Caste System, Education and Reservations - Discuss - Page 2

I was waiting for someone to raise this point before coming up with my defense of the system. :)

When you have a competitive exam or a system of admission based on marks scored - what is the first assumption that one makes?


It is that all those who are appearing for the exam have the same level of education, the same amount of information at hand - in short all candidates are at par. If we see all candidates having exactly the same kind of education, then it is safe to argue that out of these, those who are best suited for the seats should be given admission.

But is this the reality?

Those who've appeared for competitive exams can attest for the fact that on an average the preparation for these entrance exams starts from the 9th standard onwards, even though the students are going to appear for the exam only after the 12th. That is a full 4 years before they have to sit for the exam.

The preparations include coaching and extra studies for the subjects that one has to appear in. Mock tests and extensive training in tips and techniques on how to ace the exams. Analyses of the question paper patterns and again more coaching. In fact I've know students to go for coaching to get admission to coaching centers that prepare students for these exams.

This only in terms of extra help for the entrance exam. What about the basic education itself?

Most upper class students go to private schools. They have better facilities in school, recourse to extra reading, extra-curricular activities, sports etc. Most of them get an all round development in their schools. Parents who live in remote areas, send their children to live with relatives or put them in hostels so that the children get good quality education.

Do the students from the backward classes get the same facilities?

In terms of the quality and standard of education received and in terms of preparing for competitive exams - these students are at an obvious disadvantage.

In fact, in IIMs they've introduced courses to help the weaker students catch up with the rest of the class. It's been found that the students from these sections are at a definite disadvantage when it comes to spoken English, general knowledge, current affairs and such like.

I am against reservation in higher education. I don't think it does anything much to help the cause of the downtrodden. Rather than reserving seats for the backward people in Universities, the government should have made education compulsory and free for all children upto secondary level at least 60 years back (they passed the law only in 2009). The process would have been protracted and arduous...but it could have brought about fundamental changes...something that the reservation system has not been able to achieve.

The Chairman of First Backward Class Commission, Kaka Kalelkar, was stated when he presented his report on casteism that the reservations and other remedies recommended on the basis of caste would not be in the interest of society and country. According to him that the principle of caste should be eschewed altogether. Then alone, he said, would it be possible to help the extremely poor and deserving members of all the communities. He wrote and was also mentoned in the constitution of India:

122. Towards the end of our enquiry, we have come to the conclusion that caste, communal or denominational considerations need not be introduced in the educational policy. A progressive, modern welfare State, cannot afford to tolerate educational backwardness anywhere in the State. In most of the modern States more than 60 per cent of the scholars receive full educational aid. In India, it should be possible for the State to give educational aid to all the poor and deserving students in the country, irrespective of caste, sex or denomination. Whenever it is necessary to show preference it must be for women and for students of rural areas. The present preference for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes should be continued for some time, but the time has come when all the poor and deserving should, and could, be helped, so that no communal consideration need be introduced in the field of education.

Brilliant article , wish I could post the link but it was somethin I read in one of the law books that Dad have,Further the book mentoned followinf issues which I am paraphrasing according to memory.

Areas like DElhi, Bombay etc are not at par with say Bihar, Jharkhand etc, the demarcation or more economic than anythin else,
Further more the book ends up quoting and I absolutely agree with Nehru that I hate the term Backward classes -Why should we brand groups and classes as backward and forward……"

See, I feel education should be mandatory for every one, poor can be in any caste , religion , state etc, we must ensure that no individual is left without basic high school level education , rest I strongly support reservation for economically challeged classes of our society.

To the question that lower caste children might be denied entry in school or be treated badly, well than we need stricter laws and swift action by the authority.

@Chitrashi,

In your post the biggest issue that I can see is economic disparity, a poor can be both lower and upper caste, so y deny right to higher education to either, wont a reservation on economic grounds make more sense.

I , myself have given entrance exams all along, last being for IIM which , I modestly gloat for a sec, I cleared.
Now I have seen the business of these coachin institutes, you are right mostly the onus begins from 9th std and it involves huge amount of money , heck even the application forms cost a bomb, but its not like they are given free to any particular caste , all of us have to pay more or less the same amount. Again a purely economic issue.

Now the difference in level of education, see in our country there are so many boards, CBSE, ICSE etc there is no uniformity all across the country, many students purposefully take admission in a relatively easier state board by forging domicile to prepare more for entrances. Again an educational issue not caste based.

See, simple two step solution
Education for All, bring uniformity
Reservation and aid to economically deprived classes


@Chitrashi,
checked IIM classes, they are not caste based, its for anyone who is lacking in any particular section.

agree with you. i was always against the reservation system...when i couldnt get into the National law schools whereas the sc and sts with a lower rank than me got admission...i was damn frustrated...but when in a seminar about Caste system was held in my law school my mindset changed ...! i wont say i totally support this system coz it has many loopholes bt one thing is clear to me i m surely gonna do something to hepl the opressed cate once i m done with my law graduation.

Thereservations seperates people.Why cant there be an equal rights to all?

Is reservation actually making any impact at grassroot level ??
When I was in school...mandal commison was passed amid lot of protests...It promised to bring abt social change...
My dalit dMaid and garbage lady's kid would have got the opprotunity to study further.
After 20 years...their succeeding generations are still carrying on their old professions...serving other and collecting trash...whereas some of my classmates who where from rich families but belonged to OBC castes easily got seats in top colleges.
Most of the people who r benefitted from reservation are from well to do families who get equal opportunities and can afford high fees...
Govt has set a creamy layer cut off but is it being followed ?? they do not monitor how many poor dalits are actually getting benefit of this reservation.
there's a saying instead of giving alms to a begger teach him to earn his living
Instead of providing reservation govt should concentrate on providing educational oppurtunities to economically weaker sections...if they are good enough they'll be able to make it without reservation.