Whose quota is it Anyway? (The Indian Express)

Mains Paper 4: Polity
Prelims level: Reservation System
Mains level: Structure of Indian Constitution

Context

•  In the context of reservation for EWS the children of the poor from the upper castes vegetable vendors, construction labourers, challenged individuals, self-employed or unemployed widows deserve reservation as much as the children from Dalit households, who have enjoyed high economic and social status, say, for two generations.
•  Given contemporary realities and institutional infirmities, is it possible to ring fence this 10 per cent quota?
•  The finance minster, while talking about direct tax collection it is difficult to work out clear operational criteria to identify the people who must pay taxes.

Background

•  In fact, more than two years after demonetisation, the government has not taken action against the account holders who deposited old currency well above their normal cash balance.
•  Clearly, it fears losing votes.
•  Persons from households with annual earnings below Rs 8 lakh, possessing agricultural land below 5 acres, a plot less than 100 yards in a notified municipality or below 200 yards in the non-notified municipal area would be eligible for the reservation.
•  The new amendment also allows the states to set income cut-offs to decide who constitutes EWS.
•  SCs, STs and OBCs account for 70 per cent of the population and are entitled to 49.5 per cent reservation in the government sector.
•  The eligibility issue thus pertains to the remaining 30 per cent or 39 crore people, who fall under the general category.
•  Calculations based on available data suggest that about 95 per cent of the people in the general category will be eligible under the new criteria.

Way forward

•  It is very likely the middle class, those who work in the private sector where it is difficult to establish the income-level and the unscrupulous who can con the system through false declarations, would grab the benefit.
•  The children of street vendors and agricultural labourers have very little chance to benefit from the new quota.
•  The above conclusion with regard to loan waivers, reservations in general category and a host of similar decisions is, of course, based on the assumption that the voters do not care for long-term development concerns and can be bribed with short-term or imaginary benefits

Online Coaching for UPSC PRE Exam

General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

Prelims Questions:

Q.1) In which of the following activities are Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites used?
1. Assessment of crop productivity
2. Locating groundwater resources
3. Mineral exploration
4. Telecommunications
5. Traffic studies

Select the correct answer using the code given below.
a) 1, 2 and 4
b) 1, 2 and 3
c) 2, 3 and 5
d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Answer: B

Mains Questions:
Q.1) Given contemporary realities and institutional infirmities, is it possible to ring fence this 10 per cent quota?