The Wikipedia definition of Affirmative Action is really quite simple
In India the practice of reservations (the Indian equivalent of affirmative action) in Government schools , colleges and jobs has been mired in controversy and bitterness for decades. The recent move to introduce reservations based on economic status in addition to caste based reservation has created a new dimension. In some ways this goes against the spirit of the original plan for the uplift of people who had suffered discrimination due to the caste system for centuries. On the other hand, it acknowledges the reality of poverty even amongst the upper castes.
In the early '70's when I was a student at IIT Kanpur, the institute started taking in a few scheduled caste candidates. These students had a severe handicap partly because the medium of instruction was English. They had to take remedial classes for a long time before they could comprehend what was going on in the classroom. In addition, since entry standards were relaxed for them their ability to cope with the curriculum was very poor. The IITs also suffered on account of a drop in brand image and perception as top quality institutions. In all respects, the idea of opening up premier institutes of learning to such practices hurts both the students that it tries to help as well as the institutes themselves.
In my view the practice of reservation as carried out in India since independence is a lazy government's easy way out.
If we are serious about creating a level playing field the starting point is to ensure that high quality school education is made available universally. After that, individual merit will take a young person to the best colleges where scholarships and tuition waivers can be made available to needy students. Thereafter jobs will need no reservations as all applicants will be evaluated on merit alone. Let us examine how we have performed as a nation in the critical area of school education.
India is a young country.
34% of the population is of school going age. This corresponds to over 400 Mn children (Census of India) who should have access to high quality education. This includes about 288 Mn upto class 10 and the balance upto Class 12.
To service these huge numbers, India has an estimated 14,65,000 schools:
As can be seen from the above table, the vast majority (76%) are Government run though they account for only 60% of the enrollment. Government run schools are therefore smaller than their private counterparts.
(in the context of the allocation of resources or employment) the practice or policy of favouring individuals belonging to groups known to have been discriminated against previously; positive discrimination.
In India the practice of reservations (the Indian equivalent of affirmative action) in Government schools , colleges and jobs has been mired in controversy and bitterness for decades. The recent move to introduce reservations based on economic status in addition to caste based reservation has created a new dimension. In some ways this goes against the spirit of the original plan for the uplift of people who had suffered discrimination due to the caste system for centuries. On the other hand, it acknowledges the reality of poverty even amongst the upper castes.
In the early '70's when I was a student at IIT Kanpur, the institute started taking in a few scheduled caste candidates. These students had a severe handicap partly because the medium of instruction was English. They had to take remedial classes for a long time before they could comprehend what was going on in the classroom. In addition, since entry standards were relaxed for them their ability to cope with the curriculum was very poor. The IITs also suffered on account of a drop in brand image and perception as top quality institutions. In all respects, the idea of opening up premier institutes of learning to such practices hurts both the students that it tries to help as well as the institutes themselves.
In my view the practice of reservation as carried out in India since independence is a lazy government's easy way out.
If we are serious about creating a level playing field the starting point is to ensure that high quality school education is made available universally. After that, individual merit will take a young person to the best colleges where scholarships and tuition waivers can be made available to needy students. Thereafter jobs will need no reservations as all applicants will be evaluated on merit alone. Let us examine how we have performed as a nation in the critical area of school education.
India is a young country.
To service these huge numbers, India has an estimated 14,65,000 schools:
| No of Schools in India (FICCI/E&Y Study) | |
| Government | 8,18,000 |
| Local body/muncipal | 3,09,000 |
| Private aided | 1,57,000 |
| Private unaided | 1,81,000 |
| Total | 14,65,000 |
As can be seen from the above table, the vast majority (76%) are Government run though they account for only 60% of the enrollment. Government run schools are therefore smaller than their private counterparts.
Clearly, the onus of school education in India lies squarely with the Government and this is where we have miserably failed as a nation. Anyone who has been to a Government school will know that infrastructure is pathetic, the curriculum and text books are outdated and full of errors and most importantly teachers are either absent or if they do come to school at all they spend the day in gossiping and drinking tea. As for the quality of teachers, the less said the better. In many ways the Government school system is a microcosm of the pathetic state of most Government run enterprises, be it the Railways, the healthcare system, the Public Sector, Air India or any of the myriad enterprises that the Government claims to run.
The tragedy is that while the rest of the shebang can carry on, poor school education saps the energy of the nation. Without it the country rests on a very weak foundation. In fact the much touted 'youth bulge' or 'demographic dividend' is fast becoming a liability rather than an asset.
What needs to be done? I have the following thoughts:
- We need to have a dynamic and dedicated Minister for School Education. A person like Atishi Marlena of the AAP has made a significant difference to Delhi schools. Similarly, if the country is to progress, we need a dedicated, relatively apolitical leader.
- In the '70s, the Government had handed over the distribution of Nirodh to 6 private companies. Hindustan Lever, ITC, Brooke Bond, Lipton, Tata Oil Mills and Union Carbide. The scheme was a huge success with vastly increased volumes of the contraceptive becoming available in the remotest areas of the country. Similarly, I would recommend that the responsibility for running Government schools should be handed over to the private sector with a clear division of geographical territory. Instead on 6 companies there should be many more with smaller, more focused areas of operation.
- CSR budgets of companies should be earmarked for school education in addition to government budgetary allocations that are already available.
- School education in Government schools should be entirely free and universally available to all citizens. Private schools will coexist but the objective would be to make parents actually prefer a Government school education for their children as is the case currently in many parts of the developed world.
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