Reservation, Logic, Media and You

Waking up in a fine morning you read in newspaper that the percentage of reservation is increased or new sectors are brought into this policy and you are perturbed. If you belong to the general category, you find it perfectly right time to be panicked. So start an SMS campaign, open up discussions in online forums and in your clique and the best if happen to get a reserved category fellow, wrangle him till he announces defeat.

This is 7th april. Three of the major national newspapers “report the catastrophe”. Yes, they don’t only report they paint it with their disgust. The front page and the editorials are filled with it. But they forget there exist a third category of readers in India who only read the last page for sports, may be they were not important. So, if you happen to miss it don’t worry, the news occupies these spaces for the next few days. Two days later it becomes unbearable, so you (not the you but one of the you) come to me to wrangle…..It was not possible of course.

The point I am trying to convey is “one single article may inform u the news, albeit not without the biasness, but it won’t give you the necessary understanding of the subject”. Here you see only the color that is painted, but the truth is lost somewhere. Let me begin with a prediction.

Reservation for OBCs in education has arrived. Ostensibly, to save IITs and IIMs and institutes of academic excellence, the whole issue is blown out of propertion the way making sure these institutes are untouched even if implemented nationwide. (P.S _I recently came to know that the MHRD had not specifically made any comment to this effect yet)

-What the media fails to see or does not want to say is, what percentage of population the OBCs constitute. According to 1931 census (IE-07-04-06) it is more than 50 %. So if the total population of the beneficiary of reservation is more than 70 % now and they constitute the disadvantaged of the society, than first there is a crying need in this society to do away this disparity and second 49.5 % does not even reach the concept of equal representation. And 70 % of SC/ST/OBC queuing up for the 49.5 % the general category 30% should actually be happy.

-I heavily doubt the one man show of the whole affair. It comes at a time when the demand for Reservation for SC/STs in private sector is gaining ground. It is fairly understood that, the GOM constituted for the purpose is disinterested, the constitutional and law experts are adverse in opinion and the Business community is all up-in-arms against such move. All of these are hand-in-gloves with the government of India. So bringing up the controversial issue of furthering reservation by 27.0 % is sensational enough to weaken the previous demand which in fact in the only cause of worry the Private sector giants. Unlike the common subscribers of national toilet papers Indian Business class can very well weigh between the two policies and dent one against another.

-Media does it part of weakening the voice of dissent and you kill it by ignoring it. The demand of Prof Jayati Ghosh, economics, JNU to be specially and noticeably mentioned having not to agree with the letter to be sent by the National Knowledge Commission was reported without importance. But the view was weighed out with Prof. Pratap Bhanu Mehta’s op-ed in the same newspaper. While another newspaper suggested the obvious concern of the IIT, IIM directors’ by reporting, “can’t comment till the information I official”, the comment of IIT Kharagpur director Dr. Dubey- that you must have ignored-was more welcoming.

-Consulation with the Knowledge commission was a bone of contention. As far as I know, it was constituted by the Prime minister and answerable directly to him. So How does the ministry of HRD responsible if it was not taken into confidence, or may be they would have when it reached the cabinet as a draft. Previously when it involved IIM-B going global or Fee-hike in IIMS or Reservation in Private institute or for the matter new admission policy of IIT, how many times the newspaper reported that the Commission had duly advised.

-Times of India should probably suggest more sensible reasons than exodus of students as a negative fallout of the Reservation. “Exodus of the brightest and the brilliant to foreign universities”. What is the fraction of the brightest and brilliant who can afford to go abroad stay back? Even if a miniscule of them do, they train themselves with the tax-payers money and go away anyway to serve either as an employee or researcher. Because scholarships for undergrad courses are more difficult to arrange than the latter two. Besides the brightest will always stay back as they will retain the seat, it will be those who could not, will think of alternatives. Hold back, all these perceived threats are unfounded as the HRD had already decided to increase the number of seats making sure the opportunities for the open category does not shrink.

-How does this harm the modest gain the higher education has achieved? This assumption is based on the premise that with relaxation of entrance procedure the total examination pattern and hence the award of degree will be in decadence. NO policy asks you to award a degree hence recognize his/her mastering his subjects if he failed even if he is from reserved category. On the contrary the it will necessitate more effort from the academics and a more robust educational system. And of course, if these students made to perform in an hostile environment of faculties and peers, their performance can hardly speak of their intelligence, skill or industry and the best educational institute will fail in itself. IITs are a glaring example themselves.