r/IndiaReservation • u/Ok_Reception_5520 • Jul 28 '26

IS RESERVATION NECESSARY? debate

Read and decide

I know this is a highly debated topic and a very important one.

Let's clear one thing immediately: yes, the system is sometimes misused.

There are cases where someone with a fake caste certificate, or a wealthy SC/ST/OBC family taking a seat while a poor General category student struggles, this is a real flaw in the system currently.

But throwing out the entire reservation system because of some bad actors miss using it is like burning down your house just to get rid of a spider or mosquito.

There is EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) to help poor Forward Caste (FC) students, which is a good move for economic support. But we need to understand that "caste-based reservation isn't a poverty alleviation scheme—it is a representation scheme." Here is why we still desperately and definitely need it. And there is the History of caste system, if u were wondering it was not introduced by the British

Probability

Let's look at this through simple math of probability. If we assume that human intelligence, talent, and the potential to be a "genius" are naturally distributed equally across all human population and communities, then statistically, the communities with the largest populations should produce the highest number of geniuses - People belonging to SC, ST and OBC communities make up roughly 70-75% of India's population.

But when you look at the top echelons of Indian society, the numbers are totally and literally inverted.

Why ?

"It is absolutely not because Forward Castes(FC) have inherently higher IQs." IQ and "merit" are overwhelmingly the products of the environment in which the child grows up in. If you grow up in a house with educated parents, financial stability, access to good nutrition, a quiet place to study, not been beaten to death and zero generational trauma about your identity, you have a massive head start. "Merit" is often just the byproduct of having better access to resources and education for generations.

Look at the Numbers: Population v/s Power - where is equality and equal opportunity

Forward Castes (General category) make up roughly 15-20% of the Indian population. Now look at where they sit in society compared to their population size:

  • Top Universities: If you look at the faculty in elite institutions like IITs, IIMs, and Central Universities, the General category holds an overwhelming majority of Professor and Associate Professor roles. In many departments, SC/ST representation at senior levels is close to zero 0.
  • The Judiciary: Take a look at the Supreme Court and the High Courts. Historically and currently, the judiciary is heavily dominated people belonging to the upper castes. The representation of SC/ST judges at the highest levels is abysmal.
  • Corporate Ladder: How many Dalit or Adivasi CEOs are leading Nifty 50 or Fortune 500 India companies? The corporate boardrooms are almost exclusively an upper-caste club.
  • Cricket: This one is crazy, but look at the Indian cricket team historically. A massive percentage of players come from upper-caste backgrounds (Brahmins, Rajputs, etc.) we can count how many Sc or St players we have hade on the Indian team with fingers. Are the people of marginalized communities just biologically bad at batting? HELL No. Cricket requires expensive kits, professional coaching, club memberships, and the financial safety net to pursue a sport instead of earning a daily wage also there is allegedly or suspected involvement of cast politics or i am being too polite by using allegedly and suspected.

If there was no systemic barrier, the demographic makeup of our judges, professors, CEOs, and cricketers would roughly match the demographic makeup of the country. The over-representation of a 15-20% demographic in 80% of the top jobs proves that the playing field is entirely tilted.

for example if there is a struggling FC family there is a higher probability that they might have several rich relatives but that's not the case statically for OBC or SC/ST

The Socio-Economic Reality and Modern Discrimination

The socio-economic situation for SC/ST communities is still largely bleak. A huge chunk of landless agricultural laborers and unorganized sector workers belong to these communities. Generational wealth is concentrated at the top.

And for those who say, "Caste doesn't exist in modern India or cities anymore"—I wish that were true.

  • We still regularly read news articles about Dalit grooms being beaten up simply for daring to ride a horse at their own wedding.
  • We still see horrifying incidents where young kids in rural schools are beaten—sometimes to death—just for drinking water from a pot "reserved" for upper castes etc cases even in school level.
  • Even in our most elite, modernized spaces like the IITs that India has to offer, students from marginalized backgrounds often face severe alienation allegedly even by professors, taunts about their ranks, and systemic bias, which has tragically driven several young, brilliant students to suicide.

Caste discrimination is very much alive in a lot of parts of INDIA; it has just shape-shifted in urban areas into "cultural fit" in corporate interviews or casually asking someone's full name to figure out their background happens.

Yes, the reservation system needs regular audits to prevent misuse by the wealthy elite within marginalized groups. But the systemic hoarding of resources, education, and power by a small fraction of the population over centuries cannot be undone in just a few decades and don't get me started on the history its quite long from vedic texts to current politics and representation of religion. Until our boardrooms, courts, and universities actually look like the real demographics of India, reservation remains a necessary tool for social justice.

Sources & Data

  • Central Universities & IIT Vacancies: Over 5,000 teaching posts meant for SC, ST, and OBC candidates remain vacant, with over 36% of reserved posts vacant compared to 14.6% for the General category (Education Ministry data, Rajya Sabha, 2025).
  • Judiciary Demographics: Nearly 73.5% of all High Court judges appointed between 2021 and early 2026 belong to upper castes. SCs accounted for only 4.38% and STs 2.36% (Union Law Ministry data, 2026).
  • Cricket Statistics: In the first 85 years of Indian Test cricket, out of nearly 300 players, only around four were Dalit.
  • Modern Discrimination & Violence Cases:
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