The Big Bong Theory

There are very few new things to be said about the topic of reservations in India. Most things that can be, have already been said, and the same rhetoric has been recycled again and again. Indeed, this is probably just an exercise of venting out frustration.

But for the sake of the exercise, if you will, let us look at the problem. First, a little background. The IIMs and the IITs represent the pinnacle of higher education in India today, and are seen as a sure passport to a better lifestyle, abroad or in the country. The students there are the crème de la crème of the student fraternity. Most importantly, due to the meritocratic nature of the admission process, they represent a holy grail which any student with a reasonable aptitude can aspire to. Now, the Indian government intends to pass a bill which calls for up to FIFTY percent reservation in these places for SC/STs and other backward classes, on the basis that these people cannot afford higher end education. This move which has raised the public's ire in no uncertain way, as has been seen in demonstrations around the country.

Now, looking at it from the general category student's point of view, the bill is an absolute abomination. The chances of getting in these institutes, which were already dismal to begin with, with about one in every hundred applicants making it, now becomes positively infinitesimal. More importantly, the brand value of these institutes will reduce, as they fall from being an autonomous meritocracy to being a government subsidized reservation oriented state. It is indeed pitiable that Manmohan Singh, the person who kick started India’s economic reforms, should resort to such cheap political parlor tricks to cater to his vote bank.

But is this really such a big issue? Does the seat allocation process for a couple of thousand people in a country with a population of more than one billion make such a big difference? The answer lies really in the halo, and reverence with which these institutes are viewed in India and around the world. They stand in the forefront, and are indeed recognized as a symbol of a resurgent India, whose alumni head global businesses around the world and are chiefly responsible for putting India on the socio-economical map in a big way.

A point on our government system. Democracy has always been about checks and balances. So it makes sense that a majority of people will not agree with almost anything the government is doing. And the important thing is, that is how it should be. Democracy does not work due to collective agreement; it works in spite of collective disagreement. It probably slows down the rate of progress of our country, but it does generally ensure that we're heading in the right direction.

Keeping that precept in mind, one would expect a certain opposition to this bill. but due to the fact that any politician seen opposing a bill which provides direct advantage to a group will automatically lose the votes of that group serves to ensure that any reservation bill passed without any problem. Now, while it is unreasonable to expect a politician to let go of votes, the tragedy of the whole story lies in the fact that reservation is not even a solution to the perceived problem, that OBCs and SC/STs are not getting the best education possible. IITs already have a reservation system, where a certain number of seats are reserved for SC/STs. but it has been observed that these students, on an average, take more than 6 years to complete their courses. In fact, the reservation quota for these students doesn’t even get filled on a regular basis, while deserving general category students do not get admitted.

To add to the issue, the government is not bringing out any good reasons for this move, apart from saying that (India needs a) "...fair, just and inclusive education system...”. In a recent interview with union HRD minister Arjun Singh, CNN's Karan Thapar ran rings around him, peppering him with questions and statistics, and the minister wasn’t able to give any quantifiable answers to them. (To read the interview, click here)

The problem, I suspect will remain unsolved. While it is possible to talk about the high minded idealizations of politics (or just the opposite), it is not until politicians realize that reservation is not bringing them votes will they stop treating it as a quick fire solution to all problems they have. But unfortunately, by that time it wouldl have become too late.