Reservation vs Meritocracy: Battle of Principals
Meritocracy is imperative for the evolution of any free society. Meritocracy is a natural disposition of hierarchy in a community that rewards people exclusively on their ability. Due to its intrinsic qualities, meritocracy is always encouraged and promoted. It is strictly based on the idea of equal treatment that is free from any prejudice and favouritism. In practical terms, meritocracy is predicated on equality of opportunity and refusal of discrimination based on factors related to gender, class, caste, religion, place, etc. On the other hand, proponents of reservations strictly refuse to overlook the factors of discrimination mentioned above. According to them, an individual's background is critical for determining his/her merit in a society that has voluntarily or involuntarily favoured one group over the other. This favouritism that has played out in the community for a significant time period has even contaminated the system at the policy level. So even if meritocracy is