India has proved it again. The Supreme court has approved 27 % additional quota for OBCs in all the premier institutions in India. The last vestiges of some intellectual fervor present in these institutions will all but vapourise. Institutes like IIMs, AIIMs, IITs are some of the last few places where an Indian could think of going by giving even the international institutes a miss. They are simply good because of the quality of students going there and the environment present. Where they lag far far behind other institutes is in infrastructure. One look at international campuses will show all the difference.
Now each one of them will have 27 % additional seats with almost the same infrastructure. One cannot imagine the overload on the already over strecthed infrastructure in these places. This is being done in the name of oppression and also in the name of humanitarian needs. It is all being done in the name of stinking bloody politics......Where you tell some one with 99 percentile to wait and admit some one else only on th basis of caste.
I am not against helping those who are oppressed. But, caste is not the way to do that. Recently while doing a project in rural gujarat, we realised that in about 42 villages of that area majority (80 %) were of general category. They had unimaginable hardships in life, no drinking water, no proper food and medical facilities. These people had 2 school rooms for over 400 kids being taught by just 2 teachers. Help them first, give them at least water to drink and yeah, give them a fast track full scholarship route to higher education. But admission is based only on the basis of merit.
What are we telling our future generations that it is provident enough to be born with a certain surname and it is alright not to be working hard...What do you tell some one from a middle class family who studies hard enough but only misses out on a life time of education ...Help some one like Kashmiri Pandits who have had a life on the run for a long time and have settlement pangs in a new world...Help out people who are landless laborers who do not figure out in any electoral lists but are in dire need of help..
No, but we shall eternally be grateful to caste politics. And people will even rush to take credit for such an action..
Where merit is cheap and politics sells
Posted by Dhaval Ponda
in Thursday, April 10, 2008
I am guessing you must have heard about HRD proposing (with immediate affect) quota for professors in IITs. You, like the rest of the young middle class, must have either burst in flames of anger, or like old middle class just shook you head in a manner. The quota people from low univs, lesser qualifications, and who would probably fall low on "merit" might have felt victorious once again. The caste wars still exist! But we are on the winning side this time. (They must have thought that)
We, belonging to the generation of born-privedged must devote atleast some of our energy/time to understand basic underlying assumptions when we discuss issues like caste/reservations/deprived classes. We are definitely qualified ("intellectually") to do that. Why not know what you are talking about before jumping to conclusions and just becoming a part of the masses n herds?
So, I ask you, what do you mean by merit? How is merit defined? Who defines merit? Who gives that person the right to define merit? How does merit defined by other groups, who doesn't have that right , is disqualified in stand of that merit which is defined by righteous person? Who defines the standards? Why is it important to stick to standards? what do we lose if we redefine our standards? What standards should be part of merit? And why? (All the answers should be in context of education and research)
Once this basic questions are answered, we can step to level two of reasoning and then we might reach a place where we can make our own comments on reservations and institutions.
I would be happy to discuss if you have will and time.
Disclaimer: Please don't take this as personal attack, I just use this opportunity to understand what you understand when you use the key word here - "merit".
PS: No where have I claimed to take any opinion about reservation or the issue your post talks about. I guess you must have realized that.
- anu
1. This is written about the quota increase at IIMs but i fear quota for professors is even worse
2. I am not defining merit, class or even eligibility of any individual. I am pointing out to a wrong action taken by government for political appeasement.
3. Class-differences do exist. However, help is needed ALL who are deprived economically, socially or physically! What is the crime of so called "open category" population living below poverty line! They need it as much as anyone from 'lower' class does.
4. Action is needed at grass-roots, aanganwaadis, village panchayats, self-help groups for inclusive growth. Such quotas are just a political vehicle to get popular votes and nothing else. Most people benefiting from them are very much well to do people from cities who have never been "discriminated"
5. Have you also considered plight of those 'open-category' students slaving day and night in economic plight and facing problems in admissions in even tier 2 colleges
I see that without having any idea about me or what i have experienced, you have assumed that i am making an un-informed opinion! You are welcome to have any opinion of me but it might just help to scratch beneath the surface.
In not taking an opinion or having a point of view , i see that it is you who are part of a herd. Questions such as that you ask are irrelevant because no one, you, me or anybody is entitled to decide merit, class or even eligibility of an individual. Each man is born equal and it is his right even if he is from "Open category"...
"Questions such as that you ask are irrelevant because no one, you, me or anybody is entitled to decide merit, class or even eligibility of an individual. Each man is born equal and it is his right even if he is from "Open category"..."
Well, if you think so, then this situation is very simple. Its like there are 7 kids and one toy, and mother chooses the kids she likes and gives her the toy. The rest of the kids cry out loud. You are just one of the whining babies when you cry about reservations.
You are right. You are not a part of the herd.
About aganwadis and other affirmative action you talk about, I feel too lazy to comment about. Vaise bhi, what I might say, could be too conventional to make much sense. One needs to travel mentally rather than physically to "see" for themselves.
Regards. anu