Clear the air | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Clear the air

None | By
Apr 28, 2006 09:41 PM IST

The silver lining is that not everyone in the Congress subscribes to Mr Singh?s debilitating plans. His governmental and party colleague, Kapil Sibal, has spoken out clearly against reservations.

HRD Minister Arjun Singh may well be seeing himself as a visionary in action. As is the case with most people so inclined, his  idea of putting his plan into operation is to simply ram it down people’s throats. His proposal of reserving 49.5 per cent seats in government-run engineering, medical and management institutes and bullying the IITs and IIMs to provide caste-based quotas is a disaster in the making for institutions of higher education. Mr Singh may like to see himself as an old-style Congressman, but actually he is not. The grand old party has always been an umbrella party -- representing all sections of society -- that has always come a cropper when trying to play vote bank politics. But this breed of Congressmen, who at one time also included the ‘father of Mandal’, VP Singh, finds the business of correcting social imbalances from a primary level to be too tedious. They do so because it is actually harder to provide equal opportunities at the primary school -- or the pre-specialisation levels -- than to dole out seats according to caste. Also, there is little in terms of political payback that one can get out of a universal policy.

HT Image
HT Image

The silver lining is that not everyone in the Congress subscribes to Mr Singh’s debilitating plans. His governmental and party colleague, Kapil Sibal, has spoken out clearly against foisting reservations in institutions of higher education. Mr Sibal is aware that at stake is the quality of these institutions, the very engine that makes India what it is, not only in the eyes of the world but also in the reckoning of its home-grown talent.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

In the UPA’s common minimum programme, there is no mention of creating a world according to Mandal. Instead, it is clear about ensuring “that all institutions of higher learning and professional education retain their autonomy”, adding that “the UPA will ensure that nobody is denied professional education because he or she is poor”. All Mr Singh has done is to introduce confusion, where none existed. The protesting medical students in Delhi on Wednesday, for instance, will be unable to differentiate between where the UPA’s policy starts and Mr Singh’s policy ends. Perhaps, it’s time for the Prime Minister and his government to clear the confusion, once and for all.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On