‘Reservation system has loopholes, should be a classification within SC-ST’: Vikas Divyakirti on Puja Khedkar case

Dr Vikas Divyakirti, Founder and MD of Drishti IAS, has said that there are many loopholes in the reservation policy and only 10-20% of those who benefit from it are actually from deserving backgrounds. “Reservation as a policy should be there. But the reservation system that we have maintained over the years has many loopholes,” he said in a podcast with ANI editor Smita Prakash.

The UPSC recruitment process came into the limelight after it emerged that Puja Khedkar, a trainee IAS officer, had allegedly forged her documents to join the government. Following her case, social media was flooded with instances where some candidates appeared to be beneficiaries of reservation even though they did not deserve it.

“I was in the general category. My rank was 384. My friends who were around 415-420 ranks became IPS and IAS officers. But I ended up in Group B service, ultimately in CSS. So in a way I have seen this. Despite this, I am in favour of reservation,” Divyakirti said.

He said that there is no creamy layer in reservation for SC-ST categories. In a judgment of 2004-5, the Supreme Court introduced the concept of creamy layer in SC-ST promotions, which ensured that promotions are given on the basis of specific reasons. Otherwise, there is no creamy layer in SC-ST.

“I personally know a family where the father was an IAS officer and the mother was a senior officer. All three children are civil servants – IAS or IPS and their husbands are also IAS or IPS. I don’t understand why this family should get SC-ST reservation,” he questioned.

Drishti IAS MD suggested rationalising the reservation to uplift the entire community, not just a few families. “In the country, 8% are STs and 16% SCs, which roughly translates to about 11 crore STs and 22 crore SCs, making a total of 33 crores. The number of government jobs available in a year can be a maximum of about 2 crores, and the SC-ST share in these jobs, even at 24%, would be about 40-45 lakhs. Out of these 33 crores, we have to think about who is benefiting from these 40-45 lakh reserves.”

“If we offer reservations, we should do it scientifically and logically,” he said, adding that just as there was caste-centric elitism in Hindu society, some families within reserved communities have become elitist and do not want to lose the benefits of reservations.

“These elites have influenced their entire community to feel that reservation is being taken away from them. The truth is that there should be a classification within SC-ST just as there is in OBC.”

In OBC reservation, a concept of creamy layer was introduced in the Indra Sawhney case to ensure that if someone belongs to the creamy layer, he or she is treated as a general. This creates a significant difference as a general candidate can become an IAS with a rank of 75, while an OBC can become an IAS even with a rank of 400, Divyakirit said.

The rule states that if your parents are in class I jobs, you will not get OBC reservation; if both of them are in group B, you will not get it either. But if they are in group C or D, even with an income above Rs 8 lakhs, you can get OBC reservation, the UPSC mentor said.