A Four Point Algorithm To Combat Backwardness

We've had reservations in education and employment in our country for over one-third of a century. Some will count its merits, some demerits. My personal submission is that if we are serious about development and becoming a first world nation (something we have not managed to do in 75+ years of independence - while other non-western countries like China and Japan have), we need to look beyond reservations and devise a better strategy to combat backwardness without compromising on merit. Here is a strategy I personally recommend:

Here is a four point algorithm to combat backwardness that I believe will bring equality in our society more effectively than the present system of reservations in education and employment based on caste, class, tribe, religion or gender. Please bear in mind that all four points have to be assimilated together as a consolidated approach. An effort has been made to ensure that queries and concerns arising in different points are addressed in others.

1. Regardless of caste, class, tribe, religion or gender, let there be extra classes in the evening for anyone who might need extra coaching or help with their studies at every level: school as well as college. If extra teachers need to be hired for this purpose, it should be done. This facility has to be extended to each village.

2. Regardless of caste, class, tribe, religion or gender, for every citizen whose economic status is below a defined benchmark, let the government bear the cost of his/her education all the way till completion of their undergraduate programs.

3. Let there be a law that the distribution of students in classrooms/hostels and their seating/residential arrangements be completely independent of caste, class, tribe, religion or economic status.

4. At the end of each education level, let there be absolutely fair and transparent exams for either entrance into the next level of education or for employment, and let the marks/grades requirement be exactly the same for everyone regardless of caste, class, tribe, religion or gender.

After receiving completely free education if needed as well as all the required extra coaching and help, everyone has to earn their higher education or employment competitively, with commitment and hard work, and without any special relaxations or favors for anyone regardless of caste, class, tribe, religion or gender.

If implemented sincerely, the above method will combat backwardness in a positive manner, while building merit by helping people improve and become nationally and globally competitive.

The pressing question now of course is how do we make a transition from the present scenario to the scenario depicted above? In my view, it can be done in the following two steps:

1. Immediate Change: Jobs that directly impact human safety and future generations (examples: medical, some engineering tasks, teaching, flying aircraft, etc.) should work on pure merit. There should be absolutely no reservations of any kind for such jobs - not even on regional considerations (example: Punjabis in Punjab, Marathis in Maharashtra, etc.). Needless to say, gender simply cannot be a reason for reservation at all. Else, stop all talk of gender equality. It's plain hypocrisy.

2. Five Year Transition: In all other sectors, start reducing reservations by 10% every year. Alongside, start implementing the four point algorithm above. If we do this, in five years we would have replaced reservations with the method outlined above and combat backwardness more effectively. This mandate needs to come from the parliament as a constitutional requirement that is binding not just on the center, but all states as well. The reason is this: Reservations in any state will lead to workforce migrations to other states and disrupt employment there. For any states that presently have more than 50% reservations, the annual percentage reduction in reservations needs to adjusted such that the five year target is met. For example, if some state has 70% reservations the annual percentage reduction needs to be 14%.