RESERVATION IN INDIA: RHETORIC AND REALITY

Reservation is always contentious and sentimental issue and raises many concerns of the people. The policy of reservation and safeguards provided to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes has adversely affected the unity and solidarity of the nation. Reservation in India is all about reserving access to seats in the government jobs, educational institutions and even legislatures to certain sections of the population. The reservation can also be seen as positive discrimination. Reservation in India is a government policy, backed by the Indian Constitution. Part XVI deals with reservation of SC and ST in Central and state legislature. The need for reservation can be looked from legal and socio-cultural perspective. The act of reservation is reserving seats in educational institutions, certain places of employment for certain castes and classes of society which are considered backward, those being the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Castes. Reservation is an effective measure to end the oppressive discrimination. Reservation facilitates empowerment and social harmony for all in the segments.