Digital publication | Page 30

IS IT TIME FOR A REVERSE CASTE SYSTEM? Caste system and reservation have become synonyms in today's system of higher education and jobs in India. Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes, PWDs, Defense Category and what notthere is way too much reservation in India. This is a result of certain provisions in the constitution of India which need to be updated. First of all the OBCs, the STs and the SCs were a consequence of the British rule and the superstitious Indian society. But these were defined a long time ago when our country was fighting for independence. Back then they were under privileged. Come to the present times and reservation is a badge of luck. In Indian government colleges and offices there is a staggering 52.5% reservation -MORE THAN HALF! People feel privileged and proud to belong to one of the RESERVED categories. General category applicants are squeezed between the increasing competition and the increasing reservation. Now a question needs to be answered- How can the son/daughter of an IAS officer - the highest administrative post in India and also deemed to be occupied by the most intelligent people - be an underprivileged 'Schedule caste’? 4 This reservation was made at the time of independence. These people were unfortunate, lived in poor conditions and were uneducated. But now they are engineers, doctors, IAS officers and what not! They have bungalows and imported cars and live a luxurious life. They are the