So, yet another political card played in the name of development. Rather than focusing on the core issue of improving the quality of basic education, the govt. may shed off ts responsibility towards women empowerment by adding reservation to already strained reservation system in some of the top engineering institutes of India (i.e. IITs)
The question here is, weather such move will actually help the nation or harm it more. After the formation of new IITs and IIMs the value of these brands has already depleted and now adding reserved seats will help to deteriorate the already strained educational system in few top colleges in the country. Not that the female students entering the IITs will be of inferior quality w.r.t. other students in these colleges. But adding reservation means the competitive level is being degraded. A student (female) who was not going to enter the top educational institute will now be able to make it just because she is of a particular sex. Its not gonna help her or the institute to improve her quality as a student or as a researcher etc., but will only add demand on the limited resources available with the institute for its students.
And if reservation is the only criteria to bring equality, why not enforce it in private sector? It can't because private sector is there to make profits and they won't submit easily to any move like reservation, which may harm their business. If reservation makes them equal (those who are given reservation) then why this private sector is afraid of them? Its simply because reservation don't give them equality. it only satisfies their greed and need for an easy seat or easy job. Equality can only be reached by making things (or making men//women) more competitive.
So, should there be no reservation? Ideally yes. But practically it is not going to happen due to cheap politics being played in the name of reservation just to gather a few more votes. What we don't understand is that reservation shall be made available in a form to encourage competition rather than as a tool that discourages competition and develops hatred among colleagues. Reservation not only snatches away the chance of a better future from a deserving candidate but also puts burden on the country's resources. These top educational institutes which should have developed top brains of our country are becoming a meager factories producing not so good products in mass quantity rather than quality products.
So, even though I support the moves to bring forward the women and other weaker sections of society forward, it shall be done by eliminating discrimination. It shall be done by punishing those who discriminate others based on caste/religion/sex. But it shall not be done in the way of reservation. We need not to feed them free lunch but we need to make them competitive enough so that they can compete hard with everyone else irrespective of their caste/color/religion and sex. Only then our nation will truly move forward.
*Source of news (23-01-2016):
(1) http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Panel-recommends-quota-for-girl-students-in-IITs/article17042610.ece
(2) http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/women-to-get-20-reservation-in-iits-here-s-what-iit-d-students-have-to-say/story-bIMoSgalggLuQf3PHMdIOI.html