Experts in education policy find merit in the CPI(M)'s demand to introduce the "creamy layer" concept in the proposed quotas in educational institutions, and feel it is time to review our reservation policies.
NEW DELHI: Experts in education policy find merit in the CPI(M)'s demand to introduce the "creamy layer" concept in the proposed quotas in educational institutions, and feel it is time to review our reservation policies.
Experts feel the achievements and weaknesses of the current reservation policy should be analysed before going down this path any further. The Knowledge Commission is already reviewing the quota system and a report will be presented to the government.
"We cannot continue doing what we have been doing for 50 years. Times are changing. Caste should not be the only criterion for getting benefits. SC/ST/OBC students coming from good family conditions, like having well-educated parents and a financially sound background, cannot continue benefiting from quotas. That's unfair to thousands of others who need support much more than them. Reservation in the current form damages the fabric of social cohesion. It increases animosity among masses," said JS Rajput, former director of the National Council of Education Training and Research (NCERT).
"About 50 per cent of the children in rural areas fail in class V, irrespective of their castes. Don't they need support?" Rajput asked. He also agrees with the demand for reservation for economically weaker sections among the forward castes.
On Wednesday, the CPI(M) politburo, in a statement demanding exclusion of the creamy layer from education quotas, said, "Reservation should benefit the poorer and needier sections among these communities. For this, there has to be a socio-economic criterion which excludes the affluent and those already having access to jobs and higher education."
Knowledge Commission member Pratap Bhanu Mehta said the demand for excluding the creamy layer is a good start to make the quota debate more sophisticated. He said criteria other than caste should also be considered.
"We should see other forms of deprivation and find ways to address them. There can be an index grading people on the basis of their caste, parents' education and economic conditions. Those in the last grade, irrespective of caste, need support," said Mehta.
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