Reservation in Private Jobs

From the experiences of India with the reservation for more than seven decades, it is now well established but never acknowledged fact (to remain politically correct) that reservation has some positive impact but in a very limited way. Even after more than 70 years of its implementations, it has not been able to achieve the stated goals of making an equal society. Rather it has widened the slits in the society and perhaps caste has become more prominent than ever!

There have been demands for reservation in the private sector by the political class (caste based) on the basis of caste to appease its constituencies since long. Similarly there also have been demands for reservation to locals in employment mainly backed regional or state level parties like Shivsena. Shivsena even had mobilized a massive movement for the same decades back. However neither society nor the government ever found this demand to be genuine enough to ponder about.

Reservation in the government jobs and education was not enough to anchor many distortions for India that a state like Haryana has come up with a legislation to provide 75% reservation in private jobs to locals! This trend will cost India dearly; nationally, socially and economically. It is quite possible that one day one state in order to appease may come up with a law that bans the goods produced outside the state! What would be the consequence of that law?

Central government has been talking and promoting uniformity in the India market through the slogan of ‘One nation, One legislation’ which is the need of the hour as well. But are such legislations consistent with the spirit of 'One nation, One legislation'?

Rajeev Upadhyay