Reservation in India

This issue is the hot topic these days among the youth.Its been discussed over and over in newspapers and television and even in the canteens of various colleges.Finally,it has also found a place in my blog.
This topic isnt a new one and its history dates back to the 1920s.

History
It all started in 1921 when Madras Presidency introduced reservation of 44% for non-brahmins 16% for Brahmins, 16% for Muslims, 16% for Anglo-Indians/ Christians and 8% for Scheduled Castes.Then when India got independence in 1947 Dr.B.R.Ambedkar provided reservation for socially backward sections including schedule castes and schedule tribes.In 1979,Mandal commision was established which included another caste in reservation strata known as other backward caste(OBC).The funny thing about this commision is that it used the consensus of 1930 to determine the population of these OBCs.Total reservation quota went upto 60%.This commision was opposed by many.Rajiv Goswami, a Delhi university student attempted self immolation.
In 2006 Reservations introduced for Other backward classes in Central Government Educational Institutions. Total Reservation went up to 49.5%.

This is how the caste scenario of today looks like...


There are many arguments available for and against this reservation.We saw lots of news channels recently calling leading analysts and politicians to have a debate on this topic.Here I present both sides of the coin..

Arguments offered by supporters of reservation

1.Affirmative Action schemes are in place in many countries including USA, South Africa, Malaysia, Brazil etc. It was researched in Harvard University that Affirmative Action programmes are beneficial to the under-privileged. The studies said that Blacks who enter elite institutions with lower test scores and grades than those of whites achieve notable success after graduation. They earn advanced degrees at rates identical to those of their white classmates. They are even slightly more likely than whites from the same institutions to obtain professional degrees in law, business and medicine. They become more active than their white classmates in civic and community activities.

2.Affirmative Action has helped many - if not everyone from under-privileged and/or under-represented communities to grow and occupy top positions in the world's leading industries.Reservation in education is not THE solution, it is just one of the many solutions. Reservations is a means to increase representation of hitherto under-represented caste groups and thereby improve diversity on campus.
3.To provide social justice to the most marginalized and underprivilaged is our duty and their human right. Reservation will really help these marginalized people to lead successful lives, thus eliminating caste-based discrimination which is still widely prevalent in India especially in the rural areas. (about 60% of Indian population stays in Villages)

4.Reservations in Tamil Nadu over 30 years have worked to such a level that OBCs are able to outshine the Forward Castes (See Tamil Nadu Figure Below) and hence the overall performance of the students have increased validating the argument that reservation brings out the best from the weaker sections of the society.

5.Casteism is the root cause of the suffering of more than half (according to the disputed Mandal Commission) of India's population. To eliminate casteism we need to help underprivileged people to do well in their education and share the same social status as the upper caste people. There are Reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs in all the southern states of India and the quality of education has only increased. The fact that most of the software, Information Technology and other advanced industries are found in the southern states prove that the persons getting seats through reservations after graduation are competent.

6.Reservation is everywhere in India - The head of a big firm is always the son of the company's chair, irrespective of the fact that there is another meritious person. The post of Temple priest in some temples is reserved only for a man from the Brahmin Caste, even if there is another person who knows the mantras. There exists practices of having separate temples with Gods like Ayyanar, Mariammal etc , which are situated outside the village and the priests in these temples are not brahmins. Janitor jobs are mostly done by people from the lowest caste, with very few exceptions, which are rare enough to make headlines There is no opposition to these kind of reservations, since these are for the benefits of "upper castes". The only opposition is the reservations in education, since those would benefit people from the "lower castes" to climb the social ladder.

Arguments offered by anti-reservationists

1.Caste Based Reservation only perpetuate the notion of caste in society, rather than weakening it as a factor of social consideration, as envisaged by the constitution. Reservation is a tool to meet narrow political ends.

2.Affirmative Action can be provided at a more comprehensive level taking into account various factors of exclusion such as caste, economic conditions, gender, kind of schooling received etc. A comprehensive scheme of Affirmative Action would be more beneficial than reservations in addressing concerns of social justice. Such a system was in place in the Jawaharlal Nehru University till 1983 [called the "Deprivation Points" system] and is used by both Universities and the industry in the USA.

3.Political parties & central government paint false picture of inequality between Forward Castes and Other Backward classes without referring its own survey results . National surveys results indicate that Other backward classes are comparable to Forward Castes in many parameters. http://mospi.nic.in/mospi_nsso_rept_pubn.htm.This was pointed out by many analysts who analysed survey results and by Oversight committee in its final report.Backward classes outshine Forward Castes in important parameters like business ownership, rural employement, health indicators in many states etc. Other Backward Classes are comparable to Forward Castes in landholding pattern which is used by national surveys to understand the wealthiness of various social groups.


4.Allocating quotas is a form of discrimination which is contrary to the right to equality.

5.The policy of reservation has never been subject to a widespread social or political audit. Before extending reservation to more groups, the entire policy needs to be properly examined, and its benefits over a span of nearly 60 years have to be gauged.

6.Poor people from "forward castes" do not have any social or economical advantage over rich people from backward caste.

7.Combination of factors like Wealth, Income, Occupation etc will help to identify real needy people. Most often, only the economically sound people make use of most of the seats reserved for "backward" castes, thus making the aim a total failure.

After you have read this you might want to know what I want to say about the issue.The main problem with this reservation issue is the government itself.Even after 60 years of independence if the government says that there is still a section of society that is backward it directly reflects as to how much we have developed as a nation.Also after 60 years,instead of decreasing reservation it has increased it to accommodate more castes and sections.Anyway,we need to be optimistic and suggest some steps so that the reservation really helps the ones who need it the most.I came across a blog which has many workable suggestions.

What I want to say about the reservation thing is that reservation is absolutely necessary in view of the country's current situation.But we need to apply this reservation in an effective manner so that maybe in 20 years or so every Indian becomes equal in the educational,political and economical aspect and finally we can put an end to this reservation.At that point of time all will be treated as equal and we can put our full workforce for the development of our nation.

Source:Answers.com

Bollywood & Piracy

We all know that piracy is a crime.But I just thought of Piracy through the mind of a communist.The first question that arises is "Why do People Pirate?".Here are some reasons that I could think of.First and foremost is the business of piracy itself.Though its illegal and the pirated version of the movie has a dismal quality, this trade is flourishing and is worth crores.This makes us think "Why are pirated movies though being of low quality so popular ?" Though there are many reasons for their popularity,I want to discuss the most important one,The Cost.

The cost of one cd which has one movie can be as low as Rs.30.At such a cost at least one whole family can watch it.If we compare it to the cost the family would incur in watching the same can be anywhere between Rs.160-600(In metros the latter figure is more prominent).So the high ticket cost these multiplexes and theatres charge distance the lower middle class families from watching the movies.

The second question that keeps boggling me is "If the lower middle class and the poor class(which are a major chunk of the Indian society) are really benefited from piracy,then Is piracy really a crime ?"Then I searched for reasons as to why its a crime.The main reason is that it steals the copyright of the distributor,hence incurring a loss not only to the distributor but also to the producer.Then I analyzed how big the loss is and if it can be reduced in anyway.

First of all the budget of every hindi movie made these days is so huge(around an average of Rs.30-40 crores) that they cant recover their expenditure unless it is a smash hit.Secondly,atleast two movies are released each week,which makes the chances of a smash hit decrease.And lastly the high ticket prices in metros also discourages some cinemagoers.

I found some solutions to these problems.Firstly,the budget of the movies can be easily reduced by decreasing the money spent on filmstars.Imagine if Shahrukh's income is reduced from Rs.10 crores to Rs.10 lakhs.This will not only drastically decrease the budget but also help in reducing the economic disparities between the ultra rich and the poor.As the budget will reduce so is the loss incurred in case of a flop,whereas if the film is a smash hit then the profit can be shared with the actors so that they are accountable for the movie.

Secondly,reduce the number of movies filmed.Well this entirely depends on the producers but I sincerely think that it can be done.We are already seeing that most of the movies have non-sensical script and direction.

Thirdly,the ticket price of the multiplexes can be reduced so that more and more people are encouraged to watch their superstars on the big screen.More and more theatres can be opened so that a housefull situation does not occur.

Some might argue that no actor will accept this proposal.Surely they wont;but some negotiation can be definitely sought.These steps will not only lower the budget of movies but also discourage cinemagoers from buying pirated discs.

If we follow these steps I sincerely feel that piracy will come down.Just advertising that Piracy is a crime is not a solution.We all want piracy to end.What we have to do is to get to its root and solve it.

Media of today

We all know how drastic is the effect of media on the masses.In the earlier days when media was in its adolescence its news used to be transparent,to the point and that which appealed the masses.In the modern era with great advent in the communication and the reach of media,the quality of news has diminished to a great extent.A new era has begun where emphasis is on "POPULAR NEWS" or the news which the masses would like to read.Whether it be TOI,The Hindustan Times or The Indian Express;all have been hit badly by this phenomenon.The contents of the newspapers now contain full bla-bla about film stars;their latest affairs,their attire and every other detail which would make them popular.Take for example the marriage of Abhishek bacchan and Aishwarya Rai;First page photographs and news about their attire and the function was all to be seen.I am not against such kind of news;I just want to say that there are many more important matters to be told to the people like the booming Indian economy,the rapid growth in the software sector etc.

Another drawback of today's media is its pessimistic attitude.The news of corruption of Indian society is shown on the first page using flashy titles whereas the success of the India's space endeavors are shown in the middle of the newspaper in a small column.As a result,this attitude is reflected in the people also.

Then comes the issue of aping western culture.Indian society is always compared to the western world.Little do they realize that Indian culture and society is contemporary in itself.
The quantity of news has also decreased thanks to the full page advertisements and promotions.It seems as if you are paying to read the advertisements and not the news.

The television media's effects are even more adverse.They not only show live coverage of the marriage of Abhi-Aish,they also call astrologers live to their studio to ask questions about the future of their marriage.This not only intrudes their personal lives but also shows how media is lost and is unable to find news in this ever changing world.
On a closing note I just want to say that the news agencies need to be more optimistic in their news and stop wasting time on politicians,movie actors and show us the real India,the common man.

Microsoft's monopoly and Windows Vista

With another newer version of windows coming up, its just another way of Microsoft telling the world "We are going low on sales,so we have launched a new product".These newer versions of OS's are a threat to the third world countries.I will justify this statement on the basis of a simple argument.Newer versions means better features,better GUI,which means nothing but more load on the hardware thereby slowing down your PC's performance.For example, I own a Pentium III processor with 64 MB ram, 20 GB hard drive,windows 98 and I bought this in 1999.For 2 years it worked fantastically well,then gradually the performance declined and now its almost dead.If you are a tech. freak then you will say that I work on an outdated PC and must change it immediately.But why?I just use the computer to access the internet to check mail and stuff that a computer of this level can easily provide.It ain't dead because of outdated software,but its dead because of unavailability of updated outdated software.This might be a little complicated to understand.I visit microsoft's website now and then but it says it wont provide me with updated version of windows 98(coz its outdated),I dont get the latest drivers either because of the same reason.This vicious circle goes a little more circular.I can't update to a newer version of OS coz i don't have enough RAM.The new OS asks for pentium 4 which costs a lot.Its not only the problem of the OS.I wanted some simple MP3 playback software;even winamp wanted my computer to have a windows XP.So you see I was in a mess.Now even though I dont need a pentium 4,i dont need better graphics,dont need performance,I am forced to buy all the latest hardware and then software.
My case is just one in a billion in this country.In offices,where a computer is required just for managing accounts and even a MS-Dos will do;are trapped in this vicious circle.Techies will obviously be against me and will say that technology is improving,so should you.I am not against Microsoft on releasing the latest software.I just want them to keep the updates for outdated softwares also.This way you can reach the masses and technology can really help the needy.Another way of terrorizing people is the enormous price of the software.The price of just one OS is Rs.5000 which is just not affordable.And then they say that we use pirated software.In short what I am trying to convey here is that with technological advancement and globalization, the poorer sections or even the middle class is affected to a great extent.The solution to this problem is bringing the 'Free Software' concept to every software(even to drivers) so that each person can have a computer that suits his needs and thus the real motive of technology i.e. to serve the people is fulfilled.

Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits

Here I am again with another stereotypical post.This is being written when I am in world's most boring place also known as RCI in a city called Hyderabad.On one fine morning I was woken up by my dad who was annoyed by my extended sleeping hours during the summer holidays.According to him it was high time that I did something purposeful during the holidays.He wanted me to do a project which was related to my godly subject i.e. Electronics.He was already vexed by my ideas for the holidays like learning guitar,linux.So here I am in GAETEC (Gallium Arsenide Enabling Technology Centre),Hyderabad to pursue a project on MMICs(Monothic Microwave Integrated circuits).The name itself scares the hell out of me,but then I came to a conclusion that nothing could be done about it.The first day at work just involved gaining knowledge about what was being done in this facility.The office,the labs looked like some sci-fi movie;the people wearing suits like those of astronauts, working with intricate instruments and most importantly chit-chatting about something that sounded like alien invasion.I had seen nothing like this before,the thought that I had to work here for a month itself scared me.

The next step was choosing a project for myself,there was not much of a choice though and my guide said "We will design a 3-bit Phase Shifter",and I thought "Hooha, nice name,will be fancy among friends".As I had no idea about the subject,I was given a 300 pages book and was told to complete in a day.For this I prayed "Oh God,Please make me a small wonder" but no help came.I followed my thumb rule which said "Read the book like a novel and leave the rest to the guide" and completed the book in one day.To my luck the guide believed in me and didn't cross-question.
Finally I started the second step and the most crucial one,designing of the circuit.This involved a software known as Microwave Office.Things got similar with time and with the great help of my guide i progressed a lot in it.But it was all like something that was boring and stuff that people had already done.I was just playing with some numbers,graphs and equations to make the figures look better.

But it was not the project that bugged me entirely,some part of it can be contributed to where I stay,The Guest House.Though I lived with my dad;there was no living creature to be seen for kilometers of area,seemed like Rama's ashram during his Vana vaasa.I could resort to only the idiot box or the internet for entertainment which I couldn't stand for more than an hour.Then I resorted to the best time pass that is dozing off.Sometimes people would visit the guest house to meet my father and I was obviously introduced in such meetings.These meetings were also boring talks related to the office and more importantly a compound known as GaAs(known as the most useful compound for the electronics or in general the semiconductor industry).

I don't know how much more of this project I can stand but great people say that this gives a golden glow to your resume and job opportunities(Yawnn!!!).