The Modern Rationalist – July 2019

T

he Constitution of India provides

reservation in jobs and admission into

educational institutions to the socially

and educationally weaker section. The economic

criterion was deliberately dissociated from the

reservation provisions after meaningful debate

and discussion in the Constituent Assembly. For

the uplift of economically weaker sections(EWS),

financial assistance may be extended in the

form of welfare measures. The basic tenet of

social justice is to compensate the marginalized

sections who were enslaved historically and

denied dignified life. To decelerate this social

justice progress, diluting the very concept of

reservation, and to put in reverse direction

the anti-forces of social justice are striving by

taking up the economic criterion continuously.

The economic status of a person is not a

permanent one but is subject to change. Such

criterion cannot be stipulated in reservation

policy that is meant for the sections who were

subjugated socially over many centuries.

The political leadership which assumed power

The Modern Rationalist

July 2019

to rule at the Centre and in the selected States

took initiatives and issued circulars for the

reservation solely on economic criterion in the

past with deliberate misunderstanding. When

such government notifications were challenged

in the court of law, it was decided in clear

cut terms against the inclusion of economic

criterion in the reservation policy. The verdict

was given by the NINE judge Constitutional

Bench of the Supreme Court. Despite the

explicit mention in the Constitution and the

verdict of the apex judiciary, the anti-forces of

social justice are trying again and again to bring

reservation based on economic criterion.

The BJP led NDA rule brought Constitutional

Amendments for the implementation of

reservation policy for the section who are

economically weaker. 10 per cent reservation

for EWS section was introduced in order to

push forward the sections who are already over

represented when the socially and educationally

backward people are not even getting their due

share.

V. Kumaresan