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The Tactics Employed to Limit Opportunities for SC/ST/OBCs

1. Vacancy Hoarding:

  • A significant number of central government positions remain vacant.
  • This strategy benefits dominant castes as filling these positions would inevitably increase representation of SC/ST/OBCs.

2. Manipulation of Unreserved Seats:

  • Filling unreserved seats primarily with dominant caste candidates.
  • Disqualifying qualified SC/ST/OBC applicants for unreserved positions through various means.
  • Converting reserved seats to unreserved after a period of time due to a lack of suitable SC/ST/OBC candidates.

3. Misclassification of Qualified Candidates:

  • Denying category upgrades to SC/ST/OBC candidates who qualify for unreserved positions.
  • This has resulted in instances where reserved category cut-offs exceed unreserved cut-offs in some cases.

4. Open Merit Movement:

  • Encouraging SC/ST/OBC candidates who qualify for unreserved seats to retain their reserved category status.
  • This benefits dominant caste candidates by freeing up unreserved spots.
  • The introduction of JEE and NEET, coinciding with the implementation of OBC reservation in higher education, is seen as a strategic move to achieve this.
  • The UPSC's consolidated Reserve List, introduced after the implementation of the OBC quota, serves a similar purpose.

5. Penalizing Relaxation Benefits:

  • Disqualifying SC/ST/OBC candidates who utilize age or qualification relaxations, regardless of their final merit ranking.
  • The case of Tina Dabi, who secured the top rank in the civil service exam but was categorized as SC due to using a lower cut-off in the preliminary exam, exemplifies this tactic.

6. EWS Quota:

  • The introduction of the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota is seen as a strategy to further limit access to unreserved seats for SC/ST/OBCs.

Underlying Concerns:

  • These tactics reflect an "anxiety" among dominant castes about losing access to government positions.
  • The question arises: If SC/ST/OBC candidates are truly meritorious and capable of securing unreserved seats, why should they require reservations in the first place?

Conclusion:

The article highlights the concerning trend of employing various strategies to limit opportunities for SC/ST/OBCs in government positions. These tactics underscore the ongoing struggle for equal representation and the need for continued vigilance to ensure the effective implementation of reservation policies.

Source: The Print -


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