the 60% sets, 7.5 % is reserved for scheduled tribe, 15% for scheduled tribe,27 % for other backward class, and 10 % for economically weaker sections.

Interpretation of the articles:

Article 15:  The state is empowered to make provisions for the upliftment of SC, ST, OBC, EWS by providing them access to educational institutions whether or not aided by the government.

Article 16: The state is empowered to make provisions to adequately represent the SC, ST, OBC in the government services.

Article 334: The state is empowered to reserve seats for the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, Anglo Indian community by nomination in the parliament and the legislative assemblies.

Mandal Commission:

Mandal commission was founded by Morarji Desai of the Janta Party with a purpose to identify the educationally and the socially backward classes of India and to support the reservation of seats and the quota system. It suggested that 27% of government jobs shall be reserved for the OBCs.

Problems of reservation:

The reservation system has been vastly debated in many areas of the Indian society. The problems of caste reservation are discussed below:

a) Insignificant: Majority of the minorities share an equal status with the general castes, so reservation should not be needed any more. Many well-educated elites of general castes have taken the benefits of reservation by producing fabricated documents.

b) Short duration solutions: Reservation does not have the solutions for all types of economic and social problems. It impedes the advancements of valuable solutions. It provides short term solutions.

c) Social prohibition: Communities excluded from reservation suffers from anxiety and depression. Reservation has become a tool for exclusion rather than inclusion. It has resulted in social conundrums for the ones who once enjoyed privileges and rights. Poor SCs and STs still owns a disadvantageous position and remain on the fringes.

d) Slow economic growth: Reservation reduces the efficiency of labour, thereby declining the economic growth rate of the country. Reservation in jobs and education also leads to agitation among the youth who rebel against the government by organizing protest and meetings.

e) Immorality in reservation: Certain SCs and STs who have also ridden the ladder of economic and social advancement should not be provided the benefits of reservation anymore. The needs of the candidates belonging to the non-reserved category should be taken care of.

Solutions of reservation:

  1. Economic and social benefits should be given to all sections of the society. More benefits should be given to the underprivileged children.
  2. Agitations and aspirations of the underprivileged families of a general caste should be taken care of. Their griefs should be properly redressed. E.g.: Jat reservation.
  3. Public officials who are from minority background should not be given any more facilities. Their children shall not be given any kind of social and economic benefits.
  4. The state shall increase market mechanisms and provide equal job opportunities in the private sector.
  5. Social and economic benefits shall be evenly distributed to the underprivileged families irrespective of castes.

Conclusion:

Caste reservation was introduced with a view to uplift the status of the weaker sections of the society- economically and socially. However, it has not resulted in the overall development of all sections of the society. The limitations of the reservation facilities have to be kept in mind.  Complete eradication of reservation is not possible but it should be provided to the ones who really need it. For this, evaluating the economic and social background of the people is highly needed.

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