holdyourthoughts

India is having a raging debate about reservations in education institutions. The government has proposed a 27% quota for OBC (Other Backward Classes) in all educational institutions including the haloed IITs , IIMs and AIIMS and all other engineering and medical colleges. This has caused a great deal of tension, anger and resentment amongst the “urban” upper castes with a lot of engineering and medical students resorting to hunger strikes outside their colleges. Let us take a dispassionate look at the issue at hand. There are 3 main reason why the quotas have come in. Reason #1: Arjun Singh, a former Congress heavyweight leader gets shunted to the HR ministry in the new UPA led government. He needs to assert his importance to the country butmore importantly to the Congress top-brass. He really needs to emphasize the fact that he is still relevant in Indian politics. Reason #2: Reservation creates a vote bank for the minister and his party. Or for those who can shout...