Political Reservation: Retrospect and Prospect

1. POLITICAL RESERVATION : RETROSPECT AND
PROSPECT
SPRING SEMESTER
2015-16
Submitted to: submitted
by:
MR. R.C. NAYAK SHREYA
SHARMA(131)

2. RESERVATION
Reservation in India is the process of facilitating a person in education,
scholarship, jobs, and in promotion who has category certificates.
Reservation is a form of quota-based affirmative action. Reservation is
governed by constitutional laws, statutory laws, and local rules and
regulations. Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other
Backward Classes (OBC), and in some states Backward Classes
among Muslims under a category called BC(M), are the primary
beneficiaries of the reservation policies under the Constitution – with
the object of ensuring a level playing field.

3. POLITICAL RESERVATION:
RETROSPECTChhatrapati Sahuji Maharaja ( maharaja of Kolhapur in Maharashtra)
introduced reservation in support of backward classes to wipe out poor
quality of their life by providing them opportunity in the state
government. He was the first king in India to implement Reservation
policy.
After India obtained Independence, Dr. B.R.Ambedkar was appointed
chairman of the drafting committee for Indian Constitution. The idea
was that a vast majority of the poor were from a very small caste group
and they needed a social net so that they can be accommodated into
society as full fledged members. It is important to note that this part of
reservation was for electoral rights first(to guarantee political
representation- Poona Act’35) and a education/job rights issue second.
In 1990 Mandal Commission recommendations were implemented by
Vishwanath Pratap Singh that a fixed quota of all jobs in the public
sector be reserved for the historically disadvantaged classes of the
society. It provoked nationwide public wrath in 1990.

4. MANDAL COMMISSION
The Mandal Commission was established in India in
1979 by the Janata Party government under Prime
Minister Morarji Desai with a mandate to “identify
the socially or educationally backward. It was
headed by Indian parliamentarian B.P. Mandal to
consider the question of seat reservations and
quotas for people to redress caste discrimination. In
1980, the commission’s report affirmed the
affirmative action practice under Indian law whereby
members of lower castes (known as OBC, SC, ST)
were given exclusive access to a certain portion of
government jobs and slots in public universities.
After a decade, V.P. Singh , the PM at that time,
implemented recommendations of this commission.

5. BENEFICIARY GROUPS OF
RESERVATION
CASTE : OBCs, SCs, STs
GENDER: Reservation for females
STATE OF DOMICILE: Reserved for Jammu & Kashmir migrants
MANAGEMENT QUOTA: Rich people can buy his/her seat
PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED
NON-RESIDENT INDIANS
SINGLE GIRL CHILD( in PUNJAB)
FAMILY OF FREEDOM FIGHTERS/ ARMY PERSONNEL etc.

6. Category as per Government of India Reservation Percentage as per Government of India
Scheduled Castes (SC) 15%
Scheduled Tribes (ST) 7.5%
Other Backward Classes (OBC) 27%
Total constitutional reservation percentage 49.5%
For the general class 50.5% seats are available and not reserved.
Present caste-based reservation system of Union Government

7. WHAT THE CONSTITUTION
SAYS?
India’s constitution guarantees ‘equal rights’—
Article 14 says that “ The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or
the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India”
Article 15 prohibits discrimination against any citizen on grounds of religion , race,
caste, sex, place of birth, etc.
Article 16 guarantees equality of opportunity in matters of public employment,etc.
Article 46 says “ The State shall promote with special care the education and
economic interests of the weaker sections of the people, and, in particular of the
scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes, and shall protect them from social injustice
and all forms of exploitation.”
India’s reservation system contradicts its own constitutions’s promise of “equal rights’

8. CONSEQUENCES
Admission of people who have lower aggregate percentage of marks both in
academics & competitive exams.
Several Unreserved or General category communities has started demanding
reservation for them (Gurjars in Rajasthan, Jats in Haryana, Patels in Gujarat
etc.)
India has lost its pace for the development due to the reservation system.
Reservation policy which was designed to be a temporary support has turned
out to be permanent crutches and is the biggest obstacle in achieving the
cherished goal of equality.
People strive to be declared as backward just to avail the benefits of the
reservation policies. Many people misuse it by creating false documents and
certificates.

9. SUGGESTIONS
Make education mandatory and free for all till age of 15
Propose reservation based on economic status
Provide opportunity to students to earn while they study
Government should announce long term plan to phase out regional
reservation.
Government should not discriminate with the rights of eligible
candidates
Politicians should stop using reservation system as a gimmick to
have a permanent vote bank.

10. THANKYOU