[Reader-list] Please JOIN pro-reservation agitation in Delhi

[Shivam Vij]

Hi Gitika:


> Now coming to your point about the issue of caste based reservations.
> I am wondering -- do they work?

Yes they do!

> I am really really keen to know, have caste based
> reservations done anything to really propel us towards ensuring education for all.

Cate-based reservations do not claim to do that. The idea is to
increase the representation of deprived castes and communities in the
mainstream. As far as OBCs are concerned, reservations are not purely
caste-based, but take into account a lot of other factors:
http://www.theotherindia.org/caste/who-decides-who-is-an-obc.html


> I remember studying at the University with students
> who had did their graduation in Hindi and now got into
> the university on reservations, but were expected to study in English all of a sudden.

Yes, there needs to be more than just admission-level reservation.
There has to be extra training:
http://www.theotherindia.org/caste/catchin-up.html

> I wondered how reservations would help such bright candidates
> (they were fantastic at their job - but they could not write their Masters exams,
> which were in English).

That does not fault reservations per se. That only means something
else is required: English as the medium of instruction in govt schools
and /or the freedom to write answers in Hindi and /or extra English
training.

> I am curious also - do caste based reservations ensure financial scholarships?

Often they do, but the presence of these in places like IIT has led to
the 'identification' of quota students within the student community
and thus caste prejudice.

> If not, then do only economically empowered candidates benefit from being SC/ ST as well.

Which is not such a great problem as far as I am concerned, because
the idea is representation. But there's a contradiction in the
argument: if they are economically empowered why aren't they doing as
well as the general category students in academics? Surely, there's
something else that's inhibiting them?

Best,
Shivam