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India 360: Time for quota referendum?
Published on Fri, Mar 30, 2007 at 02:39, Updated on Tue, Jun 19, 2007 at 08:46 in 
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The UPA Government's ambitious plans to extend 27 per cent reservations to OBCs in India's premier educational institutions received a set back on Thursday with the Supreme Court (SC) putting on hold what was perceived as a populist scheme.
SC stated the 1931 census was not enough to determine who constitute OBCs in the country and asked the Government to collect fresh data and submit it in court. Till then, a final decision on implementation of quotas will stay pending.
The Government on the other hand said that it would do whatever required Constitutionally and legally to ensure that the law is valid.
A debate on quotas has been fuelled by the Supreme Court stay , with public opinion split down the middle.
CNN-IBN discussed the big question on India 360: Is it time for a referendum on reservations in India? On the discussion panel were Former NCERT Director, Professor J S Rajput -- who spoke against reservations -- and pro-quota activist Professor Sushil Khanna of IIM Kolkata.
"Ambedkar talked about three principles fraternity, liberty and equality. He said liberty without equality lead to stagnation of backwardness and equality without liberty will lead to disenchantment of the achievers. And that’s what is happening today. So though reservation is a necessity we have to work on the modality.” |
The show began with a majority of viewers rooting for a referendum on reservations in India.
Social correction
The argument was begun on a pro-reservation note, with those in favour of quota suggesting that it was not just the prerogative, but also the duty of the Government to bring about social correction, especially at a time when historical injustice against a certain class was beecoming apparent.
Professor Sushil Khanna said that he strongly supported the Government's argument, that the country needed reservation to empower OBCs. He added that the current quota for OBCs was far below their ratio in the population.
He also said that in his opinion, the Government's case had not been argued well in court.
"There is recent data in the National Sample Survey which shows that 37 per cent belongs to OBCs. This can be easily used to form the basis of reservations," he stated.
Taking an anti-quota stand, Professor J S Rajput said that though he did not dispute the fact that people need positive support, but that this support should not be on the basis of religion and caste.
"Reservations have to be on the basis of factors like economic status and any reservation at this stage must come only after there is a national consensus. People should be allowed to review what has been done and what has been achieved,” said Prof Rajput.
Direct from JNU
Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has a decade-old admissions policy which gives extra points to OBCs, women and regional backwardness over and above a candidate's entrance examination score. This has significantly raised JNU's OBC intake.
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