A comment to "Caste-based reservations may go, but it's for Parliament to decide: SC"​ (The Tribune)

"All caste-based reservations may go and only those meant for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) may remain, the Supreme Court said on Thursday even as it clarified that it was a radical idea and a policy matter to be decided by the government and Parliament....." The Tribune, Mar. 26, 2021, https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/caste-based-reservations-may-go-but-its-for-parliament-to-decide-sc-230408

Comment:

The granting of Govt. help to people in education and jobs on the basis of poverty and economic necessity (living near or below the poverty line, presently) is not a radical idea, but really a step in the right direction and as the most sensible and rational thing to do.

The Govt. continues thus far to use quotas / reservations based on castes (as whole communities) in education (including admissions, free tuition and scholarships based on caste) and jobs (hiring and promotions based on caste).

The Govt. considers people arbitrarily as backward, deprived and disadvantaged (categorizing them as backward caste or BC / OBC and scheduled caste or SC) if their caste label (ancestral occupation tag or family name) is manual type (comprising the communities with ancestors in manual occupations long ago, including farmers, blacksmiths, tailors, weavers, carpenters, leather workers, barbers, etc.), irrespective of current job, occupation and income. Moreover, if the ancient manual caste label or family name implies the family occupation long ago as simply manual (manual work as farmer, carpenter etc.) then the categorization in backwardness now for quotas as BC (or OBC), and if the caste or family name implies more difficulty etc. in work long ago (such as the ancestors' occupation as blacksmith, leather processor, etc.) then the backwardness categorized now for quotas as SC.

There is only a minute economic consideration presently in the caste quotas / reservations in education and jobs to BC / OBC and SC, requiring them to have a family income below the creamy layer / limit which incidentally is unusually high - several times (ten times or more) above the current poverty line / limit.

Furthermore, if a caste quota benefiting family (as BC / OBC or SC) - supposedly earning currently an income below the creamy layer / limit which incidentally is several times (ten or more times) above the poverty line / limit - undergoes an increase in its annual income putting it above the creamy layer, then the quota benefits in education and jobs to family are suspended temporarily, until the family's income falls again in future below the creamy layer (while the family income actually staying many times above the poverty line / limit) resulting in the restoration of quota benefits in education and jobs to family because of its original status as BC / OBC or SC.

Obviously, the rich and well-to-do in BC / OBC and SC categories (satisfying the creamy layer economic requirement for quotas, in spite of many times above the poverty line / limit) automatically qualify and receive Govt. quotas / reservations in education and jobs these days. On the other hand, quite unfairly and unfortunately, there are many others (lacking the status as BC / OBC or SC, due to their family names or castes not in the manual category) who really are poor and live now near or below the poverty limit / line, yet they automatically are left out of Govt. help in education and jobs.

The caste quotas / reservations in education and jobs also prolong the caste system while increasing casteism and caste discrimination in society, as people (BC / OBC and SC) try to hang on to their castes officially for the sake of quota benefits. This certainly is detrimental to having a casteless society and to end casteism and caste discrimination.

The Govt. help to people in education and jobs on the basis of caste or community as a whole (under BC / OBC and SC labels) also encourages politicians and political parties to misuse and abuse caste quotas for votes by turning quota recipients into vote banks, while promising to extend caste quotas indefinitely and adding more and more new castes / communities (previously not as a part of quota allotment) under the labels BC / OBC or SC for the sake of quota benefits.

The high levels of Govt. quotas, 50% and more number of seats, in education and jobs according to the caste (as BC / OBC or SC), instead of using the real qualifications and performance etc., not only is detrimental to establishing a good and competitive education system in schools, colleges and universities, but also undermines the performance and professionalism at work place.

The manual caste quotas in education and jobs from Govt. currently also give the wrong impression, albeit unintentionally, that manual jobs (including the important work in farming, carpentry, leather working, cleaning, sweeping, smithy etc.) are undesirable and that there is even the Govt. help in education and jobs (available through caste quotas) to train and find other kinds of work (in offices etc.). This is no way to attract people to train and work on manual jobs.

In conclusion, it is clear from the above that the consideration of caste or community in granting Govt. quotas in education and jobs is totally flawed and it should be discarded immediately. The Govt. help to people, including in education and jobs, should be given instead according to their current economic need alone and as long as the need lasts (person / family poor and living below or near the poverty line), and nothing else (including collectively as caste, or a vaguely defined and open-ended consideration Economically Weaker Sections or EWS).