http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Drop%20it!/165100/
Drop it! Posted online: May 01, 2006 at 0000 hrs The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) chief economist, Ifzal Ali, is dot on when he says there is no doubt that introduction of quotas in the private sector would prove “counter-productive.” It will merely lead to a flight of domestic and foreign capital, as also of skilled labour. The best way to ensure that those who lag, either economically or socially owing to caste or class, is not through reservations. Rather, it is through education, particularly at the school level. If the government remains adamant about reservations in the private sector, it is unlikely anyone would want to invest in the country. Globalisation means Indian companies have to compete in the global arena with rivals who are not bogged by similar restrictions. In such a scenario, there is no way they can be competitive if they cannot hire the best talent available, regardless of caste or colour. Merit will have to be the only criterion. Sacrificing merit at the altar of reservations will lead the country nowhere. Especially in today’s environment, when the demand for skilled labour comes not only from within India but also from across the world. If skilled labour is not able to find jobs here, it will up and leave. Today labour might not be remotely as mobile as capital, but the day is not far off when the developed world will be forced to relax visa restrictions. Not only because of the compulsions of the World Trade Organisation—where services trade is very much a part of the agenda — but also because of the shortage of labour/greying of the population in these countries. It’s much the same story when it comes to reservation in institutions of higher education. Many of the best and brightest will simply go abroad, especially now that it is so much easier, both because of easier access to loans and because foreign universities are actively wooing Indian students. What the government really needs to do in the spheres of education and employment is not reserve seats or jobs but provide better opportunities to the under-privileged. ------------------------------------ ---- INFORMATION OVERLOAD? Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to [email protected], OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ PARTICIPATE:- On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to [email protected] TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:- If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to [email protected] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/ Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
