Fight Against Reservation - A loosing Battle

There was an article in yesterday's Economic Times, titled "India Inc must rethink HRD" by Mr. T T Ram Mohan, a professor from IIM Ahmedabad. In the article, the author has supported the recent call by the Prime Minister, urging private companies to introduce quota based recruitment policy.

I did not agree with the author in any count, and hence wrote a mail to the editor opposing the views of the author. I don’t know whether the mail would be published in the newspaper, so I’m publishing the mail I wrote to the Economic Times editor here.

Sir,

This mail is in response to the article titled “India Inc must rethink HRD” by T T Ram Mohan in “The Big Picture” section of your newspaper dated 4th May 2006. The author had made a few points to support implementation of quotas in private companies; I would like to counter those points.

The author argues that since companies go to colleges other than IIT’s and NIT’s they are lowering their standards. How could the author forget that the companies have the same selection procedure for all the applicants; irrespective of which college they come from. The companies look for the aptitude and profile match of the candidates and the requirements. A quota system would pressurize companies to fill in the required quota, even if the candidate is a misfit.

The author also forgets the fact that the IIMs are planning to introduce a separate cut off marks for the backward community, thereby providing them with a double bonanza. Firstly you need to score less in your graduation; next you need not perform well in the CAT, but can still get into the IIMs. What about those students who perform well in their graduation and CAT, but still get left out?

Once you find your way into the IIMs, IIT’s and other institutions, I am sure that the backward community will have a sizeable representation in the private sector, since most of the private companies recruit from these colleges. On top of the relaxation in cut off for qualifications and reserving of seats in colleges, if you still advocate for reservations in private companies, I would like to believe that you are turning a blind eye towards people who are from the general community.

The author also says that development programs are not an alternative for the improving the condition of the backward community. There are a large number of primary schools in the country, who are facing a shortage of good teachers; hence the students lack proper primary education. Would the author be kind enough in explaining as to how a person, who cannot speak proper English, be able to bring diversity in a company which in turn would help the company to perform better as claimed? Hence, the decision to provide development programs rather than provide reservations is the best the private companies can do for the welfare of the downtrodden.

Its been more than 25 years since reservations for the backward community has been started, and if reservation was the only solution, our country would have progressed leaps and bounds by now. Its time our people understand that reservations are nothing but a political gimmick to gather votes and divide people. Our student community is absolutely right in opposing this unjust rule. I would like to reiterate what the students are asking for – “There should be only one yardstick to distinguish students for admission, and that is MERIT.”

Would the author support a movement to have a equal representation of the backward community in the Indian Air Force, so that our Airforce can come out with better war strategies against the enemy? We can think of relaxation of rules here also - they need to clear fewer hurdles to prove their fitness test, they need to fly lesser number of hours for promotion? I know it sounds sarcastic, but asking for reservations is in the same line as the example that I have given.

Regards,
Arun R.

It really pains me to read in the newspapers and listen in the TV as to how people whom I thought were stalwarts in politics were supporting such cheap tactics for gathering votes. Personalities like Manmohan Singh, P Chindambaram,our very own president Abdul Kalam and professors from IIMs like the author, have voiced their support towards the implementation of such a policy.

Even though our students have voiced a strong opinion against the quota policy, I feel we are fighting a loosing battle, since the number of people in power who are supporting the implementation of quotas are huge. Mere agitations and letters will not deter the politicians from carrying out their plans.

Is it possible to file a PIL against a resolution passed by the parliament? If its possible, then that might be a possible solution. If that also fails, then the only solution in hand would be to leave the country and settle down where your merit and ability would bring in rich dividents.