It refers to government-decision favoured generally by opposition parties but only in principle regarding 10-percent reservation for Poor Upper Cast covering roughly 90-percent of people from General category with parameters defined for getting reservation-benefit being as high as household-income above rupees eight lakhs per annum, agricultural land less than 5 acres, residences less than 1000 square-feet and residential plot less than 100 square yards in notified municipal area and 200 square yards in non-notified municipal area. If central government is really sincere about Economically Weaker Section EWS of society, these parameters need to be made realistic. Otherwise proposed 10-percent quota should be doubled to at least 20-percent.
However proposed policy is not likely to be struck down by Apex Court which has fixed maximum 50-percent reservation-quota only for backward classes made under article 16(4) of Constitution as per 1992-clarification by the Supreme Court. Simultaneously Central Government should implement verdict dated 26.09.2018 by five-member Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court for exclusion of creamy layer from reserved categories under scheduled casts and scheduled tribes. Reservation-benefits must be given to families with upto two children.
Complete policy of Reservation incorporated in the Constitution for a limited period of just fifteen years to create a homogeneous castles society is in itself a big failure where this policy has instead made people of reserved categories separately identified from others.
MADHU AGRAWAL