Civil Services Mains 2020 Results: In or Out ? Way ahead, gratitude and Pain

Kapiushonsaid

I see most of the people vehemently opposing reservation but accepting the class difference as given. Why we don't see such voices raising so vehemently for say free higher education or for increasing the number of seats in best colleges or free healthcare and all?  People are pointing certain reserved individual flaunting his achievement as unfair while accepting the person who entered in a decent foreign university or made it in start up through parent's money. I see the later kind of people in much more abundance. Does that make every higher class person a culprit? Or is it wrong or unethical for them using their parents money?

Is it because the reservation is as people call it systemic fault and could be 'improved' through one amendment and the idea of class is acceptable because it is somehow more near to merit.

Finally is the whole idea of meritocracy fair? What do you guys think?

Duryodhansaid

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Fourtytwosaid

Kapiushonsaid

I see most of the people vehemently opposing reservation but accepting the class difference as given. Why we don't see such voices raising so vehemently for say free higher education or for increasing the number of seats in best colleges or free healthcare and all?  People are pointing certain reserved individual flaunting his achievement as unfair while accepting the person who entered in a decent foreign university or made it in start up through parent's money. I see the later kind of people in much more abundance. Does that make every higher class person a culprit? Or is it wrong or unethical for them using their parents money?

Is it because the reservation is as people call it systemic fault and could be 'improved' through one amendment and the idea of class is acceptable because it is somehow more near to merit.

Finally is the whole idea of meritocracy fair? What do you guys think?

To answer the question of whether meritocracy is fair or not, it is essential that we define merit first. What is merit? Is it the rank or marks we score in these competitive exams? Is it necessary that it should be based on quantifiable data?

Secondly, would a bureaucracy selected purely on the basis of this definition of merit result in a credible and efficient bureaucracy? An administration that would help us in achieving the lofty goals of an egalitarian and just society?

For the first question, I believe to confine merit to the restricted space of rank would be patently unfair. To quote Amartya Sen,"merit must not be limited to narrow and inflexible criteria such as one‘s rank in a standardised exam, but rather must flow from the actions a society seeks to reward, including the promotion of equality in society and diversity in public administration".

As to the second one, I believe that it would achieve neither a credible bureaucracy nor a just society. The purpose of reservation is not only to undo the past historic wrongs but also to ensure inclusion, diversity and most importantly, representation. All of which are essential in an equitable, just and fair society.

To conclude, a UR category candidate might score more marks, but does that also mean he/she "deserves" it more? I doubt that.

https://theprint.in/india/governance/less-than-1-of-obc-castes-corner-50-reservation-benefits-20-get-none-govt-panel-finds/458860/?amp 

Obc,SCs nd STs are also selected on the basis of merit. They compete with each other in their quota. So according to u ,that system is also unfair. 

Then what r the solutions, randomly selecting anyone or giving preference to those who r at the bottom of merit list. Imagine,in the sc merit list , candidate who score the least marks is given preference, would that be fare? How would the sc candidates who have scored more will feel?

Again, as someone summed it up correctly,fair mix of merit nd affirmative action is required nd that is being followed as well . 60% reservation affirmative action,open 40% for merit. But the success of system has to be judged not just by its intentions but also by its consequences. This is why, rationalization of reservation system is required.