Is reservation still vital for India today?
Is reservation still vital for India today? Yes — but not in its current, unchanged form. Reservation still has a role , but how it works today needs serious reform . Why reservation is still necessary ✅ 1. Social inequality didn’t vanish with development Centuries of caste-based exclusion didn’t end in 1947—or with welfare schemes. SC/ST communities still face discrimination in housing, marriage, hiring, and local power structures. Even today, representation in judiciary, higher bureaucracy, private leadership, and academia is skewed. ๐ Development schemes help survival; reservation helps representation . 2. Equal competition ≠ equal starting point A child from a marginalized caste often lacks: Quality schooling Social networks Cultural capital Competing “on merit” without correcting this gap is structural injustice . ๐ Reservation is not charity; it’s a leveling tool . 3. Data supports its impact SC/ST presence in IITs, IIMs, civil services...