Considering that merit is a primary criteria cited by anti-reservationists, Annie launches a scathing attack on the standard and criteria of merit in the Indian education system.
I am astounded by the fact that some of the most intelligent people in blogosphere can continue to argue on the basis of ‘merit’ when they probably know how completely non-relevant it is, given that our means and methods of judging merit are… stupid.
Confused, speaking for the other side fisks Annie’s post systematically albeit in a little mocking tone and addresses the key fallacies in her argument.
Are you seriously arguing that in our universities there is absolutely no distinction between toppers and failures and it all is a matter of chance or depends on the side of bed the evaluator has woken up on?
Sadly, Abi’s more reasoned post on merit and reservations didn’t receive much attention. also, Atanu rightly points out that it is the education system that is flawed and reservations do not address the intended goal of “uplifting the backward classes.” But who will argue with votebank politics? Free television aur Rs.2 rice ka zamaana hai, bhai!
Comments
2 comments. Leave your comment »
n.ramu
May 20th, 2006 at 1:18 pm | #
I think some people are confused by raising questions like ‘what is merit’ ‘whether we are going by real merit’ etc.
These questions are just to sidetrack, deliberately or otherwise, the real issue.
The point is that there is a set of criteria today for gaining entrance to a course. Whether you call it ‘merit’ or anything else is irrelevant. Perhaps, ‘merit’ is a misnomer. But so what?
The objection is that by whatever name you call these criteria which are there, there is a proposal that a set of students e.g. belonging to OBC, will not be subject to the same set of criteria. THAT is the ral objection. It has nothing to do with how you define ‘merit’ and your own personal opinion of what ‘merit’ should mean.
What the protestors are rightly saying is that the criteria for selection should be the same for everyone. Just because someone is from OBC does not justify him bypassing the criteria when, for example, a non-OBC from a similar background would have to face those very same selection criteria.
So let’s not get carried away by one’s personal lofty ideas of definition of ‘merit’ or ‘quality’. Just talk of the substance, please.
Alok Sharma
May 21st, 2006 at 1:33 pm | #
I strongly believe that the time has come to review the existing system of caste based reservation policy in India. The Congress government is just thinking about her votes. The political leaders in the Congress are not at all worried about the growth of the country. This government will try hard to break the strike of medicos. In my opinion everybody must join these medico friends. It is now or never. If we relent now, this government is certainly going to push the idea of reservation in the private sector. If that happens, that will be the greatest disaster for the booming economy of India. MNCs will start pulling out money from India and money and jobs will go to some other third world country.
Rather than caste based, the reservation in India should be based on the economic condition of the people. Give scholarships to the students from the weaker sections. Provide them free nutritious food and medical support. This way only the deserving students will come up and that will be fair. In today system of reservation only the children and grand children of those who received life long advantage of reservation, are reaping benefits. This is not fair.
Alok