Not A Job For Quotas

Source– The post is based on the article “Not A Job For Quotas” published in “The Times of India” on 5th September 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Polity

Relevance- Issue of reservation

News– Recently, protests were held in Maharashtra over reservation demand for Maratha community.

What are the issues with the current system of reservation?

Governments are resorting to the use of reservations for politically influential groups. The strategy to build electoral alliances and address the challenging employment situation.

These short-term tactics often lead to long-term adverse consequences. Consider the situations in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. In these states, governments near the end of their terms made ill-conceived changes to existing reservation policies.

In Tamil Nadu, in 2021, the government introduced internal reservations for the Vanniyar community. However, this move was struck down by the Supreme Court because it lacked the necessary data-based justification.

In Karnataka, recent adjustments to reservations have also faced legal challenges. The Supreme Court expressed concerns about their validity.

The legal framework governing reservations has consistently stressed that caste should merely be an initial criterion for assessing backwardness. It must be complemented by data on other pertinent factors.

However, governments frequently overlook these aspects. Once such policies are adopted, future administrations invest substantial political capital in seeking compromises.

This strategy neither generates employment opportunities nor is free of associated costs.