Reservation is a Rule enforced by Indian Law according to which a percentage of seats are reserved in the public sector units, union and state civil services, union and state government departments and in all public and private educational institutions, except in the religious/ linguistic minority educational institutions, for the socially and educationally backward communities and the Scheduled Castes and Tribes who are inadequately represented in these services and institutions. The reservation policy is also extended for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for representation in the Parliament of India. The Supreme Court currently upholds its verdict on 27 per cent reservations for SCs and ST's. Reservations in favour of Backward Classes (BCs) was introduced way before Independence in the princely states south of the Vindhyas. Chhatrapati Sahuji Maharaj who was the King of Kolhapur in Maharashtra introduced reservation in favour of backward classes as early as 1902 to eradicate poverty and to give them their due share in the State administration. The notification of 1902 created 50% reservation in services for backward classes/communities in the State of Kolhapur. This notification is considered to be the first government order providing for reservation for the welfare of SC, ST and BC classes in India. The Indian Judiciary System has been upholding Judgements in reservations and in some cases has opted for fine-tuning its implementations. Lots of judgments regarding reservations have been modified subsequently by Indian parliament through constitutional amendments. Some judgments of Indian judiciary has been disregarded by state and central Governments.
Impact of Reservation on the Quality of Education
- Shortage of Faculty: There is a huge shortage of teachers, more importantly, the shortage of quality teachers in educational institutes. The number of students has been on the rise with each passing year. The ratio of teachers and students is highly unbalanced, tipping in favour of the students. According to the Government, the total number of seats belonging to the general category will rise which has been far from been implemented. So how is the shortage of teachers going to be filled up? In such a scenario reservation has a great impact on the quality of education.
- Inadequate Infrastructure: In order to promote higher technical education in the country, the Government has planned to open a few more IITs and IIMs. The current IITs and IIMs are already facing the shortage of faculty members and it is anonymous as to how the government will manage more faculty members for newer institutes. And to add to it the government has not solved the problems related to the shortage of laboratories, playgrounds, staff, hostels and classrooms in existing institutes. So how will it be able to provide these to new ones
- Negative Impact on Merit: The repute of an institution depends on the outstanding results the students produce. IIT or IIM or IISC are renowned for the quality of education and excellent results it produces. The idea of the reservation will have a direct consequence on the quality of graduates that these institutes would deliver. The moral of the outstanding students is lowered as the criteria of admission is now not just good merit but also the reservation. A normal SC or ST candidate is ensured of a seat while a more worthy student might not be able to get a seat which is not his fault but of reservation. It puts a dark shadow on the institutes' excellence as well.
- Brain Drain: Every country banks upon its youth population to take it to a new height of importance and to back it, a country needs to provide everyone with the best education. Failing to do so has resulted and is resulting in a Phenomena known as Brain Drain which is a great loss to not only to the pride of that country but it accounts for economic loss as well
Impact of Reservation in other Areas
- Shortage of Investor's: The shortage of investors is another cause of concern as private companies invest in the education sector only if they see a bright future. If all the bright and qualified talent falls short in supply, the investor's will find new shores.
- Tool for Politicians: The Reservation policy has a hidden agenda which the politicians are seeking to take benefit of. They use it as a tool to expand their control over the premier institutions to serve favours to their chosen ones. False documents and spurious certificates will enable undeserving to get admissions in certain premier institutes. In the process, the status of an institute which has been built upon years is lost.
- A danger to the Unity of the People: Reservations are a form of ethnic discrimination, they tend to favour one particular group. It also affects the intermixing of castes and discourages inter-caste and inter-faith marriages.
- Misuse of Reservations: Many times the economically sound people make use of most of the seats reserved for backward castes thereby making the aim a total failure. Rich people from backward caste do not need a reservation, by using reservation they deny poor people from forwarding caste to come forth.
Possible Solutions
- More stress is needed to put on primary education. If an individual whose basics are lacking gets reservation he will not be able to justify the reservation he is being given. Efforts are needed at maximizing the educational infrastructure, allocating more funds and reforming the entire teaching and learning process and it's administration.
- Reservation is not the only solution to uplift the backward. Effective implementation is needed for policies which provide the basic necessities of life like food, clothing, shelter, medical facilities. These need to be provided at nominal rates through fair price shops which are exclusive to the economically backward.
- Partial reservation in the form of limiting the number of children of backward classes who will receive the benefit is another possible solution. A family comprising of 3-4 children getting the reservation is not beneficial on the whole.
- This could also be achieved where A reservation limited to one generation only is another effective solution. A family which has already availed it once will not be allowed to avail of it in the next generation.
- Putting backward classes in general category upon reaching self-sufficiency will reduce the number of such castes and reservation will become more meaningful.
- Bridging the rural-urban gap need to be done effectively and immediately. The inequality rising from this gap itself creates weaker sections of the society. Putting more efforts in providing them with all the basic facilities instead of beautifying is a more wise option.
- Reducing the percentage of marks needed to qualify for admission is more feasible. If a candidate belonging to general category requires 70% qualifying marks than it can be reduced to about 10%. This will also help in maintaining the academic standard of an institution.
