Notes on Reservation in India

The historically disadvantaged members of Indian society were given a chance to climb back up the social ladder when the Reservation system was implemented in India. Opportunities are made available to members of economically disadvantaged groups such as Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and Economically Backward Classes through the provision of reservations for these groups in legislative bodies, jobs in the government, promotions, and educational scholarships. Currently, 49.5 percent of spaces at higher education institutions are reserved for students from underrepresented groups. In the Parliament, they follow a similar ratio as well. The percentage of land that is reserved varies from state to state. It is estimated that the state of Maharashtra has the greatest proportion of reservations.

The first time white people had contact with Native Americans was when the term “reserve” was first used. The Native Americans signed treaties that “reserved” a piece of the land for themselves but nevertheless required them to give up vast areas of their territory. The term “reservation” refers to a variety of different-sized plots of land on which native people were expected to dwell.

Reservation in India

Almost immediately after India gained its independence, the country’s constitution was amended to include provisions for reservations. These amendments were made in order to acknowledge the historical injustices committed against people who belonged to backward groups and to ensure that people in these groups would have improved access to resources and opportunities.

It was decided to implement reservations in India for the following reasons:

• To make up for past and historical wrongs committed against India’s backward classes.
• To ensure that people from all castes have an equal chance of being represented in government positions.
• To ensure that everyone, regardless of caste, has access to an equal platform.
• To promote and advance India’s backward classes.
• To rectify past and historical injustices committed against India’s backward classes.

The Reason Behind the Practice of Reservation in India

According to the Constitution of India, the primary purposes of providing reservations are as follows:

Adequate representation of any backward class of citizens or economically weaker sections (EWS) in the services under the State – Article 16 (4) and Article 16 (5) Advancement of Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes (ST) OR any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens (Eg: OBC) OR economically weaker sections (EWS) – Article 15 (4), Article 15 (5), and Article 15 (6) Adequate representation of any backward class of citizens OR (6)

Reservation Quota in India

As of March 2021, the following is a breakdown of the reservation quotas that are available in India for those applying for jobs in the government or admission to higher education institutions:

Reservations in India:

• Scheduled Caste: 15%
• Scheduled Tribe: 7.5%
• Other Backward Classes (OBC): 27%
• Economically Weaker Sections (EWS): 10%
• Persons with Benchmark Disabilities: 4%

The Laws Formulated for Reservation in India

The following is a list of some of the most notable laws that were drafted for reserve policy.

1. A special provision for the advancement of backward classes was included in Article 15(4) of the 1951 Constitution’s first amendment.
2. The provision of reservation for backward, SC, and ST classes in private educational institutions was made in Article 15(5) of the 93rd Amendment, which took effect in 2006.
3. Reservation of posts in public employment on the basis of residency as set out in paragraph 3 of Article 16
4. Reservation in public employment for members of backward classes, as described in Article 16(4)
5. Special provisions are discussed for various categories of people in Articles (330-342) of the Constitution.
6. In accordance with the Directive Principles of State Policy, governments are obligated to improve the health and living conditions of disadvantaged groups as outlined in Article 45.
7. Under the Directive Principles of State Policy, governments are required to provide economically backward classes with access to justice and free legal assistance in accordance with Article 39 A.

Conclusion

Caste reservations guarantee that underrepresented groups are represented in legislative bodies, as well as in educational institutions and employment operated by the government. There is a possibility that candidates from other socioeconomic strata will not be considered for open positions if an ST, SC, or OBC candidate does not fill the position. This discourages prejudice in these very important areas.