Toppers Becoming Droppers in Reservation Game

By Farhat Riyaz 

Aliya Khan always thought that her future was dependent on her work. She was dreaming of becoming a doctor and had done all the prep for the NEET exam sacrificing her social life, waking earlier than the crack of dawn and studying all day long. The results were announced but she had completed with such a swooping 650 out of 720-a score that placed her right at the front for a medical seat in any other part of the country. However, to her shock, another student from the reserved category – who had scored much less than her – was given this seat to which Aliya held her heart. The competition was not what had shocked Aliya; it was the larger problem of a reservation system that was beginning to veer so drastically as to disenfranchise students like Aliya. 

It’s not an isolated story as chances falling to those who come out flying colours in competitive exams is becoming a recurring reality for many students in Jammu and Kashmir who have shone in competitive exams but aren’t getting opportunities. As a result, the state reservation policy maintained by keeping over 70 per cent of all educational and government job opportunities for various categories creates an atmosphere for merit to backseat. What began life as an attempt to modernise the most undeveloped areas of society has now become a frustrating experience for general-category students who feel that their hard work doesn’t matter in the face of a policy that prioritises classes on socioeconomic and political grounds. There is a lot of scope in the Reservation framework in Jammu and Kashmir. It has special provisions for Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, Economically Weaker Sections, Residents of Backward Areas and more recently, the Pahari-speaking people. 

Therefore, it stands to reason that while these categories are designed specifically to address some of the disparities created by historical and structural inequalities, it is the deployment of these categories into the realms of education and employment that seems to exacerbate an increasingly unequal distribution of opportunities. For one thing, they are assigning students from reserved categories to medical colleges with scores much below what students of the general category generally need. Most of the competitive examinations, like KAS, are pushing the open merit candidates out even though they are scoring much higher than they are. General category students feel they are being unfairly penalised even though they put in all the effort to clear the exam. While the quota system ensures a level playing field for marginalized communities, over the years it has started marginalising the very group that it was not designed to harm: the talented, ambitious students of open merit category. All is no longer limited to competition, which is why to many, this growing inequality ends up cutting into the very centre, psychological and personal well-being is at stake here. When lesser-scoring students replace Aliya’s place, the disappointment is overwhelming and really depressing, and even to some extent no amount of preparation could prepare anyone for this kind of strong defeat. 

Over recent years, the expansions within reserved categories compounded the things that made it worse. Conceived originally to correct history’s disadvantages to certain groups, the system has only widened the sense of unfairness with ever new categories added, for instance, people speaking Pahari. Critics call these inclusions politically motivated, to expand the reach of these sorts of inclusions beyond the usual voters, and not to address genuine socio-economic gaps. In addition, although adding more reservations decreases the availability of slots for general-category students, it further complicates an already complicated system leaving many students confused about their standing.

Before we proceed further, it is important to realise that anger against reservation per se isn’t a grouse against the reservation requirement itself, because nobody takes issue with the fact that the oppressed classes should be given some time to catch up with centuries of social and economic neglect. It is not unlawful to reserve some representation for such groups but so much as was allowed here, gives so little for the so-called merit-based candidates, that the whole idea of fair competition loses its meaning. The reservation system has its tentacles into 70 per cent of the seats in education and government employment and is overreaching itself as it begins to breed a backlash that can only portend very dangerous long-term consequences. The reservation system is choking merit in Jammu and Kashmir starting. Students, who were supposed to be given an intake and an opportunity to chase their dreams, are being pushed to the sideline & those who worked much less are getting opportunities based on their category. Many are asking a simple question: How far can the system get away with promoting equality and still ensure fairness? This situation bears unprecedented emotional trauma to the student belonging to the general category. This “unnecessary burden” leads to serious mental disorders in youth, from anxiety or depression to agnosticism of the entire education system. That indeed coupled with the realisation that later on in their life, the system doesn’t give a damn about their success, has increased the alienation of these youths.

And made worse by the fact that most of these students now prefer to move out of their home state, to other parts of India, or even abroad, where competition may be more meritocratic.

More importantly, this brain drain is a real and grave problem that poses a serious threat to the long-term development of Jammu & Kashmir which has, for various reasons, plenty of social and economic challenges of its own. As the best students leave, the state loses human capital and should have a big hole in its workforce, which constrains future progress possibilities. The Jammu and Kashmir education system is always adjudged to produce some of the brightest minds in the country, and it is at a crossroads. The policy would be this and the state would have to review it trying to find a balance between promoting equity at the cost of compromising the integrity of merit. This idea is why successive generations of students should be left with the same chances to excel, no matter their economic background. To the students though, like Aliya, this isn’t about a medical seat, it’s about fairness, making sure the playing field is equal. The reservation System in its basic shape may not be avoidable but has gone past that stage where it doesn’t serve any purpose anymore. The time has now come for rethinking policy in such a way that will place all the backward elements on the pedestal without doing violence to the basic principles of merit and equity.

• Views expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial stance of Kashmir Observer

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