The Reservation Debate

Aaryan Kelkar, FY BAMC

Just like every year, even this year I had my nail-biting moments while checking the results of my 12th boards. But then I realized, it’s not the results that make you anxious. It’s the process that follows later. The admission process, the entrance exams, their results; nothing lets you sleep calmly for at least a month after your results are out. But this year there was something else that made me think. Think about so many things at once. And it had caused mayhem in my brain. And that thought was, ‘reservation’.

Well, I wouldn’t say I’m the only one who thinks about this topic. There must be lakhs of people who present their views on this topic. And that’s exactly what makes it even more chaotic. So many opinions, and so many mindsets. Amidst this drama, people actually forget that reservation was started for a reason, they forget the roots of this decision. Back in the day, when India was a newly democratic country, there were people who didn’t even know the English language. There were people who didn’t even know what our country was called. And in this, our leaders had to protect and educate those people, for, they constituted a large section of our population. Some so-called “upper castes” were rigid back then. They had denied the right to education to these people for many ages. And only some governmental decision could have changed this. Hence, in the year 1990, our Prime Minister VP Singh introduced the concept of reservation in universities and educational societies.

Now, this was the history of reservation. Which, as I have mentioned before, people have forgotten amidst the debate that revolves around the topic. But the question that arises now is, is reservation still needed in our country? Is still relatable even after 75 years of our independence? Is it actually benefiting people or people are just taking undue advantage of this decision? All of these questions are exactly what the ‘debate’ is. And none of them can actually be answered in full justice.

This year, when my 12th admission process was about to start, a very dear friend of mine called me. His voice was trembling. I questioned him if he was all right. The answer that e gave shook me to my core. He had opted for the science field in 12th grade. And he was one the brightest student of his batch. He secured 96% in his state board examination! But still, he couldn’t get admission to his desired college due to some reasons. But that was not the reason he was grieving. Another boy, from the same batch, had secured 67% in his exams and had actually received admission to the same college my friend was trying for!! Shocking right? Just because that boy was from a lower caste, he had the advantage of getting admission to any college across the city. Looking at reality, he used to bully people, used to drive them into wrong habits and he was a total turmoil in his personality. Did he actually deserve admission to that top college in Pune city? We all have a clear answer.

On the contrary, this year, John Joseph, who is the Rank 1 in JEE exams that are conducted all over the country, is an OBC. During an interview with the AAKASH institute of Pune, he admitted that in school he was taunted by his teachers and targeted by them as he belonged to a lower caste. And that exactly became a driving force for him during his JEE exams. To prove all of them wrong and show that he was worthy. If we compare this case with the previous one, we fall in the middle of nowhere. We are unable to decide what is right and what is not! Is reservation actually a boon or is it a bane?

In the end, it comes down to the fact that India is a democratic country. If it is good, there has to be bad. If there are loopholes, they need to cover. And if they are not, some political bacteria will crawl in from those loopholes. Some decisions were absolutely necessary during those times. Now, after 75 years, they need to rethink. Those loopholes have to be covered.