Reservation in Education

First of all, welcome to TeluguNews.Com, Nandanv.

Reservation in Education usually refers to a quota set aside for certain ethnically or financially disadvantaged groups. The idea is to extend a helping hand to those that were/are disadvantaged in past/present due to socio-economic reasons.

This has remained to be a sensitive subject for many years -with both the supporters and the opponents having many valid points.

Those that support Reservation do so because they believe doing so allows us -the society -to kind of "make up" for our society's collective wrong doing to the disadvantaged groups. A well-meaning and noble concept, indeed.

Most opponents, however, are quick to point out that it is not the concept that they oppose -it is the implementation of this well-meaning and good-hearted initiative that they have problems with. They believe that by blocking off several seats (set aside for the disadvantaged), we are actually depriving opportunity to well-deserving and bright students that have nothing to do what was wronged in past -in fact in doing so we are actually perpetuating what we now accept to be wrong -discrimination based on socio-economic factors.

Sure, we can probably find a middle ground somewhere where the way in which this gets implemented is "acceptable" to all concerned. However, aren't we missing the real issue here?

The whole issue of reservation comes up because our educational infrastructure is less than adequate. The whole issue of rationing who gets into the institutions of higher learning and who gets the boot -and how we do it in a way it is acceptable/tolerable to most -would be a mute point if we (as a society) get our act together and invest into an educational infrastructure that is big enough to accommodate everyone. It can be and must be done. Skillfully denying part of our next generation an opportunity to pursue higher learning is not the answer. Providing all of them an opportunity acquire higher education and to pursue their dreams is not an optional luxury item -it is what we owe to our next generation.