Reserve Seats for OBCs in IIMs and IITs
by MJ Xavier on May 24, 2006 04:30 PM
The argument that reservation for OBCs in IIMs and IITs will compromise the quality is baseless. Even the Harvard University tries to get a good mix of African-Americans, Hispianics and other ethnic minorties.
IIM Ahmedabad has always had quotas for non engineers. (Since the CAT has a quantitative bias large proportion of engineers make it to other IIMs.)
Currently the systems in IITs and IIMs have an upper caste bias. As a person who has served as a selction committe memeber in IIMB for four years, I can vouch for this fact.
Excellent talents are left behind because of lack of opportunities. We have OBCs who come into the civil services through reservation and are doing exceedingly well. When it works for the civil services, why not for IIMs and IITs?
There is a dire need to apply some correction factor immediately. It should ideally be done through self regulation. As it has not happened so far,the time has come for the government to legislate a reservation policy.
M J Xavier IIMC Alumni and Former Professor - IIMB Professor of Marketing IFMR, 24 Kothari Road Chennai - 600 034 Phone: 044-28273801 email: xavier@ifmr.ac.in
