hagwat's Call on Quota and Musings Merit Attention November 7, 1990. On this day, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Prime Minister and prime mover of Mandal Model is forced to exit office. Arguably, the casualty of the first Mandal versus Kamandal war. His August 7, 1990, decision to implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission put the regime in direct conflict with the BJP supporting it. The tipping point was the arrest of L K Advani at Samastipur in Bihar. November 8, 2015. Twenty-five years later, Bihar is again the venue of the battle for political supremacy cloaked in the do-or-die rhetoric. The parade of ironies is delicious—the man who arrested Advani is now a BJP MP; Nitish Kumar, the man who shared power with the BJP for over a decade, is the prime opponent; and Lalu Yadav, his friend-turned-foe-turned-friend, is leading the charge. At the heart of raging rhetoric is an observation made by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat in an interview on the politics and outcomes of the reservation policy. The observation coming amid an intensely fought election has stoked a debate with old chestnuts. Thanks to the intellectual laziness within the BJP and the huge trust deficit that haunts the RSS, the fog of confusion now envelops the Gangetic plains—where a slice in the quota translates into economic survival, where quota delivers political dividends. Just 18 months ago, the BJP, led by Narendra Modi—an OBC leader from Gujarat—swept the Gangetic plains clean, decimating the Opposition to win over 100 seats in the original battleground of the Mandal agitation. The crux is the apparition, the return of suspicion. A quarter of a century later, the BJP finds itself painted in a corner as a party against reservations. It is instructive to know what exactly Bhagwat said. The context was the principle of "integral humanism" espoused by Deen Dayal Upadhyay and the question was: "Do you see any such policy initiative, undertaken or suggestive, which is in tune with integral humanism?" Bhagwat said: "Reservation for socially backward classes is the right example in this regard." He then observed that "if we would have implemented this policy as envisaged by the Constitution makers instead of doing politics over it, then present situation would not have arrived. Since inception it has been politicised". Bhagwat then went on to suggest an apolitical review to decide "which categories require reservation and for how long". Depending on who is located where in the debate, the statement is finding varied interpretations. There are those who believe this to be a signal. There are those who see it as a valid opinion. There are those who see it as an inference on the political coralling, even capture of entitlements. The observations have opened up the field of interpretations between what was said and what was meant. For an objective analysis of reality, one needs to step away from personified equivalence, the heat, dust and passion of rhetoric. Fact is, 25 years after its initiation, the idea of affirmative action deserves an audit, at least an examination of beneficial outcomes. At a personal level—and this is an essential disclosure—I am a votary of and am invested in the idea of affirmative action. At an institutional level, at a national level, affirmative action is a moral and economic imperative. The moot point today is about the efficacy of the structure of the policy on reservations. Success is sketchy. The inadequacy of process and implementation to enable empowerment is stark. For instance, the policy states 27 per cent of Central government jobs must be filled by OBC candidates. In reality, only 11 per cent of Group A positions and 17.7 of all posts were filled by OBC candidates. The policy demands 49.5 per cent of all government jobs are reserved for socially disadvantaged groups (SC+ST+OBC), whereas in reality only 43 per cent of jobs are occupied by them. Fact is, the disadvantaged groups are failed by the poor education system and off-shoring of tasks has shrunk the jobs pie. Reservations are not just about a salary cheque. The aim also encompasses addressing social bias and prejudices. On the ground, the consequences of social conditioning are shocking. In Karnataka, a Dalit cook has been humiliated since five months as nobody will eat the food she cooks for the mid-day meal scheme. The only way she can retain her job is by choosing to not cook. In Odisha, Dalit students are barred from offering prayers at the puja in the school. These are incidents that represent a reprehensible mindset. Quotas were installed to improve inclusion and empowerment. The translation of intent has been poor. The socio-economic census illustrates the economic and social backwardness of disadvantaged communities across rural India. Human development and economic indices are distressful. Average years in school for Indians is 4.5 years, but much worse in the Mandal belt on the Gangetic plains. The much-awaited caste census will reveal more. The question that begs to be asked is if the instrument of reservation—more importantly the policy, the way it is designed today—has delivered on the intended objectives. Is it backed by institutional reforms in primary education necessary for the migration of the oppressed from social and economic backwardness? Is it deep enough to reach the extremely backward and the economically deprived? What about socially forward but economically backward communities? Is it diverse enough to cover the variations of the economic and political geography? Should it be less urban and more rural? These are questions that any nation must examine if the idea is to deliver genuine change. shankkar.aiyar@gmail.com |
Sunday, November 08, 2015
A take on Mohan Bhagvat's views on reservations
Saturday, November 07, 2015
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat calls for revision of reservations
Amid the continuing Patel quota stir in Gujarat, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has pitched for a review of the reservation policy, contending it has been used for political ends and suggesting setting up of an apolitical committee to examine who needs the facility and for how long.
He said though "interest groups" do get formed in democracy, aspirations of one section should not be met at the cost of others.
READ ALSO: Gujarat HC upholds mobile internet curfew imposed during Patel stir
He said though "interest groups" do get formed in democracy, aspirations of one section should not be met at the cost of others.
READ ALSO: Gujarat HC upholds mobile internet curfew imposed during Patel stir
"Interest groups are formed because we have certain aspirations in democracy. At the same time, we should remember that through interest groups we should not strive to address those aspirations at the cost of others.
"We should have integral approach of welfare for all. It is sensible to realize that my interest lies in larger national interest. Government also has to be sensitive to these issues that there should not be any agitation for them," Bhagwat told Sangh mouthpiece 'Organiser' and 'Panchjanya' in an interview.
He pitched for constitution of a committee with representatives from the civil society to go into the issue.
READ ALSO: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat gets 'Z+' VVIP security cover (File)
"We believe, form a committee of people genuinely concerned for the interest of the whole nation and committed for social equality, including some representatives from the society, they should decide which categories require reservation and for how long.
"The non-political committee like autonomous commissions should be the implementation authority; political authorities should supervise them for honesty and integrity," he said.
Arguing that the policy of reservations based on social backwardness being extended now is not in line with what the makers of the Indian Constitution had in mind, Bhagwat said had quotas been implemented as per the vision of the Constitution makers questions on the issue would not have surfaced.
READ ALSO: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat calls for unity among Hindus
"If we would have implemented this policy as envisaged by the Constitution makers instead of doing politics over it, then present situation would not have arrived. Since inception it has been politicised," he said.
Bhagwat's remarks come in the wake of violent protests by the Patel community in Gujarat who are demanding a share in the OBC reservation pie.
"We should have integral approach of welfare for all. It is sensible to realize that my interest lies in larger national interest. Government also has to be sensitive to these issues that there should not be any agitation for them," Bhagwat told Sangh mouthpiece 'Organiser' and 'Panchjanya' in an interview.
He pitched for constitution of a committee with representatives from the civil society to go into the issue.
READ ALSO: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat gets 'Z+' VVIP security cover (File)
"We believe, form a committee of people genuinely concerned for the interest of the whole nation and committed for social equality, including some representatives from the society, they should decide which categories require reservation and for how long.
"The non-political committee like autonomous commissions should be the implementation authority; political authorities should supervise them for honesty and integrity," he said.
Arguing that the policy of reservations based on social backwardness being extended now is not in line with what the makers of the Indian Constitution had in mind, Bhagwat said had quotas been implemented as per the vision of the Constitution makers questions on the issue would not have surfaced.
READ ALSO: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat calls for unity among Hindus
"If we would have implemented this policy as envisaged by the Constitution makers instead of doing politics over it, then present situation would not have arrived. Since inception it has been politicised," he said.
Bhagwat's remarks come in the wake of violent protests by the Patel community in Gujarat who are demanding a share in the OBC reservation pie.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat calls for revision of reservations
Amid the continuing Patel quota stir in Gujarat, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has pitched for a review of the reservation policy, contending it has been used for political ends and suggesting setting up of an apolitical committee to examine who needs the facility and for how long.
He said though "interest groups" do get formed in democracy, aspirations of one section should not be met at the cost of others.
READ ALSO: Gujarat HC upholds mobile internet curfew imposed during Patel stir
He said though "interest groups" do get formed in democracy, aspirations of one section should not be met at the cost of others.
READ ALSO: Gujarat HC upholds mobile internet curfew imposed during Patel stir
"Interest groups are formed because we have certain aspirations in democracy. At the same time, we should remember that through interest groups we should not strive to address those aspirations at the cost of others.
"We should have integral approach of welfare for all. It is sensible to realize that my interest lies in larger national interest. Government also has to be sensitive to these issues that there should not be any agitation for them," Bhagwat told Sangh mouthpiece 'Organiser' and 'Panchjanya' in an interview.
He pitched for constitution of a committee with representatives from the civil society to go into the issue.
READ ALSO: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat gets 'Z+' VVIP security cover (File)
"We believe, form a committee of people genuinely concerned for the interest of the whole nation and committed for social equality, including some representatives from the society, they should decide which categories require reservation and for how long.
"The non-political committee like autonomous commissions should be the implementation authority; political authorities should supervise them for honesty and integrity," he said.
Arguing that the policy of reservations based on social backwardness being extended now is not in line with what the makers of the Indian Constitution had in mind, Bhagwat said had quotas been implemented as per the vision of the Constitution makers questions on the issue would not have surfaced.
READ ALSO: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat calls for unity among Hindus
"If we would have implemented this policy as envisaged by the Constitution makers instead of doing politics over it, then present situation would not have arrived. Since inception it has been politicised," he said.
Bhagwat's remarks come in the wake of violent protests by the Patel community in Gujarat who are demanding a share in the OBC reservation pie.
"We should have integral approach of welfare for all. It is sensible to realize that my interest lies in larger national interest. Government also has to be sensitive to these issues that there should not be any agitation for them," Bhagwat told Sangh mouthpiece 'Organiser' and 'Panchjanya' in an interview.
He pitched for constitution of a committee with representatives from the civil society to go into the issue.
READ ALSO: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat gets 'Z+' VVIP security cover (File)
"We believe, form a committee of people genuinely concerned for the interest of the whole nation and committed for social equality, including some representatives from the society, they should decide which categories require reservation and for how long.
"The non-political committee like autonomous commissions should be the implementation authority; political authorities should supervise them for honesty and integrity," he said.
Arguing that the policy of reservations based on social backwardness being extended now is not in line with what the makers of the Indian Constitution had in mind, Bhagwat said had quotas been implemented as per the vision of the Constitution makers questions on the issue would not have surfaced.
READ ALSO: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat calls for unity among Hindus
"If we would have implemented this policy as envisaged by the Constitution makers instead of doing politics over it, then present situation would not have arrived. Since inception it has been politicised," he said.
Bhagwat's remarks come in the wake of violent protests by the Patel community in Gujarat who are demanding a share in the OBC reservation pie.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Backwardpeople
'OBCs outscore general merit student
BANGALORE: The great OBC myth has been busted. The biggest concern of
the anti-reservation activists that introduction of castebased
reservations in higher education institutes would deteriorate the
quality of education has been debunked.
The final report of the Oversight Committee headed by M Veerappa Moily
to be submitted to PM Manmohan Singh will be backed by strong case
studies from southern states, including Karnataka, to establish how
OBC students have been consistently outscoring general category and
SC/ST students.
Sample this study on the performance of OBC students in Karnataka's
engineering colleges. The study pertained to the admission and
performance of four batches of students in Visvesvaraya Technological
University between 1998-2002 and 2001-2005.
While OBC students have a pass percentage of 93.01 to 97.4, general
merit students recorded just 66.09 to 94.77 from the 1998-2000 batch
to 2001-2005 batch.
The percentage of first class with distinction among OBC students was
between 37.7 and 42.38,while among SC/ST students it was between 9.32
and 11.90 in the same period.
An exclusive study by Bangalore University former vice-chancellor N R
Shetty at the behest of the Oversight Committee has concluded that
there has been no reduction or loss of performance due to introduction
of OBC candidates.
The study has only proved that given a chance, the so-called Backward
Classes can also perform. "In fact, OBC students have done better than
general category and SC/ST students. With the increasing
representation for the backward classes their performance may be
expected to improve," Shetty told The Times of India.
The study shows engineering colleges have been able to fill up the OBC
quota more easily than the SC/ST category. Against 32% reservation for
OBC students in Karnataka, the enrolment has been in the range of
21.17% to 29.69%, while intake of SC/ST students has been a paltry
5.35% to 6.66% against the recommended 18%.
"We don't want to stop just with engineering students. Shortly we will
study the performance of OBC students in medical and dental courses as
well. The aspect of excellence in terms of ranks in the Common
Entrance Test obtained by the OBC students will be explored," Shetty
added.
Moily committee has commissioned similar studies in Andhra Pradesh,
Tamil Nadu and Kerala, which have been implementing reservation
policies favouring OBCs.
BANGALORE: The great OBC myth has been busted. The biggest concern of
the anti-reservation activists that introduction of castebased
reservations in higher education institutes would deteriorate the
quality of education has been debunked.
The final report of the Oversight Committee headed by M Veerappa Moily
to be submitted to PM Manmohan Singh will be backed by strong case
studies from southern states, including Karnataka, to establish how
OBC students have been consistently outscoring general category and
SC/ST students.
Sample this study on the performance of OBC students in Karnataka's
engineering colleges. The study pertained to the admission and
performance of four batches of students in Visvesvaraya Technological
University between 1998-2002 and 2001-2005.
While OBC students have a pass percentage of 93.01 to 97.4, general
merit students recorded just 66.09 to 94.77 from the 1998-2000 batch
to 2001-2005 batch.
The percentage of first class with distinction among OBC students was
between 37.7 and 42.38,while among SC/ST students it was between 9.32
and 11.90 in the same period.
An exclusive study by Bangalore University former vice-chancellor N R
Shetty at the behest of the Oversight Committee has concluded that
there has been no reduction or loss of performance due to introduction
of OBC candidates.
The study has only proved that given a chance, the so-called Backward
Classes can also perform. "In fact, OBC students have done better than
general category and SC/ST students. With the increasing
representation for the backward classes their performance may be
expected to improve," Shetty told The Times of India.
The study shows engineering colleges have been able to fill up the OBC
quota more easily than the SC/ST category. Against 32% reservation for
OBC students in Karnataka, the enrolment has been in the range of
21.17% to 29.69%, while intake of SC/ST students has been a paltry
5.35% to 6.66% against the recommended 18%.
"We don't want to stop just with engineering students. Shortly we will
study the performance of OBC students in medical and dental courses as
well. The aspect of excellence in terms of ranks in the Common
Entrance Test obtained by the OBC students will be explored," Shetty
added.
Moily committee has commissioned similar studies in Andhra Pradesh,
Tamil Nadu and Kerala, which have been implementing reservation
policies favouring OBCs.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
No review of OBC reservation, says Moily panel member
NEW DELHI, SEPT 28: Fissures within the oversight committee on quota
appear to have cropped up with a senior panel member questioning
chairman Veerappa Moily's assertion that the committee had recommended
a periodic review of the quota policy.
Planning Commission member BL Mungekar, senior member of the quota
panel, on Thursday maintained that the panel had only recommended a
review of the implementation, not the policy itself.
Briefing newspersons after an eight-hour long final meeting of the
committee on Wednesday, Moily had said they have recommended the
government review the quota policy every five to ten years.
Correcting Moily's assertions, Mungekar on Thursday told FE the
committee had only recommended a yearly review of the implementation.
"Media reports that we recommended a review of the policy are
incorrect. We want the government to make sure that institutions
implement the quota as per directions," Mungekar said.
The panel, significantly, has decided not to make any mention of
creamy layer as demanded by some parties. Tamil parties such as DMK
and PMK were against including the creamy layer criterion in the quota
structure. The PMK had even issued a "fatwa" against Moily entering
Tamil Nadu, if he dissallowed rich OBCs from getting reservation
benefits.
"Creamy layer was never under the purview of our committee. The panel
unanimously decided not mention it. Reports that I objected are
wrong," Mungekar said.
Mungekar, refuting reports that he had questioned giving autonomy to
higher education institutions, said "We cannot avoid introducing
changes with respect to autonomy in the higher education sector. The
issue, however, should be first discussed and debated," Mungekar told
FE.
To buttress his argument, he said that during his term as vice
chancellor of Mumbai University he had granted autonomy to two premier
institutes. "I favour giving autonomy to these institutes," he said.
Mungekar added that there was a consensus that issues not part of the
committee's terms of reference should be avoided. "We did not suggest
a view on creamy layer and quota in private educational institutes."
appear to have cropped up with a senior panel member questioning
chairman Veerappa Moily's assertion that the committee had recommended
a periodic review of the quota policy.
Planning Commission member BL Mungekar, senior member of the quota
panel, on Thursday maintained that the panel had only recommended a
review of the implementation, not the policy itself.
Briefing newspersons after an eight-hour long final meeting of the
committee on Wednesday, Moily had said they have recommended the
government review the quota policy every five to ten years.
Correcting Moily's assertions, Mungekar on Thursday told FE the
committee had only recommended a yearly review of the implementation.
"Media reports that we recommended a review of the policy are
incorrect. We want the government to make sure that institutions
implement the quota as per directions," Mungekar said.
The panel, significantly, has decided not to make any mention of
creamy layer as demanded by some parties. Tamil parties such as DMK
and PMK were against including the creamy layer criterion in the quota
structure. The PMK had even issued a "fatwa" against Moily entering
Tamil Nadu, if he dissallowed rich OBCs from getting reservation
benefits.
"Creamy layer was never under the purview of our committee. The panel
unanimously decided not mention it. Reports that I objected are
wrong," Mungekar said.
Mungekar, refuting reports that he had questioned giving autonomy to
higher education institutions, said "We cannot avoid introducing
changes with respect to autonomy in the higher education sector. The
issue, however, should be first discussed and debated," Mungekar told
FE.
To buttress his argument, he said that during his term as vice
chancellor of Mumbai University he had granted autonomy to two premier
institutes. "I favour giving autonomy to these institutes," he said.
Mungekar added that there was a consensus that issues not part of the
committee's terms of reference should be avoided. "We did not suggest
a view on creamy layer and quota in private educational institutes."
Saturday, September 09, 2006
37 killed as 3 blasts rock Malegaon
A crime against humanity, the terrorists have killed innocent people and this is shameful act.
CNN-IBN
GRIM TASK: An elderly man searches for the body of his relative among the bodies of people killed.
New Delhi/ Mumbai/ Nashik: At least 37 people were killed and 56 were seriously injured when three bombs concealed on cycles went off near a mosque in Maharashtra’s Malegaon town when people were coming out after Friday afternoon prayers.
The blasts occurred near the Hamidia Mosque in the Bada Kabristan area of the communally sensitive town just after Friday prayers.
Thousands of people were out on the streets on Friday for Shab-e-Barat, a festival during which people offer prayers to dead relatives.
The first blast occurred at 1345 hours IST and two more explosions follow in two minutes. Police suspect a timer device could have been used to trigger off the explosions.
A curfew was imposed in the textile town after the blasts.
Maharashtra Police sounded a statewide alert and had mobile networks jammed in the town to prevent rumours.
"The situation in Malegaon is tense but under control," said Maharashtra Director General of Police P S Pasricha. ''The motive appears to be to create panic and make people fight with each other,” he said.
CNN-IBN
GRIM TASK: An elderly man searches for the body of his relative among the bodies of people killed.
New Delhi/ Mumbai/ Nashik: At least 37 people were killed and 56 were seriously injured when three bombs concealed on cycles went off near a mosque in Maharashtra’s Malegaon town when people were coming out after Friday afternoon prayers.
The blasts occurred near the Hamidia Mosque in the Bada Kabristan area of the communally sensitive town just after Friday prayers.
Thousands of people were out on the streets on Friday for Shab-e-Barat, a festival during which people offer prayers to dead relatives.
The first blast occurred at 1345 hours IST and two more explosions follow in two minutes. Police suspect a timer device could have been used to trigger off the explosions.
A curfew was imposed in the textile town after the blasts.
Maharashtra Police sounded a statewide alert and had mobile networks jammed in the town to prevent rumours.
"The situation in Malegaon is tense but under control," said Maharashtra Director General of Police P S Pasricha. ''The motive appears to be to create panic and make people fight with each other,” he said.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Reservation buttresses social justice: Expert
MADURAI: Reservation is not an isolated issue and it should been seen
against the backdrop of the larger plan of imparting social justice,
said P S Krishnan, former member secretary of National Backward
Classes Commission and National SC/ST Commission. He was delivering
the inaugural address at a seminar on reservation organised by the
Doctors' Forum for the People here, on Sunday.
"Reservation is only one of the means to attain social justice. So the
question, 'what has Tamil Nadu achieved from its reservation policy?'
does not hold water," he asserted. Elaborating on the need to continue
with reservation policy, Krishnan said, though social inequality is
prevailing in many countries across the world, India's case attracts
special mention because of caste-based segregation pursued in the
nation.
The oppressed people, he said, are also there among the upper castes,
but their number is comparatively very small. Reeling out statistics,
he pointed out that the reservation is a much needed measure in the
state while taking the national average on several criteria including
agricultural labourers in rural area and casual labourers in urban
area.
He also insisted for reservation in private sector as many of the new
employment opportunities are emerging there and not in the public
sector as was the case earlier. He also suggested that the term
'creamy layer' is deceptive and the better alternative is 'socially
advanced persons/section'.
Speaking on the occasion, CMD of Tamilnadu Urban Finance and
Infrastructure Development Corporation, Christhudoss Gandhi, said that
though Tamil Nadu is the forerunner in the reservation issue, there
are around 300 schools in the state that have no single SC/ST student
in their roll.
"Chennai alone has 150 such schools and if this is the situation in
Tamil Nadu, what would be the situation in other states," he wondered.
CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Varadharajan asserted that reservation
issue should not be viewed on caste basis and urged the oppressed
classes including SC, ST and OBC to lead a combined fight.
The seminar dealt with several topics related to reservation including
'Women and Reservation', 'Dravidian Movement and Reservation', 'Law
and Reservation' and 'Cultural Aspects to Reservation'.
The seminar was attended by ex-MLC and former principal of Mannar
Thirumalai Naickar College B Parthasarathy, general secretary of
Periyar Dravida Kazhagam Viduthalai Rajendran and head of the
Sociology department at MKU L Dharabhai.
against the backdrop of the larger plan of imparting social justice,
said P S Krishnan, former member secretary of National Backward
Classes Commission and National SC/ST Commission. He was delivering
the inaugural address at a seminar on reservation organised by the
Doctors' Forum for the People here, on Sunday.
"Reservation is only one of the means to attain social justice. So the
question, 'what has Tamil Nadu achieved from its reservation policy?'
does not hold water," he asserted. Elaborating on the need to continue
with reservation policy, Krishnan said, though social inequality is
prevailing in many countries across the world, India's case attracts
special mention because of caste-based segregation pursued in the
nation.
The oppressed people, he said, are also there among the upper castes,
but their number is comparatively very small. Reeling out statistics,
he pointed out that the reservation is a much needed measure in the
state while taking the national average on several criteria including
agricultural labourers in rural area and casual labourers in urban
area.
He also insisted for reservation in private sector as many of the new
employment opportunities are emerging there and not in the public
sector as was the case earlier. He also suggested that the term
'creamy layer' is deceptive and the better alternative is 'socially
advanced persons/section'.
Speaking on the occasion, CMD of Tamilnadu Urban Finance and
Infrastructure Development Corporation, Christhudoss Gandhi, said that
though Tamil Nadu is the forerunner in the reservation issue, there
are around 300 schools in the state that have no single SC/ST student
in their roll.
"Chennai alone has 150 such schools and if this is the situation in
Tamil Nadu, what would be the situation in other states," he wondered.
CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Varadharajan asserted that reservation
issue should not be viewed on caste basis and urged the oppressed
classes including SC, ST and OBC to lead a combined fight.
The seminar dealt with several topics related to reservation including
'Women and Reservation', 'Dravidian Movement and Reservation', 'Law
and Reservation' and 'Cultural Aspects to Reservation'.
The seminar was attended by ex-MLC and former principal of Mannar
Thirumalai Naickar College B Parthasarathy, general secretary of
Periyar Dravida Kazhagam Viduthalai Rajendran and head of the
Sociology department at MKU L Dharabhai.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Making right an obligation
Making right an obligation
SANJAY PULIPAKA
Given an appropriate space, every student has a distinct possibility
of becoming a `meritorious student'
IN THE recent past, the Centre's decision to implement reservation for
Other Backward Castes (OBCs) in various institutes of `excellence'
prompted many to reflect on the necessity of having reservation to
address the problems associated with caste discrimination. Some
scholars have pointed out that reservation has become the only
paradigm of social justice in India. And they have argued that such
one-dimensional approach to social justice might in the long run
hamper the cause of social justice.
However, the question we need to ask is how come one-dimensional
approach dominates the discourse on social justice in India? Is the
political class solely responsible for this? If the politicians are
able to determine and define the discourse on social justice for their
partisan political ends, it is precisely because the space was vacated
by other segments of society. The failure in implementing multiple
approaches to ensure social equality was largely a consequence of
indifference displayed by the privileged towards the prevailing
inequalities and discrimination in society. Let me illustrate this
with an example.
Support centre
Currently, I am studying at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding,
Eastern Mennonite University, in the U.S. Many students with diverse
backgrounds come to the university to pursue their degrees. Given
their diverse backgrounds there is disparity in the communication
skills of the students. Instead of indulging in deprecatory statements
about the alleged low standards of in-coming students, the university
runs an academic support centre where the students are provided with
various services such as proof-reading and editing of their
term-papers.
Students visiting the academic support centre tend to build healthy
relationships with the professionals providing such services, and over
a span of time their communication skills tend to register a
remarkable improvement. All the students have access to employment
counsellors who help them in drafting their resumes apart from
providing employment counselling.
Persistent efforts are made to make the classroom space democratic.
The faculty and the students sit in a circle in the classroom to
negate the notion of hierarchy. Acknowledging the fact that there are
multiple levels of intelligence, students are given the option to
submit their assignments by using various methods such as role-plays
and other audio-visual mediums. All these measures are based on the
premise that given an appropriate space every student has a distinct
possibility of becoming a `meritorious student.'
This prompts me to raise a few important questions. How many
universities in India can claim that they are running academic support
centres that foster `excellence' among all students? How many
universities have made sincere efforts to make their classroom space
more democratic? Does all this require constitutional amendments by
Parliament? Can't a group of professionals committed to "fostering
merit" ensure that such changes are ushered in?
Language improvement sessions, employment counselling, and diverse
evaluation procedures might appear mundane for some. But such small
measures go a long way in building camaraderie among the members of
the campus community. And more importantly such an approach recognises
that merit is a consequence of interplay of social factors and has
many forms.
Greater malaise
The absence of such mechanisms in many Indian universities is
symptomatic of a greater malaise afflicting Indian society — a
persistent reluctance to think innovatively to address the problems
associated with social inequality and discrimination. There is very
little desire to foster merit in our institutions. The word `merit' is
thrown around flippantly only when there is a move to ensure
legitimate representation of disadvantaged sections.
I am not singing paeans of an American university. Rather, I am only
pointing out that there are various ways by which social equality can
be ensured and if there is yearning in society, even we can come up
with our own approaches/mechanisms for ensuring social equality. In
this context it is pertinent to note that many international
educational foundations in India, supported by big businesses from
outside, are making conscious efforts to ensure that the socially
disadvantaged are adequately represented in the fellowships they are
offering.
The anti-reservationists apart from their "nay-saying" do not have a
clearly defined agenda for a positive social change. Given the apathy
towards social inequality and discrimination, giving up reservation
would be the last thing to do. We should move away from this
"nay-saying" and explore the various measures that we need to take,
along with reservation, for ushering in social equality at a rapid
pace.
(The writer is a Fulbright Fellow in Conflict Transformation
Programme, Eastern Mennonite University. He can be reached at
pulipaka.sanjay@...)
SANJAY PULIPAKA
Given an appropriate space, every student has a distinct possibility
of becoming a `meritorious student'
IN THE recent past, the Centre's decision to implement reservation for
Other Backward Castes (OBCs) in various institutes of `excellence'
prompted many to reflect on the necessity of having reservation to
address the problems associated with caste discrimination. Some
scholars have pointed out that reservation has become the only
paradigm of social justice in India. And they have argued that such
one-dimensional approach to social justice might in the long run
hamper the cause of social justice.
However, the question we need to ask is how come one-dimensional
approach dominates the discourse on social justice in India? Is the
political class solely responsible for this? If the politicians are
able to determine and define the discourse on social justice for their
partisan political ends, it is precisely because the space was vacated
by other segments of society. The failure in implementing multiple
approaches to ensure social equality was largely a consequence of
indifference displayed by the privileged towards the prevailing
inequalities and discrimination in society. Let me illustrate this
with an example.
Support centre
Currently, I am studying at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding,
Eastern Mennonite University, in the U.S. Many students with diverse
backgrounds come to the university to pursue their degrees. Given
their diverse backgrounds there is disparity in the communication
skills of the students. Instead of indulging in deprecatory statements
about the alleged low standards of in-coming students, the university
runs an academic support centre where the students are provided with
various services such as proof-reading and editing of their
term-papers.
Students visiting the academic support centre tend to build healthy
relationships with the professionals providing such services, and over
a span of time their communication skills tend to register a
remarkable improvement. All the students have access to employment
counsellors who help them in drafting their resumes apart from
providing employment counselling.
Persistent efforts are made to make the classroom space democratic.
The faculty and the students sit in a circle in the classroom to
negate the notion of hierarchy. Acknowledging the fact that there are
multiple levels of intelligence, students are given the option to
submit their assignments by using various methods such as role-plays
and other audio-visual mediums. All these measures are based on the
premise that given an appropriate space every student has a distinct
possibility of becoming a `meritorious student.'
This prompts me to raise a few important questions. How many
universities in India can claim that they are running academic support
centres that foster `excellence' among all students? How many
universities have made sincere efforts to make their classroom space
more democratic? Does all this require constitutional amendments by
Parliament? Can't a group of professionals committed to "fostering
merit" ensure that such changes are ushered in?
Language improvement sessions, employment counselling, and diverse
evaluation procedures might appear mundane for some. But such small
measures go a long way in building camaraderie among the members of
the campus community. And more importantly such an approach recognises
that merit is a consequence of interplay of social factors and has
many forms.
Greater malaise
The absence of such mechanisms in many Indian universities is
symptomatic of a greater malaise afflicting Indian society — a
persistent reluctance to think innovatively to address the problems
associated with social inequality and discrimination. There is very
little desire to foster merit in our institutions. The word `merit' is
thrown around flippantly only when there is a move to ensure
legitimate representation of disadvantaged sections.
I am not singing paeans of an American university. Rather, I am only
pointing out that there are various ways by which social equality can
be ensured and if there is yearning in society, even we can come up
with our own approaches/mechanisms for ensuring social equality. In
this context it is pertinent to note that many international
educational foundations in India, supported by big businesses from
outside, are making conscious efforts to ensure that the socially
disadvantaged are adequately represented in the fellowships they are
offering.
The anti-reservationists apart from their "nay-saying" do not have a
clearly defined agenda for a positive social change. Given the apathy
towards social inequality and discrimination, giving up reservation
would be the last thing to do. We should move away from this
"nay-saying" and explore the various measures that we need to take,
along with reservation, for ushering in social equality at a rapid
pace.
(The writer is a Fulbright Fellow in Conflict Transformation
Programme, Eastern Mennonite University. He can be reached at
pulipaka.sanjay@...)
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