"The HRD Ministry in India, led by Minister Arjun Singh, is proposing to impose a 49.5% reservation for backward classes at IITs and IIMs. This is a significant increase from the current 22.5% reservation policy. Interestingly, but perhaps not coincidentally, this anouncement by the HRD Ministry comes just before elections are on in five states."
As if that 22.5% reservation was not enough already to deprive the talented lot of getting admission to the most prestigious institute. The brand name that IIT has gained over the past few decades is based on the exceptional quality of students the IIT system has produced and the work done by them in various fields of engineering and management. The toughest screening level of IIT-JEE allows only the cream-de-la-cream. Increase the reservation and that image will be gone in no time.
It looks like the basic purpose of introducing the reservation system after independence is lost with the illiterate and criminal-turned-politician leaders forcing caste-based selection procedure and depriving capable people of what they deserve. It is supposed to bring in the reserved castes into the main stream, not to create another yet category full of menacing ignorant engineers and doctors. I mean, how many of these politicians would actually go to a scheduled-caste doctor to cure his ailing knee or something?
US is better off that way. At least every child gets the basic education. The government should rather emphasis on the level of primary education in India. Have reservations there, reservations on admission, not performance. Once in, all that should matter is the performance based on identical level of competition.
