The indian government's intention of introducing caste based quotas for the "other backward classes" in centrally funded institutions of higher learning and the prime minister's suggestion to the private sector to ‘voluntarily go in for reservation', has once again sparked off a debate on the merits and demerits of caste-based reservations. unfortunately, the predictable divide between the votaries of "social justice" on one hand and those advocating "merit" on the other seems to have once again camouflaged the real issues. it is necessary to take a holistic and non-partisan view of the issues involved. the hue and cry about "sacrificing merit" is untenable simply because merit is after all a social construct and it cannot be determined objectively in a historically unjust and unequal context. the idea of competitive merit will be worthy of serious attention only in a broadly egalitarian context. but then, caste is not the only obstacle in the way of an egalitarian order.
Answers
The constitution of India well defines the rights of a citizen. As all have equal right to vote in elections and every vote have a common value. Being a democratic country we all talk about treatment for all but unfortunately it is not true. Low castes are being deprived of many right they must be entitled to overcome the burden of emotional as well as economical distress.
Our more than 70% of population in our country still lives in villages and suffering with narrow minded thinking of overpowered high caste people. Caste based reservation was initiated to equate the lower castes with landlord high castes people. Even after more than 70 years of independence of our country Political parties are getting benefited after dividing them into castes during Elections. Major obstacle in egalitarianism are given below:
1. Un-touchability in lower castes
2. Fear among lower castes
3. Deprived for their rights forcefully.
4. Illiteracy
5. Divide and rule strategy of higher castes.
Caste is taken to be the primary obstacle against social order because it has been the grounds of exploitation for centuries in the social context of India.
Thus caste-based reservations have complete validity in theory even if there might arise loopholes while putting them to practice.
In contemporary times, surely caste is not the only impeded to creation of an egalitarian order and the government should also keep in mind the order factors, primarily poverty while making policies about reservations in educational institutions.