Caste is an Outdated Parameter to Determine Backwardness

Caste is an Outdated Parameter to Determine Social Backwardness and Underdevelopment

Government of India used caste as a parameter to assign social programs for almost seventy years after independence. People of lower castes have enjoyed free education, caste based admissions programs favoring lower castes to be admitted in to educational institutions even though they had only sub par merit. The lower castes also enjoyed quotas in jobs, as well as promotions based on their castes. The reservations system has done miracles for peoples who utilized them. However, it has also left numerous people, especially poor landed caste people as farm laborers and workers on the country-side without much help.

Landed castes are left with small landholdings, often very small farms with very small annual per capita yield that does not support their families, let alone their educational advancement. Landed castes should also be allowed to enjoy the fruits of reservation system under the quota system. Landed caste regardless of ownership of land are the modern backward castes since they face discrimination at every level due to their poverty.

Caste should not serve as a parameter to determine the eligibility to quality for government programs. In the modern world every person living in poverty faces the same discrimination from educated and elite classes regardless of caste.

Asking someone for caste is meaningless in this modern world. Castes that have enjoyed admissions to privileged colleges, and jobs might find it hard to let go of the facilities caste provides them. However, it is necessary that caste should no longer matter for those living in poverty. Every farmer holding less than five acres of land or every person with annual income of less than Rs. five lakhs should qualify for quotas in schools and colleges, with no such preference extended in jobs. Providing equal educational opportunity should be the prerogative of the government. The young people should take advantage of the opportunities to perform to the best of their ability to quality for a variety of employment opportunities the modern world offers.