The Supreme Court's verdict of 27% OBC quota proves their caliber. They should be applauded for coming up with such fantastic solutions to such serious issues. The interesting thing here is that though most of the politicians fall into the OBC category, it's amazing how none of them have contemplated the repercussions of this. It would almost seem like they don't realize what is it like to be a person of the category. Such fantastically open views in favor of the general public is breath-taking. What amazing confidence the higher brass have in the general publics fairness. The sect of people who have been given extra privileges for 50 years, just that they have been oppressed enough not to use them is a total justification for them to suffer more and to lower the standard of Indian education in general.

Presently close to 6% of the seats in IIT's which are allotted to the SC/ST and OBC sections go vacant due to students not matching up with minimum requirements. Imagine what will happen when more and more seats are allotted from the general quota to this noble cause. The logical explanation would be that they would either have more and more empty seats which could've been filled by students of the greater ranks who didn't get the chance as they just 'general' students (notice I didn't use the word caliber to ensure political correctness), or they reduce the required competency levels to an even lower level for the 'special' kids.

The equal opportunities amendment was made to ensure that no one should be denied justice by' reason of economic or other disabilities and to organize Lok Adalats to ensure that the operation of the legal system promoted justice on a basis of equal opportunity'. Nowhere does it mention the word cast or religion. India is supposed to be secular where caste and creed should not have any place in deciding the opportunity available to a person. Just because a sect has been oppressed for a significant amount of time doesn't mean they should be given preferential treatment over someone who is more capable. I do not advocate being insensitive to what their ancestors have gone through, but dividing people to get an education on basis of sect is pretty ridiculous. One is actually advocating using your sect, not your status in the society as the basis for education. Someone rightly commented, that people in the category would be from their caste first, country later.

Apart from diluting competition, the general category students will have an even tougher time to get into a good school. This will lead to parental pressure, x,y,z, and so forth. I can't even imagine the problems this can have. Diluting your institutes quality is no way to bring equality among the student crowd.

I have a friend who passed out of a government engineering college. I remember a conversation I had with him when Arjun Singh had the brain seizure of an idea to make half the college education for people who's ancestors some time back were oppressed. His words may be a little distorted now, but I believe the gist of the conversation led to him and his friends waiting for the quota to pass through and the new lot of OBC's to come in from that quota. The reception he described wasn't pleasant. Thankfully the system was not put into action till after he passed out. But there will be others with that thought process. The point of the matter is, that due to this divide, there will be increased disparities among different castes in the future. The next coming batch of students will feel the full shrug of anger because one student's friend could not come to the same place as him or his younger brother could not get into the same college as him or plain and simple, other's more capable with a better rank and has lost 2 yeas in high school slogging away their life but do not belong to a system of division which gave his ancestors greater privileges than some others about a few centuries ago. I guess he'll be thinking 'thanks great great great grand pop for screwing me over. Hope you had fun'.

The top institutions this year are increasing the tuition fee for all students. For whatever reason this may be the case one thing is for sure, the number of subsidized seats will have to be increased, so the regular folk will have to pay for them too. Not to mention sharing a classroom with people who may not be able to keep up with the pace and the teachers will have to slow down, lest being judges as inadequate. The thoughts of having such a constantly diminishing education system makes one wonder about the quality of education which will be available.

Don't get me wrong. I am for uplifting the poorer sections of society, who do have a handicap with respect to the student from a higher society, for which they should be given a quota. An economic basis for a quota at school level would be the most ideal system as far as I am concerned. But having a system which will definitely lead to a detriment of the future society will be something unacceptable. Having a 20 - 25% quota for the poorer sects would still be on the higher side but would be somewhat acceptable. But the present system, which I have mentioned several reasons for and will mention once again, could increase caste system and India could take a step back in development and social growth in the future.

I don't even want to get into what will happen, hypothetically of course, when this new system is implemented. But all I can say is I hope it bombs before too long. After all, the only good that can come out of the system will be something for the housewives to bitch about when some other's kid got into a good institute through the quota system. Sobering thought isn't it.