What Do Mumbai UPSC Aspirants Think of PM Modi’s10% Quota Move?

Video Editor: Varun Sharma

The 10% reservation to economically weaker sections is stirring debate across the country. What does the youth of Mumbai think about the 10% reservation for the economically backward upper castes? The Quint, in its special Chaupal series, is asking students and young people their opinion on issues of the day as elections near.

What do they think about this new policy? Is the government’s decision is absolutely right? Or will it be stopped in Supreme Court? Young aspirants of UPSC discuss in this Chaupal from Mumbai.

‘Procedure For 10% Quota Bill Was Faulty’

A shared sentiment among these Mumbai students was that the constitutional amendment didn’t follow a constitutional process. That it was taken in the last two days of the Winter Session struck the students as fairly suggestive of it being an election antic. Some also criticised the government for opening the ‘Pandora’s box’ that is now subject to pressure from various ethnic groups for increasing their caps on reservation.

“A reminder should’ve been given before the session and a discussion should’ve taken place in the country. Nobody opposed it and it got passed in Lok Sabha as well as Rajya Sabha. The process was wrong.”

UPSC Aspirant, Mumbai

‘In the Indira Sawhney case, the Narasimha Rao government had spoken about this 10% quota. Despite this, SC approved a 27% OBC reservation and scrapped this 10% quota. It placed the 50% cap because this shouldn’t become an election stunt. Now, if the central government crosses this 50% cap there’s the issue of Maratha reservation in Maharashtra, Jat reservation in Haryana, and Patels in Gujarat.”

UPSC Aspirant, Mumbai

‘It’s an Election Stunt’

Students also said the government appeared to have misunderstood the point of reservation. The basic feature of reservation, they say, is to remove inequalities in society, and the bill is nothing but a well-timed stunt.

“We believe it is an election stunt only because the process happened really fast. And it an important decision. A decision on reservation cannot be taken in 2 days since it’s a very significant issue.”

UPSC Aspirant, Mumbai

(This article was originally published on Quint Hindi)