Social Justice and Social Security

Social Issues

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Indian Economy - Understanding the basics of Indian economic system

Reservation : boon or bane?

India, being a developing Democracy, is currently undergoing many challenges and the Caste based Reservation System is one of them.
The biggest double edged paradox is whether the implementation of the Reservation System has really helped downtrodden.
The Current Scenario characterized by Patel or Patidars’ Agitation in Gujarat clearly depicts the conundrum of the term “Reservation” itself.
This implies that Indian Democracy has a serious problem of the demarcation of the yardsticks of Backwardness.

Defining Reservation:

Reservation in Indian law is quota based affirmative action governed by the constitutional laws, statutory laws and local rules and regulations.
ST, SC and OBCs are the primary beneficiaries of Reservation System under the constitution with the objective of addressing social discrimination, economic exploitation, political and educational backwardness.

Background of Reservation System in India:

•Caste System: Early caste based divisions such as Brahman, Kshatriyas, Vaishya and Shudra divided the people into privileged and deprived classes giving rise to discrimination and reservation.
Efforts of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule: Before independence there was constant demand to hold proportionate reservation for Backward Classes (BC) to avail free and compulsory education along with government jobs.
Ramsay McDonald’s Communal Award: In 1933, the Britain Prime Minister Ramsay Mc Donald announced “Communal Award” according to which Separate Electorate was given to the Muslims, Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo Indian, Europeans and Dalits.
Poona Pact: Gandhiji fasted to protest the divisive award. But Dr. BR Ambedkar supported the award for the cause of Dalits for a Separate Electorate. Eventually in 1932, they reached at a consensus called “Poona Pact” to have a Single Hindu Electorate with seats reserved for the Dalits.

First Backward Classes Commission 1955 or Kaka Kalelkar Commission:
It was established to determine socially and educationally backward classes. Its recommendations were such as treating all women as backward class, special economic measures for the upliftment of OBCs, 70% reservation of seats for backward classes in technical or professional courses.
Mandal Commission : The Mandal Commission ,established under the chairmanship of B.P Mandal in 1978 by the Moraraji Government, to identify socially and educationally backward classes to consider the questions of quotas and reservations to redress Caste discrimination. It adopted eleven indicators Social, Economic and Educational indicators to determine backwardness.

Constitutional Provisions:

Art 16 of the Indian Constitution provides for Equality of opportunity in respect of Employment or Appointment to any post under the State.
Art 15(4) of the Indian Constitution empowers the government to make Special Provisions for the advancement of Backward Classes.
Art 17 restricts the practice of Untouchability in any form.
Art 15(5): The 93rd Constitutional Amendment allows the government to make special provisions for SC and STs or backward classes for admissions into private schools, aided or unaided by the government.
Art 40 allows for one third reservation of seats in Panchayats for SC or STs.

Factors that agitates the agitation:

Lacuna in reservation policy of the government: The Present Reservation Policy of India, which was initiated for the upliftment of ST and SCs (for 10 years) has failed to assimilate the tribes or lowest caste within the mainstream economy and society.
Leakage in Opportunity and reservation: The reservation system has failed to engage the real beneficiaries within its ambit.
Caste based Reservation: In India, Caste based reservation has nothing to any conformity with the economic status or meritocracy.
Stagnated and exclusive (Not inclusive) economic growth: Due to insufficiency of economic growth, people are not inclusively included in the development process for which arises unemployment problems, inadequate educational facilities etc leading to youth unrest.
Agrarian crisis: Patels were the pioneer of white revolution in Gujarat. Now they re getting threatened due to crop failure, population pressure on small land holdings, low yields etc. Social and economic insecurity are the basic cause that drives the Patels to resort to agitation.

The government should come forward to adopt all the measures that incorporate all the backward classes on the basis of their economic background without hurting the interest of the general category.
As Reservation can’t be withdrawn completely in a developing nation like India where Neo liberalism and its challenges has its root in Indian society and economy.