- Time and again taking recourse to quotas in the field of education and employment has been the bane bogging the country big-time in the last few decades. The country stands divided on caste lines with more clamoring to be included in the quota quagmire defeats the very purpose of encouraging merit-based society progressing on all fronts. Any number of regional political parties that could gain traction and foothold in the country’s diverse landscape speaks volumes about how deep-entrenched the quote system has taken roots. The very survival of political parties is largely based on quotas is not a healthy sign at all for a country aspiring to break into the globally recognized entities. Unfortunately, our political class perceives otherwise.
PC: RBC
- No less than the Prime Minister prodding the authorities to consider on priority has resulted in the recently announced All-India quota for medical admissions receiving 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) and 10% for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) candidates, respectively. This latest announcement has resulted in a proportionate increase in overall seats continuing the trend of entrenching reservations. Amid the pandemic-induced economic damages as well as the Pegasus spyware controversy hogging the news headlines, the ruling dispensation at the Centre would claim bragging rights, just like the Congress did in 2006 when the latter initiated OBC reservations in central educational institutions.
- Of course, citizens categorized as a general category including upper castes, not covered under the OBC, SC, STs, and other minority community quotas, were demanding their share of the pie to extend suitable quotas for economically weaker sections. This demand too was fulfilled with the BJP led NDA clearing the decks by extending 10% reservations previously. Now, the BJP has theoretically placated most social groups. Make no mistake, the politics of quotas is such an attractive proposition for the leaders that no one will dare ask even basic questions about the practicality and feasibility to persist. Damn the merits even in the present scenario of technology-driven developments. Continuing to take umbrage under one or the other form of quotas is beyond comprehension.
PC: IST
- The moot point to ponder over here is how soon will an increase in medical seats to accommodate new quotas happen and what will be the quality of education after that increase? All of us are aware of how the pandemic brutally exposed glaring shortcomings in medical education thereby restricting the output of thoroughly trained doctors. Years of negligence and compromise on the merit-based system have severely undermined the medical education field. How will placing more stress on this system produce a better outcome? The scientific and medical community should have been coopted to elicit honest answers. Alas! It was not to be.
- Rather than devote energy and resources in ensuring more quality medical institutions are accorded due importance to increase the supply of quality medical professionals, increasing quotas in the all-important medical education field will prove to be counterproductive in the coming days. Honest introspection should be the guiding light for our netas who appear to be bereft of progressive ideas. Aiming at achieving short-term parochial objectives rather than strategizing inspired policies acting as guiding principles will undermine the aspirational tendencies of the country. Who will bell the cat? You know the answer.
