Employment by merit or reservation?

JUNE 2019 TOPIC: Employment by merit or reservation — what do you prefer?

Reservation involves preferential treatment by rejecting people of higher competence from general category and accepting the reserved category with lower competence. The reservation policy acts as a disincentive to the meritorious and more capable. It was supposed to be an interim arrangement for 10 years as per our Constitution so that people of low caste origin could come up socially. But, today it is used as a political tool to get the backward class votes.
Seena Basu
Asutosh College, Kolkata

I prefer merit rather than reservation. If a reservation candidate gets relaxations due to his or her situation, what about candidates who are under the unreserved category? Just because they don’t belong to the reservation category they can’t be treated unequal. All have equal rights as human beings. So, let us strive towards what we want and get what we deserve based on our performances.
Ezhilarasi D. (18)
Anna University, BIT Campus, Trichy

The very mention of employment by reservations sends a chill down my spine. “Why reserved jobs?” is the question common to every dutiful citizen of India. The service rendered by meritorious people can never be ignored. Reservations bring discredit to the country’s economic blueprint. Merit should never go in waste. How can someone who could not manage to get a degree, become a doctor or an engineer? Deserving people are left in the lurch. If there has to be a proper representation of backward classes, it should be limited to financial assistance to enable the weaker sections to uplift themselves by studying hard and getting jobs by merit.
Ananya Malhotra (15)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

The policy of reservation was started through the Poona Pact between Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi in 1947. It was an essential requirement to uplift the lower castes. Instead of making people greedy for reservation, we must encourage them gain knowledge that they may not rely on their caste or financial status to get a good job. Reservation is causing more discrimination on the basis of caste, instead of eliminating it.
Arisha Ali (13)
Jeevan Marg Sophia Secondary School, Deoria

Reservation came into the Indian constitution for helping economically, socially, educationally backward people but now it has become caste-based rather than class-based. Employees should be judged on their merit and hard work and not on aspects that are irrelevant. I wish important appointments were not made through reservation. Merit alone should be the criteria for choosing people for such offices.
Pavani Gupta (13)
Jeevan Marg Sophia Secondary School, Deoria

Employment should be on the basis of merit. The merit system is the process of hiring employees on the basis of educational qualification and not on political or caste conditions. Persons belonging to high social/political status get jobs even if they don’t have proper knowledge. If a person not getting necessary marks or doesn’t have proper knowledge becomes a doctor, a teacher or an engineer, it will be an injustice done to other categories and other common people.
Palakshi Kalra (11)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

Reservation was introduced to make up for the historic oppression, inequality and discrimination faced by certain communities and to realize the dream of equality enshrined in our constitution. I am a firm believer in admission/employment solely on merit, as people should be given opportunities based on their talents, knowledge, abilities and most importantly on their merit rather on the basis of their caste.
Nikhil Singh (18)
Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh

I believe that everyone should be given a fair chance and equal opportunity to do anything in life. Same should be in case of employment. Employment by merit ensures that qualified and deserving people get the desired job as employment by reservation does not give equal chances and fair competition. Employment by merit ensures equality.
Senjuti Saibal Bhattacharya (18)
A. C. Patil College of Engineering, Navi Mumbai

Merit should be the key element for getting employment because economic development of any firm or organization is based on performance of the employees. A meritorious candidate adds his own value to the progress of his organization. So, reservation in employment is not beneficial. I support reservation in education so that every class gets proper education, making all eligible for employment.
Sweta Raj (20)
Patna, Bihar

I feel employment should be on pure merit. There is a saying that “Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it”. Selecting employees on merit helps in increasing the applicant’s competitive skills as well as overall personality and self-esteem.
Elsa Maria Devassia (18)
Government College of Nursing, Kottayam, Kerala

Reservation system was meant for those who belong to backward castes. The practice was begun to help them out in this highly-competitive world. Reservation is good but it should not be given according to the caste. Students belonging to any caste should be given fee exemption or scholarship because poor students do not belong to any specific caste. Reservation in higher education should be given only on economic ground, not caste wise.
Nandini Tibrewal
Sophia School, Bhilwara

Employment by reservation will not only limit India’s progress but also prevent deserving people from achieving great heights. The deserving people lose jobs to less deserving due to reservation. Reservation was meant to promote socially backward classes. Today, the socially and economically backward people do not belong to reserved castes. If people are provided employment by merit, problem of brain drain to foreign countries can be curbed. India can only progress if opportunities are given to the deserving, and not to the reserved.
Arunima (13)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

I prefer employment by merit and not by reservation. In India, it has become a problem for common people in getting seats in any area, as all the vacancies are filled with the people from the reserved category. This way they benefit more while intelligent students of non-reserved class are left behind because of non-availability of seats.
Harshit Srivastava (13)
Jeevan Marg Sophia Secondary School, Deoria

Reservation as practised today is against the spirit of our Constitution which says, “No discrimination should be done on the basis of caste, creed, gender, or religion.” The main objective of employment by reservation was to create job opportunities for socially and economically backward classes, but this task remains unaccomplished. Instead of feeling pity and making provision to the economically backward classes for jobs, let’s make them efficient and eligible enough to stand on their own feet.
Anoushka Saxena (16)

Merit-based employment ensures deployment of the most capable who bring professionalism into the work culture. It also encourages diligence among contestants and is regarded fair and just. Reservation-based employment, on the other hand, is a great leveller that bridges the inequalities inherent in Indian society. The legacy of the egregious caste system that systematically marginalized a section of Indian society needs to be undone. Hence a balance of merit and reservation based employment is advisable.
Shailja Pandey
Nainital

Nowadays, government/private jobs are given on the basis of caste, which is totally wrong. More than 50% is reserved for lower castes. If we want our country to progress, reservation should be abolished. Politicians do not take a step forward to stop this because they know if they go against this, they won’t get votes. They use reservation as a ploy to get votes. Ideally, quotas in government jobs or educational institutions should be offered to deserving candidates who are financially poor, not to backward classes. How can a policy be deemed just when it snatches the right of a meritorious person to hand it on a platter to an undeserving candidate?
Deepal
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

Employment should be based on merit. A child with a higher intellect deserves a better chance to develop himself or herself. In a democratic country like ours, job opportunities must be equal to all. Students who put in their best efforts are disheartened when they fail to get a good job. This is how many started moving to foreign countries. People should be given employment based on their skills, knowledge and abilities.
Anjali Meena
Sophia School, Bhilwara

I prefer employment by merit as people who have better knowledge do not get better employment as these seats are reserved for the SC, ST and OBC in this category. Many who belong to the general category do not get employment as in this category all are well-educated and seats are less.
Riddhima (13)
Jeevan Marg Sophia Secondary School, Deoria

Employment should be based on merit. Employment by reservation is not a good idea as deserving candidates do not get a chance. They have skills but they are left unemployed. I think reservation should be banned.
Tamanna (14)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar