8    Reducing reservation with YES of Dalits, OBCs

 

8.1     Decreasing reservation with support of poor SC, ST, OBCs

8.2     Details of proposed Economic-Choice System

8.3     Why above proposed law-draft will get YESes from poor SC, ST, OBCs

8.4     Costs

 

8.1 Decreasing reservation with support of poor SC, ST, OBCs

I have proposed a GN-draft that would reduce reservation with YESes of poor SC, ST and OBCs. The system I have proposed is what I call as Economic Choice System.

8.2 Details of proposed Economic-Choice System

1.  Any member of a sub-caste that belongs to ST, SC or OBC can walk to Tahsildar’s office, undergo verification and apply for economic-choice, where in

°       he will still retain his SC, ST, OBC status

°       he will receive inflation adjusted Rs 600 per year, till he cancels economic-choice

°       as long as he gets this payment, he cannot apply in reserved quota.

°       he will be eligible for reservation the day he cancels his economic-choice

°       number of reserved seats will decrease as more and more take economic choice

°       the money shall come from tax on all lands and nowhere else.

2.  Example : Say India has 100 cr of population of which 14% i.e. 14 cr are SC. So if a college has 1000 seats of then 140 are reserved . Now suppose out of these 14 cr SCs, say 6 cr insist on economic-choice then each shall get payment of Rs 600 per year and reservation for SC will go down by 14*6/14  = 6% i.e. will become 8% from 14%.

3.  If a person has opted for economic-choice and then changes to social-choice, he will be entitled for CBR benefits on that day. But if he reverts back to economic choice, he shall get Rs 600/yr payment after 6 months

4.  If a person is Dalit, OBC has opted for economic-choice, he can still obtain seat on quota, but shall become eligible after he cancels economic-choice

5.  If a person has taken seat on SC/ST or OBC quota, he will not be eligible for economic-choice

6.  If both parents have opted for economic-choice, their children below 18 years shall get Rs 600/year for at most (2 sons) or (2 sons, 1 daughter).

8.3 Why above proposed law-draft will get YESes from poor SC, ST, OBCs

Because over 80% of poor SC, ST and OBC cant even clear 12th class and reservation has no meaning for them. A family of 5 will get Rs 3000 year if they accept economic choice and  have nothing to lose. With over 80% SC, ST and OBCs opting for economic choice – the quota will decrease to less than 10%. Now in merit list, we anyway have 10% SC, ST and OBCs. Hence effective reservation becomes near zero. Therefore once TCP is signed and once affidavit demanding Economic Choice is submitted, over 80% SC, STs and OBCs will register YES.

8.4 Costs

As on Jan-2010, India’s population is 116 cr of which about 79 cr is SC, ST and OBCs. Even if all were to take Economic Choice i.e. Rs 600 per year, the cost will be below Rs 48000 cr  i.e. below 1% of GDP. In my proposal, this money is to be collected by wealth tax only. More details are in chap-36 of http://rahulmehta.com/301.htm