From: raman@cs.utexas.edu (Raman Rajagopalan)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.tamil
Subject: Dark Future for Professional Services in TN?
Date: 16 Aug 1992 17:19:41 -0500
Organization: CS Dept, University of Texas at Austin
NNTP-Posting-Host: bathtub.cs.utexas.edu


I have scanned a few of the articles in this newsgroup, and have observed
that there are vocal representatives of both the "forward" and "backward"
classes from Tamil Nadu on the net.  So, perhaps we can examine the
following topic from several points of view:

I am quite concerned about the nature of the present day reservation
system for admission to colleges in Tamil Nadu, and in particular, am
concerned about the quality of the graduates.  I fear that if the present
system continues, with more regard for one's class than one's academic
merit, then the quality of professionals such as doctors and engineers
will drop dramitically over the next ten or twenty years as the 
professionals who qualified through merit retire and those who gained
degress through bribery or through quotas become the majority of employed
prefessionals.

I present a rambling of observations below, and invite responses from
those who support the present-day quota system and those who do not.

------------------------------------------------

A smattering of observations:
  
  I have observed that it is quite difficult for upper caste persons 
  to enter colleges in TN due to the high percentage of reservations for
  backward classes.  Example:  I have a relative who scored 98% in
  12th board exams, and failed to secure a medical or engineering seat.
  After clearing a medical seat interview, we learned later that the seat
  was "bought" by some other party for an unknown number of lakhs of rupees.
  Similarly, any engineering seat "cost" more than the family would pay.
  The main point here is that there was little value attached to merit, and
  I conjecture that the person who bought the seat was less academically
  qualified.

  The result is that many "more academically qualified" persons are not able
  pursue higher degrees in "demand" fields and thus are not able to 
  contribute in the most effective manner to society.  More importantly,
  with the marks required of "backward" class members to gain seats, there
  is very much the danger that an underqualified person may "earn" such
  degrees as MBBS, BE, etc.  Further, I conjecture that the marks required
  of the backward classes for admission to colleges and jobs later on
  are low enough (40%?) to extinguish any motivation to work hard and really
  learn (i.e., why work when the govt. promises you a free ride?).

Hypothesis and followup question:

  It is my belief, that the present quota systems are counterproductive
  for the prosperity of the state.  While small percentages, or special
  financial support for backward groups (as in the US), may be acceptable,
  the percentages in TN seem to be high enough to weed out a significant
  number of highly motivated and academically qualified individuals in
  favor of less qualified and less motivated individuals.

  In the worst case, the result will be dramatic reduction in the quality
  of professional services as the merit-based professionals of the previous 
  generation retire and as the quota and bribe based professionals become
  the majority.  This applies both to academicians as well as professionals
  in the field (doctors, engineers, etc.).

  This is a scary thought.  Thinking strictly about academic merit, I would
  be quite wary if a doctor attending to me in a hospital in Madras 
  belonged to the "backward" group... It would be quite difficult to 
  distinguish those who "earned" their degree from those who got a 
  "free ride", especially if I did not know anything about medicine.

  I invite comments, facts, and figures to either support my hypothesis,
  or to calm my fears.

  Also, for those who support the quota systems:  how would you feel
  about being operated on by a "quota" doctor (when you do not have access
  to the doctor's marks sheet), or about having the wiring in your house
  being designed by an "quota" engineer?  Before I get flames in return,
  I will add that it is my hypothesis that only a small minority of those
  who get in via the quota systems will be down-trodden, hard-working,
  want-to-come-up-in-life persons.  I believe a majority of the students
  will be in for the free ride.  The key word is hard-working.
  
- raman rajagopalan


Newsgroups: soc.culture.tamil