60 years of reservation

If one looks up the dictionary meaning of the word RESERVATION, chances are that you'll come up with 3 meanings:

1. Act of withholding or keeping back or setting apart.
   
2. Written record or promise of an arrangement by which a place is secured.
   
3. The act of making an exception or qualification.
   

In India, reservation is all 3 – It withholds and keeps back, is a written record of an arrangement and is an act of making an exception.

INDIA'S CASTE PROBEMS & ARTICLE 46

India is a country with a rigid caste based hierarchical structure where the highest castes enjoyed most of the benefits while the lower castes were looked down open.

A majority of the population was backward socially, economically and politically.

Therefore, on independence, Article 46 was framed which stated that the state should promote with special care the educational and economic interest of the weaker section of the people, also protecting them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation.

It was thought to be the best mechanism to correct the mistakes of the past many hundred years.

Reservation today, is not just on the basis of caste, but looks into other factors such as:

1. Socio-economic condition.
   
2. Disability.
   
3. Displacement due to political instability or terror or calamity
   
4. Dependents of war heroes / Martyrs.
   
5. Children/Grandchildren of Freedom Fighters.
   
6. Reservations for women, to promote gender diversity.
   

Incidentally, while googling "Reservations in Public and Private Sector", most of the viewpoints one comes across seem very biased, focusing mainly on caste based reservations. What we seem to overlook, is the fact that there are many other sections which are important when we talk about reservation, some of which had just been mentioned.

As far as the figures for caste based reservation are concerned, the government states that it is 22.5% for SC/ST, and 27% for OBC.

Reservation in jobs on the basis of caste or community is not always correct, whether it is the public or private sector. In the words of Mr. Sam Pitroda, the Chairman of the National Knowledge Commission (NKC), "Reservation cannot be used as a blanket solution for all our problems." Mr. Pitroda, we know, comes from a very modest background.

Reservation in India has always been a controversial topic and as originally envisaged was meant to help the marginalized sections of the society by giving them an advantage, and was to be a limited phenomenon.

It has presently grown into a debate on the nature of Indian society and is often seen as a system that is biased against the meritorious in society.

This debate is compounded by the lack of proper census data on the position of various marginalized sections of the society.

It is interesting to note that most "Pro Job Reservations in Pvt. Sector" leads come from political parties – both in and out of power whose only interest is their own vote bank!

Job reservation, whether in private or public sector introduce additional market distortions and lead to suboptimal outcomes.

To be efficient, it is desirable that enterprises be allowed to hire the best available talent, regardless of the caste or class the latter may belong to, with selection being based only on the suitability of the candidate for the job based on his or her qualifications, experience or potential.

Indiscriminate reservation in private sector may lead to many problems, some of which may be:

1. Talented people not getting their due, leading to brain drain.
   
2. MNCs not entering the Indian market.
   
3. Existing companies halting their operations in the country and moving elsewhere.
   
4. Violence and discrimination on the basis of caste.
   

Therefore, a better alternative for improving the standards of the socially deprived is providing better access to education, generation of suitable employment opportunities and a social safety net.

The private sector can and does have an important role to play in supporting opportunities for the deprived groups, but not through job reservations.

The private sector can contribute through greater private-public partnership in providing education and other amenities.

It is important for the Government to concentrate on creating conditions that would allow the private sector to function in an efficient manner, and not create distortions in the name of correcting other discrepancies.

I feel it is high time the Govt. evaluates the result of the 60 years of its reservation policies, before taking any more decisions or vote bank based divisive policies.

HINDI CHINI BHAI BHAI

"Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai" was the catch phrase of the 1950s. This phrase, coined by the Government under Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru remained quite popular till the Indo China war of 1962.

It is interesting to note that in the late 1950s, it was Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru himself, who told his then envoy to China that in his opinion, China was "Arrogant, Deviant, Hypocritical and Highly Unreliable".

However, the two countries have come a long way from the time they viewed each other as enemies, after the 1962 war, as they seek to become leaders in the global economy with many joint business ventures. They also have to deal with many cobwebs of the past and suspicions of each others intentions.

It is relevant to note that both India and China are key players from Asia in the global market. The economic strengths of these 2 countries are considered by many as complementary. China is perceived to be strong in manufacturing and infrastructure, whereas India in services and IT. China is stronger in hardware and India in software. China is stronger with physical markets, while it is financial markets for India.

At the industrial level, China is our major competitor in sectors like hardware, electronics etc. The Small Scale Industries (SSI), which contributes 35-40 percent to total manufacturing in India suffers most because of Chinese goods in the Indian market. For example trade data reveals that almost 60 percent of Small Industrial Units in the Thane-Bhiwandi belt near Mumbai have closed down. Many others have stopped manufacturing their own goods and now import them from China. That being so, many Indian workers have lost their jobs. Thus the SSI's objective of providing employment to rural youth is defeated completely.

A point to note is that in the past one decade, Chinese labour has been trained in the skills of manufacturing electronic goods like semiconductors, telecom equipment, power equipment etc. This has helped them capture the Indian market. If not for certain roadblocks, the Indian labour can also meet these challenges.

Chinese manufacturing units produce goods on a large scale, and are using the Indian market merely to dump their products, killing the Indian units.

During Diwali Chinese crackers are sold, which reportedly contain the very harmful & toxic Sulphur. The Chinese crackers being cheaper, attracted many Indian shoppers. As a result, the Indian fireworks industry saw a decline in revenue.

Most of us sitting have at sometime done the same…that is bought a Chinese toy, light bulb, plug, rakhis, holi colours, or maybe the festival lights or a deco item!!

This is how even the home based or cottage industries of India have also been affected.    

However, I believe that the Indian tiger has what it takes to take on the might of the Chinese dragon. However, there are certain roadblocks which we must take care of first:

1. The biggest hurdle is bureaucracy and red tape, which poses as a major hindrance to industrial growth must change its way of working.
   
2. Secondly, the weak labour policies, due to which Indian labour is unable to compete with the Chinese in the skilled sector (Electronics, Hardware etc.)
   
3. Additionally, we must introduce stringent quality measures, to ensure that the "dumping" of substandard Chinese products does not take place.
   
4. The Indian govt must offer better rebates to home based and SSIs so that their products reach the consumers at a lower cost.
   

Where's it all going??

I know its been some time since my last post, and I can't even find any good excuses. Guess all I can say is that I'm lazy! Been an uneventful couple of months. Nothing happening. December was chockablock with exams, each for some institute or the other. And it now seems as if each one was more pointless than the other!!

The oh so familiar feeling of rejection has started crawling in. Yes, the one which took over me after my 12th class exams, where I messed up not just my boards, but the engineering entrance exams as well!! But considering the fact that the years that followed were probably the best of my life, I guess something totally awesome awaits me once this phase of my life is over.

Well, if you're wondering why there's a sudden change in my attitude from the first paragraph to the second, it's because the first part was written about 2 weeks ago, when I thought I'd hit rock bottom, the metaphorical abyss if you'd like to call it that. But now, I've just come back from a crazy ass vacation. A short one, but a great one nonetheless.

It's weird how you might plan things well in advance, but they just don't seem to work out the way you want them to. Take 2010 for example. Here I was, in December, planning a break to Bombay, Goa, Nasik, Pune, Hyderabad.... (phew!!) once my XAT got over, and then once it did, I just didn't feel like it. Partly because my dad had just had a surgery, and partly because I royally screwed up the XAT paper. I knew I was messing it up, and I just kept making it worse.

Well, forget XAT man.. XLRI can kiss my sweet behind!! The point that I'm really trying to make here is that even though I'd planned a loooong itinery, it never worked out. So I decided to do the next best thing. Took a really short break. And I mean reeallly short!! But it was amazing. Best 2 days I've had in quite some time. Managed to get some mountain air, got hold of "Old Monk"( which actually made me quite emotional, by the way!!) and found this really nice eatery with a jaw dropping view! A pretty cool way to spend 2 days, I must say!

Even though it was quite hectic, it really helped me clear my head and get rid of all the clutter inside. Managed to analyze a few things rationally rather than feeling shot down. So yeah, get ready world, I'm coming for ya!!
---------------x-----------------

P.S.: I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Anket Mohanty, for being the true nature Baba and making this trip happen!! Thanks for showin me the light baby!!

Dazed and Confused!!

If you were to ask me what song title describes my current state of mind, I'd say "Dazed and Confused" by Led Zeppelin without blinking an eyelid!! Even though in my case its not because of a woman, the emotions are pretty much the same! I guess its got something to do with the fact that CAT is approaching, and I'm nowhere even close to my "A- Game"!! I know I need to work harder, but just can't get myself to. With DI & LA still being my Achilles' heel, I should be sitting on my study table right now, and devouring Tables, Graphs and the like for breakfast, lunch and dinner!! However, its a very different scene out here.. Quite the contrary to what I just said. I'm actually sitting out here devouring season after season, episode after episode of just about any show I can get my hands on.. I'm surprisingly finding myself getting hooked to a new show every day!! Yessirie... that IS my CAT preparation.. Multiple episodes of any random show a day, and then spending HOURS & HOURS looking for some of the lamest videos ever!! You won't believe some of the crazy stuff I have unearthed!

Coming back to the topic, I really don't know what to do about my state of mind. I know I have a lot of energy, and maybe a lot of drive too. But I just don't know how to channel it in the right direction. So last week, I decided to speak to a good friend of mine about how I've been clueless about what I've been doing, and he suggested that I probably need to find a purpose in life.. So, thats all I did this past week.. Smoke pot and ponder. Put my thinking cap on, and kept wondering what my real calling in life is.. Unfortunately, I didn't get any answers!! This could only mean two things: either I'm outgrowing "herbal therapy" and it doesn't have the same calming influence it used to, or I've been given really crappy shit!! I think its the latter, because the "herbs" have never let me down!! I feel my brain works better when its baked.. At least that's what I'd like to believe!! I need to find myself a good source, or atleast some sort of calming influence which helps me find out my true calling. Guess pot, not love makes the world go round!! Its the universal solution to everyone's problems.. Works great as a painkiller, helps patients with a variety of diseases (its been prescribed by a lot of doctors to treat glaucoma, arthritis, hypertension etc.) plus it makes you more tolerant and peaceful. I know, its wonderful isn't it??!!

So, if there's anyone in Delhi out there who knows where to get primo quality herbs, please do let me know!!

Inglourious Basterds!!

Finally!! Was able to watch "Inglourious Basterds" in the theatre today.. Was waiting for a long time for this one. Was looking for a DvDrip first, because I wasn't sure if (and when) it was going to release in India. I guess they're right when they tell you to be careful what you wish for!

First of all, I'm gonna say Quentin Tarantino is one crazy "Basterd"!! I can't think of any other movie director whose appetite for blood and gore is greater than this guy's. Think about it. He gave us Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill vol. I and II, The "Hostel" series, Deathproof, Reservoir Dogs... He's probably the king of gore in hollywood.. And believe me people, this movie is no different.. Extremely graphic, I wouldn't recommend it to the faint of heart! Well, I'd guessed that when I'd seen the part where a guy gets hit with a baseball bat, in the promo.. Lots of other gory scenes too, but in case someone reading this might be considering watching this movie, it might turn out to be a spoiler!

Although I might consider myself a fan of Tarantino's work(especially his earlier ficks), I couldn't really help but think that maybe this movie's slightly overrated. C'mon, #43 on the IMDB top 250 list?? Give me a break! I'm not saying its a bad movie(Actually, it was much better than a lot of other stuff Tarantino's come up with in the recent past.), but maybe some people are getting too carried away with the complements. Personally it was too over the top for me, with too much Nazi bashing for one movie. Hitler has been reduced to a mere caricature. Plus the routine "Americans save the world once again" crap. The idea of 12 Jewish American soldiers going out there to save their Jewish brothers in Europe, killing Nazis along the way, and in turn ending the world war is ludicrous. It just goes to show how shallow, ignorant and full of themselves Americans can be. Crazy stuff, I tell you!

Brad Pitt does a decent job as Lt. Aldo Rayne, with his crazy accent. His performance actually works in a movie like this, and his humour was good too. However, if I had to pick a favourite, it would have to be Cristoph Waltz as Hans Landa. He stole the show in this one, making you laugh an hate him at the same time. He switches between the different shades in his character effortlessly. One scene where he truly shines, is the opening sequence where he interrogates the French dairy farmer. Simply brilliant. I'd actually like to see more of this actor in the future. His accent might be a little confusing at times, but you're so blown away by his performance that you just don't care. Another noteworthy performance is that of Melanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfuss. Her story provides an interesting angle to the movie.

All in all, an average movie. Well, maybe slightly better. Don't apply too much logic when you're watching it and you'll be fine. In fact, it might appeal most to the fans of hardcore masala bollywood movies. A one time watch, I would say that if not for anything else, watch it for Christoph Waltz's performance.