Affirmative action without reservation

 We need to evolve a system that benefits the disadvantaged classes without killing their motivation, saThe introduction of reservations for economically backward persons in Rajasthan by chief minister Gehlot has once again raised the issue of fairness and reservation.

 This is an attempt to please the upper caste Hindus who feel reservations for persons from scheduled castes (SCs), scheduled tribes (STs) and other backward castes (OBCs) are unfair to them.

 A similar feeling of reverse discrimination is also felt in the US by the white majority about affirmative action that gives preference to Blacks. However, the US Supreme Court has ruled last month that affirmative action by the University of Michigan where race is used as a criterion is not unconstitutional.

 By and large at the time of Independence, we had a consensus in the country that we need to take special measures to help persons from SCs and STs overcome the disadvantages arising from centuries of discrimination they had faced.

 The reservations for jobs and admissions were provided in the constitution for a limited period of 15 years. Not only have the reservations continued till today, reservations have been expanded to include OBCs and now to poor caste Hindus.

 Admissions and job reservation for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes have benefited the SCs and STs. However, there is a feeling that the benefits have been mainly cornered by the so-called creamy layer of people who have already benefited from reservations in the past and whose children cannot be considered as deprived.

 As the proportion of reserved seats and jobs has expended, much resentment against reservation has built up. This is aggravated by the creamy layer syndrome. When you lose a medical seat to someone from a SC with barely qualifying marks whose parents are IAS officers and who has had a privileged upbringing, a deep sense of injustice is created.

 On the other hand as Babu Jagjivan Ram who belonged to a SC and who was a minister in the central government for more than 30 years observed, even creamy layer suffers discrimination. No matter that his son is a minister