Is increasing the number of seats the solution to OBC Quota
Obc quota is the country's hot public issue today. According to me this quota is not at all an issue to be discussed. It is completely a senseless issue raised by the honorary minister for human resources Mr.Arjun Singh on behalf of the UPA government. Inspite of the advice of the National Knowledge Committee the government bore deaf ears toward them and dumb towards public.. Two members of that committee had already resigned because of the government's negligence toward their reports. The rise of this sensitive issue by the minister and their negligence towards committee pictures his pre meditated mind in order to bring popularity to Rahul Gandhi's succession to UPA throne and applauds from his co-members in the party especially Ms.Sonia Gandhi. But unfortunately he received the opposite from some of his party leaders. But actually when UPA government was against this issue it would have either Suspended Arjun Singh or taken back its words on quota. But none has been done. The whole India shook of this issue and lots and lots of processions took place where some processions supported it while some opposed. Finally the three member committee on quota decided to increase the number of seats without disturbing the general category. This was what had actually happened. Still, this issue has not calmed down. It is under discussions.
But how can increasing the seats be the solution to this issue? The government is trying to Escape from it's own faults. That is unfair on their part. Faults and minus points must always be accepted honestly and try to correct them. First of all India is suffering from quantity rather than quality. The National Knowledge Committee reports say that the already present vacancies in the educational institutions on the basis of the reservation could not be able to fill up. Then how can someone come and order to increase the seats. So it is good to the government to provide basic facilities and financial assistance to full extent to the present reserved communities and make them come to learn in the institutions. Inspite of not being able to do this how can they increase the seats for no reason. It is all done only for the sake political advantage keeping in view of the assembly elections in the five states.
Moreover what is the situation in the country's most prestigious institutions IIT'S and IIM'S etc… when they select their students by a high quality examination for admission into their institutions, how can someone come suddenly and say you have to reserve OBC quota and raise the number of seats. Today maintenance is not so easy for the educational institutions for both quality and quantiy. This quota issue done by government is like the saying "TO GET ONE THING WE HAVE TO SACRIFICE THE OTHER THING" in their actions turned out as "TO HAVE OBC QUOTA IIT'S ,IIM'S AND OTHERS …YOU ALL HAVE TO GIVE UP YOUR QUALITY". How is this justful? What happened to justice? Is it sleeping or covered by the veil of the government?
Suppose if the seats are increased then there would be a lot of difference between the students. When a general category student secures 80% and quota based student gets 50% and when both applied for admission into an institution then 80% candidate has to wait under waitlist, waste his time not applying for others believing that he would get entrance but at last may not get it. Whereas a 50% candidate may not have any worries because whether he learns or not he will have his seat for him. This situation will surely occur in future when seats are increased.India poses itself to the other countries that it is a secular country and looks one and all with equality. Then why this equality is missing the path and going through a wrong track.
Students are the builders of a nation. A good student may arise as a great doctor or a great engineer, an astronaut, a scientist or whatever may be. So keeping this in mind if ,I am to handle a situation like this I would first give orders to the education minister to re-write the entire educational system to reserve the seats according to the place of a community of people in this society with merit as the first preference .Whatever community a student belong to either forward or backward or minority etc …etc… his merit is given the preference. So in future I always does not want to hear any quotas. Less meritorious students also should be able to study in institutions where all facilities for their learning are provided. So the government must thrive to work hard towards this kind of attitude and play an important role to reduce illiteracy in India. It is not that one party is like this and the other like that .Any political party, (may be present UPA) will become favourite to the public and need not even bribe or do something else to get the votes. Once they reach the public hearts they will never be turned down.
* JAI HINDH *
- APARNA. K
