Is the Reservtion System Really Helping India?

A small story

Sushil wants to go to school. But, the local school denied him as he belongs to a lower cast. Rajiv wants to be a doctor. But, he could not join a government medical college as he could not achieve the cutoff rank for general candidates. Both these stories are small representations of the problems students face. However, the only catch is, Rajiv was born 100 years after Sushil. My point is, nothing has changed except the victims.

The Problems

I am not saying that discrimination based on caste has been eradicated. Rather, it has increased. I took medical college as an example as it is one of the most sought-after courses, and many students can relate to Rajiv's situation. Earlier, the people belonging to lower castes were victims. Please note, I do not mean to say that these people have less significance by calling them "lower caste people". I am doing it to keep the article easy to understand. Now, along with them, the general candidates are affected despite their merit and dedication.

So, now we have two problems. On the one hand, there are many instances of caste-based violence. Every day we get to see murders, fights, etc., due to clashes between different castes. Many people still display inhuman behaviour towards the people they believe to be of lower caste. 

Many wealthy people make arrangements, bribe officials, and get fake certifications to take the benefit of the reservation system. The lower-middle-class people have no option other than to blame their fate. Rajiv saw his classmate Mohit, who got 100 marks less than him, secure admission to his dream college.

Ultimately, the people who need help are not getting it. And, the people who are eligible and can contribute to the betterment of the nation are not getting their chances. The nation cannot get its best scientists, doctors, engineers, officers. Many brilliant students are migrating to other countries. As a result, the country's development is at a standstill. And, the friction between castes is still increasing due to all these results.

The Solutions

The situation is messed up. But, there are certain things that we can do. Firstly, we have to admit that the lower caste people are treated poorly. No one can forget the Hathras case that took place last year. Even now, in many states, this problem is prevalent. We must take steps to solve this. We can correct people whenever they commit this mistake. These people may even be your family members. 

Now comes the government's role. This part is tricky as most governments use the reservation system to create vote banks. But, a change can reduce the magnitude of this issue. Instead of caste, if the reservation is based on economic status, it can help many people. It will not fully solve the problem.

There are some reservations that are given based on economic conditions. But that is not effective due to a striking difference. We will discuss this difference and the topic in detail in another article.

There is another alternative. And, this is the best solution. If the government can set up more colleges, the need for reservations would be reduced. More number of colleges would mean more number of seats. This can also benefit the nation.

Wrapping Up

 There are many things that higher officials can come up with. The economic model will work until people start to find loopholes and take advantage. After all, that is what we are good at, right? 

The second part will cover the good and bad aspects in more detail. It will also cover some real-life incidents. It will mention the journey of some people who benefited from the reservation system and some people who were devastated.