10% quota for general category poor: Much needed reform or mere election gimmick?

Soumayani Ghoshal
Even a month after the Lokk Sabha and Rajya Sabha cleared the bill to grant 10 per cent reservation in jobs and admissions to

general

category poor candidates, the debate around it still rages on. Infact, the Supreme Court is still hearing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the bill. On Friday, the apex court took cognisance of a fresh plea by Tehseen Poonawala to quash the bill, and directed the centre to respond. the student community in Hyderabad meanwhile, seems to be divided on this issue. While some opine that this bill will only deepen the caste-based divisions in society, others say that a reform like this shouldn’t be seen through the glass of caste politics. Hyderabad Times listens in…

‘THE 10% QUOTA WILL NOT BENEFIT THE POOR WHO ACTUALLY NEED IT’By setting the eligibility criteria to an annual income of less than `8 lakh for general category candidates to qualify for the quota, the government brought the majority of the working class in India within its purview, thus excluding the really poor who actually need this reservation. To me, this move just looks like a bait for votes ahead of the general elections; nothing more. — Maleeha Fatima, TISS

‘THIS QUOTA IS MAKING A MOCKERY OF THE CONSTITUTION’This 10 per cent quota for the ‘upper class’ is an election gimmick. What’s worse is that in a bid to garner votes, the current government is making a mockery of the Constitution and the Supreme Court, which have already set a cap of 50 per cent on all reservations in the country. The kind of debate this Bill is garnering on social media is also an indicator that it will impact votes in the upcoming polls. — Sachith Kapoor, Nalsar University of law

‘THERE IS NO PLACE FOR CASTE-BASED RESERVATION IN 21ST CENTURY INDIA’
Not reservation, but merit should be the sole criterion for an emerging India. Reservation system should be abolished because back in the day when it was implemented, the people who needed it —the SCs and STs — were truly oppressed and required help. But in 21st century, a lot has changed. We should do away with blanket reservations. — Arnav Sahu, Loyola Degree College

‘THIS BILL WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF EDUCATED YOUTH’
The 10 per cent quota bill is a good move as it will result in an increase in the number of educated youth in India and will also help them land government jobs. But it is a very well-timed move by the government to gain some brownie points amongst the majority of the population before the general elections. — Annika Pillai, St. Francis College for Women

‘INSTEAD OF THIS RESERVATION, THE GOVT COULD HAVE OFFERED TUITION FEE WAIVERS TO POOR STUDENTS’
The timing and speed with which this Bill was passed say a lot about the government’s political ambitions before the LS polls. If the government really had the intention of helping economically weaker sections, tuition fee waivers would have had a bigger impact. Also, in a state like Tamil Nadu which already has 69 per cent
reservations, this could create a lot more chaos. It will only hurt a lot more deserving candidates. — Shreya R, TISS

‘POLITICAL STUNT OR OTHERWISE, THIS QUOTA IS AN IMPORTANT REFORM’
This reservation will help a big section of students from the general category with minimal resources gain access to higher education and government jobs. whether a political gimmick or not, it is an important reform. — Alpana Reddy, BITS Pilani

‘EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES WILL HAVE A HARD TIME IMPLEMENTING THIS QUOTA AT SUCH SHORT NOTICE’
Whether this move is a political gimmick or not, one can’t ignore the fact that this will put a lot of pressure on educational institutions. Nobody is against a quota for the economically weaker section, but the timing of this move is questionable. — Jeevan, Loyola Degree College