The document provides an overview of India's reservation system, which aims to promote access to education and employment for disadvantaged groups. It discusses the types of reservations, including those based on caste, gender, education, employment and transportation. While reservations have helped historically marginalized groups, there is ongoing debate about their impact and whether merits should be prioritized over caste or gender. The document outlines some of the perceived pros and cons, consequences and proposed solutions to balance equity and merit in India's reservation system.

1. RESERVATION SYSTEM IN
INDIA

3. AGENDA
I.
II.
III.
INTRODUCTION
CURRENT SITUATION
TYPES OF RESERVATION
1. EDUCATION BASED
2. GENDER BASED
3. CASTE BASED
4. RESERVATION IN EMPLOYMENT
5. RESERVATION IN TRANSPORTATION
VI. PRO’S AND CON’S
VII. CONSEQUESENCES AND SOLUTION
IX. CONCLUSION

4. INTRODUCTION
■ Reservation is a form of quota-based affirmative action governed by constitutional laws, statutory
laws, and local rules and regulations.
■ Article 46 of the Indian Constitution :-
“Educational and economic interests of the weaker
sections of the people(SCs and STs) should be preserved
and shall protect them from social injustice and all
forms of exploitation ”
Reservations were introduced in the last decades of 19th century when the subcontinent was
divided into British India and 600 princely states.
■

5. INTRODUCTION
Reservation system mostly consists of:
1. STs(Scheduled Tribe): tribes that are not confirmed to Hinduism.
2. SCs(Scheduled Caste): lower castes in the caste hierarchy of the Hindu culture
3. OBC(Other Backward Classes)
4. Women and Children
5. Senior citizens

7. CURRENT SITUATION
■ Total reservation quota stands at 45% in many states of India and this includes the
SCs, STs, and the OBCs.
■ Since economic status is not a test used undeserving people gain the advantages.
■ Mandal Commission Report of 1991 was in favour of Reservations in higher
education and government services for the other backward classes of India.
■ The current slogan in India seems to be “Abolish reservation because merit and
efficiency are in danger.”

8. TYPES OF RESERVATION
a) Education based:
It is a quota based on economic status irrespective of
caste, race and religion; anybody who has money can buy
his/her seat.
b) Gender Based:
The Women's reservation Bill was passed by the Rajya
Sabha on 9 March 2010 by a majority vote of 186
members in favour and 1 against.
c) Caste Based:
Caste is decided based on birth, and can never be changed.
A person can change his religion, and his economic status
can fluctuate, the caste is permanent.

10. TYPES OF RESERVATION
d) Religion Based:
Government says that this sub-quota is based on the backwardness of the religious
communities and not on the religions themselves.
e) Employment Based:
Most of jobs under state government are reserved to those who are domiciles under that
government.
f) Reservation in Ration , Transportation and Taxes etc.

11. TYPES OF RESERVATION
g) Other Criteria:
1) Sons / Daughters / Grandsons / Granddaughters of Freedom Fighters.
2) Physically handicapped.
3) Sports personalities.
4) Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) have a small fraction of reserved seats in educational
institutions. They have to pay more fees and pay in foreign currency.

12. EDUCATIONAL RESERVATIONS
■ IITs and IIMs already have reserved 22.5 per cent seats for scheduled castes and
tribes.
■ Scholarships or student aid is available only to—SCs, STs, BCs, OBCs, women,
Muslims, and other minorities. 0.7% of scholarships in India is based on merit.
■ Difference in fee structure.
■ Caste is given unnecessary importance while giving reservation in colleges.
■ General Category students go for illegal caste certification.
■ Reserved category face problems with higher education.

14. GENDER BASED RESERVATION
■ 33 per cent of all seats in the Lower house of Parliament of India, the LokSabha,
and in all state legislative assemblies for women.
■ The deserving population like the third gender are neglected.
■ Women and children have reservation in transportation.
■ Only 10% of our Parliament comprises of women.

16. CASTE BASED RESERVATION
■ Caste Based Reservation extends to the SC/ST/OBC.
■ 15% of India’s population are UNTOUCHABLES.
■ The Reservation System entitles a percentage of government jobs, elected
offices, and positions in college to these categories.
■ Significantly helped the development of backward class.

18. RESERVATION IN
EMPLOYMENT
1. Article 16 of the Constitution of India
• Clause 1- There shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to
employment or appointment to any office under the state
• Clause 2-” No citizen shall on grounds only of religion, race,caste,sex,descent,place of birth,
residence or any of them, be ineligible for or discriminated against in respect of any
employment or office under the state”
2.Reservation in job promotions
3.Cases against Supreme Court
4.Positive sides to reservations in employment

20. RESERVATION IN
TRANSPORTATION
Major concessions are granted to different categories of persons in Indian Railways
■ 75% concession is granted to disabled passengers, patients, war widows artists
and sportsmen.
■ 25%-50% is granted to senior citizens, awardees, various students and youth
and kisans.
■ Coaches or compartments are reserved for women and physically challenged
people.

22. RESERVATION VS NO-RESERVATION
■ “Do we need talent or reservations to build our country?”
■ Reservation is diluting the quality of education.
■ Many capable candidates are today denied opportunity simply because of shortage of
seats.
■ India does not have the money or resources to increase the number of seats in our
professional colleges.
■ Some sections of the opponents feel reservations to be acceptable on economic
criteria rather than caste.
■ Reservations were part of the constitution when it was released in 1950.
■ It was introduced as a temporary measure to promote equality among all the sections of
the society.

23. SUPPORTERS OF RESERVATION
■ Reservation is a political necessity, required for peace keeping in India.
■ Reservations are a means to increase representation of the present under-
represented caste groups and thereby improve diversity on campus.
■ General category people have never known to go backward due to reservation.

25. NON-SUPPORTERS OF RESERVATION
■ Allocating quotas is a form of discrimination which is contrary to the right to equality.
■ 60% of India that is rural needs schools, health care an infrastructure in rural areas, not
reservation in urban institutions.
■ Under graduates and graduates will start moving to foreign universities for higher
education.

27. PROS AND CONS
■ PROS
1. Upliftment of living standard of people of backward classes.
2. It promotes Social justice.
3. Various opportunities to the backward people.
4. Representation in various aspects of society and decision making to the backward
class.
5. One of the main reason why lower caste people are not converting to other religions.
6. Reservation has helped Indian politicians to get vote banks.

28. PROS AND CONS
■
8.
CONS
1. Suppresses meritocracy, i.e., fewer availability of options to the most capable and deserving
people.
2. Creates a feeling of discrimination.
3. Makes the people less competitive due to a mentality that they would receive seats no
matter what!
4. These policies hide the merit possibility of an individual of a lower class due to the seat he
gets through reservation policy.
5. Feeling of hatred and disrespect, among the people belonging to General category.
6. Created dirty politics.
7. Benefits of reservations are cornered by a small proportion of low caste people, who have
already achieved good social and economic status and people who really need it are still not
benefitted.
Instead of making people united, it has somehow divided the people and make people
always remember about the caste in which they are born.

29. SURVEY
❑
❑ What do you think about reservations in the Indian education system?
a)I am ok with it.
❑ What do you think about reservations in the Indian education system?
b)It needs to go.
What do you think about reservations in the Indian education system?
c)It is ok but needs changes.

30. SURVEY
❑ Do you feel the current reservation system is hampering the
country's progress? a)Yes
❑ Do you feel the current reservation system is hampering the
country's progress? b)No

31. SURVEY
❑ Have you ever suffered any loss due to the reservation
system? a)Yes
❑ Have you ever suffered any loss due to the reservation
system? b)No

32. SURVEY
❑ Do you feel India will ever let go of the reservation
system? a)Yes
❑ Do you feel India will ever let go of the reservation system?
b) No

33. CONSEQUENCES
■ Most students from backward castes do not reveal the truth about their parents income
and get the scholarships for education that they wouldn’t get normally.
■ The government wants to give opportunities to the backward castes to earn salaries like
IIT & IIM graduates but this should not happen at the cost of the quality of education.

34. SOLUTIONS
■ Just three clauses will change the reservation attitude in India:
1. Reservation on the collective salary of the whole family, and incomes derived from all
other sources like gifts or income from joint family property.
2. The benefit of the reservation for only first 2 children of the family.
3. Creation of online database to keep a track of every Indian who recieves the benefits of
reservation in education or job or women reservation.

35. CONCLUSION
■ We can conclude that reservations were introduced in the Indian Education system as a
means for the overall development of the society.
■ However, today all sections of the society have been developed economically, culturally
and socially.
■ Hence, the need for reservations is limited.
■ Complete elimination of reservations is not possible considering the current political
scenario.
■ Hence, reservation should be provided to the people who really need it and those
people should be tracked regularly.

36. THANK YOU