Why do the PM and President, all MPs want only the best of the doctors from India and abroad, to check even their cold and cough?

Why do they rush to AIIMS and Vedanta for trivial of their medical needs, even after having a battery of doctors on duty at their palaces to attend them 24×7?

It will be very interesting to know, how many of the doctors on the panels of the PM and President of the country have emerged through reservation in Medical admissions, and reservation system in their promotions!!

India does need an affirmative action to facilitate socially, economically and financially, the marginalized. But, the way the reservation system as a tool to facilitate has been abused by political fraternity, the power-holders to manipulate the oppressed to remain in power or further their own interests.. The system was introduced initially for a period of ten years, with an aim to use it empower the marginalized by erasing the socio-economic disparities.

In the on-going session of the parliament, the bill that empowers state GOVTS on reservations for OBC was passed unanimously, without any discussion, even when the entire opposition did not allow any other discussion to take place.

I am writing this article because, recently in the WhatsApp University somebody shared this pic and a discussion emerged. I thought instead of being part of the ranting, I should write.

‌Not just in IITs, in every top institution of repute, excellence is fostered and need to be fostered if nation has to excel. We cannot afford to promote substandard gentry. Anyone who is hardworking and purposeful, irrespective of which section of society he or she comes from, cruises through the programs.

‌Unfortunately, quite a few who have come through the reservations struggle, as they have never competed with the best. One can easily get the data of the entrance exam scores, of aspirants from across the competing categories!

I am sharing the cut offs of reputed institutions for PG programs, at AIIMs and IIT Delhi. It means an aspirant is applying consciously, purposefully after undergoing his or her undergrad program. Should not they be competent enough to be admitted with same score cutoffs?

‌There are a couple of terms in computer science. WYSISWYG – what you see is what you get. GIGO – Garbage in is garbage out. This is applicable to any system.

Nation cannot afford Garbage Out there!

It is very very important to facilitate socially and economically marginalized sections of the society to excel very early in life, to create a healthy society, healthy nation in mind, body and soul!

Reservation was a quick fix solution when the then leaders of the country thought about it, to genuinely facilitate the marginalized. Unfortunately the subsequent generations of degenerated leaderships of the country are using it to remain in power through appeasement of their vote banks, instead of bettering the systems and process to foster competency.

‌I have enough instances to show, where a generation who availed the reservation policy when it was introduced, to become an IAS or any civil servant, or gain any professional qualification, and subsequently gained socio-economic power, still seeking reservation for their grand child and great grand child!

– What has this done to the neighbours and society, of every caste and creed (unfortunate social stratification of evolution of humanity and society in India. It was intended for classification of work, ended being tool to divide and rule…and that got greater and greater traction as power hungry politicians exploited and continue to) clamouring for inclusion into the ‘categories’. And interestingly to cultivate their political constituency, the power-mongerers went on adding more categories!!

Would any reservations for athletes to send to Asian games or Olympics get a gold? NO! Whatever few that have been won, has been because the nation/a few leaders/individuals over the years have been working to identify potential athletes, create some semblance of infrastructure and facilitated that potential through all possible means. Eventually the athletes competed with world’s best and achieved whatever he or she could. Hopefully with record medals in TOKYO2020, an inspired nation and inspired leadership and industry may step in to facilitate the nation reach the top 3 in the medals tally by 2036. We surely can have dozens of Neeraj, Sindhu and Mary in a decade or two. Can’t we, if we create systems and processes that are world class?

Reservation is addressing the symptom, and not the disease. We have been addressing the disease in sports to some extent. Will write a different article on fostering talent in sports. For now let me leave it here.

To address the disease, what is needed is to start facilitating from early childhood, middle school and groom children to make them competent, the way a sportsperson or even a person in fine arts or performing arts are groomed with a purpose. You can never have any, half baked ones in sports or arts! It shows!

Every profession demands good understanding of the subject, applying the knowledge to impact. Hence the system of learning and evaluation of understanding will be exacting and cannot change, if the nation needs capable and competent professionals. Can we have any half baked or unbaked professional?

For the continuously evolving knowledge society we need life-long learners, thinking mind and skilled hands. If this is not done, the divide will further increase.

The industry says only 20% of the engineers are employable. Requisite skill sets missing. Not a single engineer can solve the simple electricity or plumbing problem at home. He immediately calls the electrician and plumber, who have learnt from their electrician or plumbing father.

The empowerment of marginalised has to be through a compelling process from school. The govt has to invest say 20% of the budget to education, 20% to health for atleast a decade or two to empower every family with compellingly capable, skilled, evolved, competent generation.

Education and Health – Delhi sets an example. Sports, Odisha has stepped in and Skills, Kerala has been a torch bearer.

I sincerely request you to read ahead, with an objective state of mind, without alluding to any political colors. I will be more than happy to add more examples, if they are invaluable to the essence of the article. If you have, kindly share.

EDUCATION

Glad to see the Government of Delhi, run by educated and competent leadership started the process. For the last six odd years, 50% of the budget has been allocated to health and education.

– School leaders and teachers trained from the best of the places, through best of the programs. Imagine government school teachers being awarded best by the nation.

– Our driver, who has been with us since he was single is like family. After he got married and had children, Indira, my better half got his children admitted in the neighborhood private schools that he wanted the children to be in. After 7-8 years, now, he wanted the children to be moved to completely transformed govt school in his neighbourhood, that is one of the TALENT fostering schools run by Delhi GOVT. This transformation is huge.

– Having laid a strong foundation in education, the govt first created a skill college a few years ago, and now establishing full-fledged Universities for skill education and capacity building, and yet another for sports Competent leadership with proven track record have been head-hunted to lead these – Olympic medal winner as the Vice-chancellor of the sports University, and an IIMA professor, renowned for skill education as the person to head the skills University.

All those children who would have been in the middle school when this govt came into existence have these special universities to go to.

– Similarly, I can talk about Kerala being the Nursing School for the health care sector of the world, the skillset identified and nurtured to make as many people financially independent.

– Haryana has contributed most to the sporting medals of India, thus far. Sports school Rai or reward Policies that made the difference? Needs a thorough research. Whatever it is we need to create systems and process in schools

– Odisha has taken that lead to some extent, in sports, has contributed to the sporting legacy of the nation in the last decade, with Kalinga institutions, being the backbone in fostering, with the proactive CM there!

I will talk about sports in a separate article, as I said.

HEALTH

– Health infrastructure has improved manifold. mohalla clinics have become case studies for developing countries.

– But for the investment made, the COVID devastation would have been far higher. Thankfully Delhi did not witness bodies floating in Yamuna, sadly like other states!

– I have had my COVID shots in Mohalla clinic. Financially well off too can be seen in the Mohalla clinics for exigencies.

Health and education become the bedrock of any nation. Take care of these for a decade or two

– Facilitate families on health
– quality education of children from early childhood
– Foster learning as life long process
– Handhold children during their Ananda, Jigyasa and Sadhana phases of development (read this article)
– identify and build competencies in children for life.

STEPS FOR GOVTS

– Do all the above for a couple of terms of parliament. Demonstrate to the country what all differences it is making.

– Chalk out a detailed Vision Plan 2040, with all political parties of the nation, actively participating.

– Make sure everyone signs on the evolved document.

– Make it part of the constitution, if possible, so that every subsequent govt abides by it

– As part of the resolution, targets and goals to be achieved must be enshrined.

– Demonstrate to people that nation is progress right direction and every one is getting benifitted.

– After which, do a nationwide referendum to seek elimination of reservations, after demonstrating that poorest of the poor and the most marginalized are able to compete and demonstrate their competencies.

– Eliminate reservations in thus evolved nation by 2040 or 2050.