Why in the news?
The Maharashtra State legislative assembly passed the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Bill, 2024, to provide 10% Reservation to the Maratha Community.
About the Bill
- It was drafted based on a Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (Shukre Commission) report.
- It identified the Maratha community as a Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC).
- The bill provides for 10% reservation to the Maratha community in recruitment for government jobs, and admissions to public as well as private educational institutions.
- The Bill specifies that this reservation will be over and above the seats reserved for various communities under existing Acts in the state.
- Reservation would be available only to the persons belonging to the SEBC who are not falling in the Creamy Layer.
Reasons for the rise in demand for reservation
- Structural factors: Declining income from agriculture, and inability to find alternative opportunities and employment in the techno-innovation-driven new job market.
- Challenges in the job market: Wages in the private sector, particularly at the entry-level, are much lower than in the public sector.
- Further, the latter provides more social security and is comparatively stable, thus the demands for reservation in public sector jobs.
- Political Factors: Political mobilization based on caste too has fuelled demands for reservation. E.g. Patidars in Gujarat, the Kapus in Andhra Pradesh and the Jats in Haryana.
- Relative deprivation: When a community feels other communities in their region, economically and socially in similar conditions, are getting the benefits of reservation, they also claim for the same status.
- Intra-community variations: Despite relative dominance, there are significant intra-community variations in terms of income and educational outcomes among some communities.
- For instance, the economic division among the Maratha farmers of Marathwada and western Maharashtra. This led to demands for Maratha reservations.
Impact of Caste-based reservation
- Social Justice: Correct the historical injustice faced by the persons belonging to specific castes, and to provide them a level playing field to compete.
- Representation: Caste-based reservation is aimed to ensure adequate representation of marginalized communities in various sectors, including government jobs.
- Substantive equality: Equality in the Constitution is not merely formal equality but embodies substantive equality, which means striking at vast socio-economic inequalities often based on caste.
Judicial pronouncements related to reservation
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Issues with caste-based reservation
- Social backwardness not necessarily caste based: Backwardness may include other factors too, like, residence, occupation, economic status or some other dominant feature.
- The preferred treatment of those already benefited: Solely applying caste criteria as the basis of reservation leads to recurring benefits to those who may already have improved their position.
- Antithetical to casteless society: Caste-based reservation policy leads to perpetuation of the caste system.
- Multiplication of demand for reservation: Post reservation, there is a tendency even among dominant casts to seek the “backward” tag, in the hope of enjoying the benefits of reservations.
- Ignores intra-caste inequalities: Significant intra-community variations in terms of income and educational outcomes, get ignored in a solely caste-based reservation.
Way Forward
- Comprehensive socio-economic survey: To evaluate the implementation of reservation, and its outcomes, and to find out which group deserves reservation based on constitutional provisions.
- Promote balanced economic growth: Caste-based reservation demand, particularly among dominant castes is often the manifestation of agrarian distress, lack of quality jobs, relative deprivation etc.
- Thus, there is a need to address the underlying issues through rural development, job creation, balanced regional development etc.
- Creamy layer criterion: There is a need to uphold this criterion to ensure that those genuinely deserving, enjoy the benefits of reservation.