Question

Originally, the Indian Constitution provided reservation on the basis of Social and Educational Backwardness. Do you think providing reservation only on economic grounds justified?

Answer 1

Approach:

1. Mention about the reservation provisions.
2. Discuss about the significance of the reservation policy.
3. Mention about the features of the economically weaker section reservation.
4. Analyze the prospects of the EWS reservation.
5. Make an appropriate conclusion.

Reservation provisions:
Reservation is an affirmative action of making the educational seats, government jobs and legislative seats accessible to the vulnerable sections of the society. These provisions are added through the article 15 (4), (5), and (6) of the Indian Constitution. The sections of the society provided with the reservation are SC, ST, OBC and recently economically weaker sections of the society.

Significance of the reservation policy:
The constitution provides equality in opportunity to every Indian citizen. But historically certain sections of the society are socially and educationally backward compared to the mainstream. It was mainly due to caste hierarchy and evils related to the caste system. In order to undo the historical injustice made to these sections, they need some hand holding by the State until they gain social and educational development.

Reservation for the economically weaker section:
A 10% reservation has been given to the economically weaker sections in access to government jobs and educational seats. This provision was added through the 103rd constitutional amendment act. Persons who are not covered under the SC, ST, OBC reservation and his family gross annual income below right lakh rupees will be eligible for EWS reservation. It also adds criteria like land holding and other properties for determining the eligibility. Thus this provision provided the poor sections of the society which are not covered under reservation an opportunity for economic upliftment.

Prospects of the EWS reservation:
The EWS reservation will help the poor sections of the society and at the same time it covers disproportionate numbers under 10% reservation. Some of the positives and negatives of the EWS are

Positives:

1. Helps in poverty eradication.
2. Bringing equity in the educational and employment opportunity.
3. Breaks the stigma about the reservation among the general category.

Negatives:

1. Itviolates the 50% restriction on reservation by the Supreme Court.
2. It may open a pandora box of demand for reservation.
3. Reservation would be used for the vote bank politics.
4. More than 90% of the population will be covered and the income limit is arbitrary.

Conclusion:
The reservation to the economically weaker sections has well intention for the upliftment of the poor sections of the society. But at the same time the income limit for eligibility dilutes the intention as the really poor will again be at a disadvantage. Moreover Supreme Court had ruled that poverty alone cannot be taken as a factor for providing reservation. In India reservations was conceptualized as a temporary measures but it remains permanent. Hence a relook into the eligibility condition has to be made to serve the persons really in need of support.