Reservation policy: An Overview

There has been a long and never ending debate on our reservation policy. As a student of economics, I always have been a firm believer that there should be an optimal balance between efficiency and equity. The best possible way to illustrate this is having a system where there is “equality of opportunity” rather than “equality of resources” though; we as a nation have failed on both these aspects. Our reservation policy has been flawed due to its roots being related to political economy rather than public welfare. I have some serious questions for policy makers:-

 Why after 60+ years of independence we have not been able to achieve the basic level of equality for all with the existent reservation policy?

My take on the issue is very simple and logical. Reservation by definition is a positive interference by government to upgrade the economic condition of socially and economically backward individuals. Government of India never targeted the reservation policy at the age when a child starts going to a school which is the most significant step towards social equality, but it tried to provide reservation at an age when the individual is eligible to vote i.e. after college level education is achieved by the individual.

This as a principle has killed the true essence of the policy and it impacts. It has formed layers within the socially backward sections itself and has created perverse incentives to other section of the society. So, I firmly believe that there is nothing wrong with the policy but the way the policy is implemented makes the difference. I, therefore believe social equality can only be achieved through giving a par education to every individual so as to give equal opportunity to all to face the competition rather than providing an unfair advantaged to some sections of individual to score political points.

Thanks,

Satyendra Kumar

Madras School of Economics

Da Vinci Code Decrypted

I hope all of you have read the book ‘Da Vinci Code’ (or have seen the movie). I think the most important thing in the story is the strategy played by the different players. I just got amazed that in a story so many use of game theory can be possible. Start from the preface when the curator was asked about the secret he said “I have no idea what you are talking about!” because he did not know that how much albino Silas knew. So it was a type of asymmetric game between Silas and Curator. He tried to save himself in the way of arising doubt to Silas. Silas then revealed that in this case as well his best strategy is shooting off the curator. Curator then told a lie he had rehearsed from very before knowing that he is in danger knowing the secret. There was no way of verification of his word as all others who knew it, will also say the same. The dominant strategy here was telling the lie even if other brotherhoods are also murdered. Now it was the turn for Silas. Silas had the option not to shoot but then also he will get trouble in further turns in terms of arrest for an attempt to murder.

Let us see now through the first chapter of the story when Captain Fatche suspected Langdon for the murder. If Langdon really killed the curator then he will try to divert police in different way using his code breaking skill. He had although an information asymmetry regarding that he was suspected by police. Police have the option to know the right using their own cryptographer. Here also Captain Bezu Fatche created an information asymmetry by rubbing up the letter “call Robert Langdon”. Now it was the turn of Sophie who had better information than Fatche as she was the granddaughter of Curator. She had to reveal out all the truth so she helped Landon to fly away.

I think you could find out lots of other games... Just try out.

By Shankha Subhra Patsa

“I have a dream”

I have a dream by Martin Luther King –does it really came true or it became just a dream

Martin Luther king made this epoch making speech on Aug 1963 in Washington Abraham Lincoln Memorial

The magnitude of this speech can be best understood only if we can understand the ground realities of America as a country in their attitude towards the black citizens of their country .Although it is officially proclaimed that America has granted Physical freedom from the shackles of slavery by 1864; Unfortunately the shackles became worse only after 1864. In fact the dominant white community in the southern states and their counterparts to a smaller extent in the northern states started spewing venom only after that historic declaration. As King mention in his speech even after 100 years Blacks still don’t have their freedom .100 years have gone by still Blacks are shackled by the chains of    Untouchability and Race Bias.

By 1870s separate extremist organization like Ku Klux Klan were formed to hunt down the Blacks and purify the White race which is nothing but American form of Nazism .But King had a dream that one day Both Black children and White children studying the same schools, Both Black children and White children travel in the same bus,  A man is respected not by the color of his skin but by the deeds he does. He visualized justice, freedom rights also belong to a society that has far too long suppressed in the shackles of slavery. I strongly believe that if at all there was no man called King even God could not have been able to save the Black people from their never ending Abyss of injustice, cruelty and misery. As he says in his speech ‘I have a dream that one day, this country will rise up and say  all men are born same as it is said in the declaration of United States Of America. And not only did say I have a Dream he vigorously fought for it not through violence but through a non-violent struggle that took his life in the end. And he championed the cause of the civil rights movement in the 1960s fighting not just for equality but for the very identity of a community that has been hidden far too long under the veils of oppression cruelty and injustice. And did he won ,Yes he did but his victory came as a price for his death. As he says in a speech made two months before his death “ I don’t have money to leave , but I like to leave a life that is based upon principles”

And his life does teach us some wonderful lessons. It is not always easy to undertake a movement based upon principles of non-violence alone but he did that’s what made thousands of people storm the cities during his funeral. And does his dream came true, ask a critic he may say the rights which are granted are still too little and too less and are not still properly granted and they still they have no equal rights in all walks of life .But I like to humbly differ from their opinion Yes! They do not have equal rights yes! They still do not have equal opportunities

But as they say “if at all there was no man called king even god wouldn’t have been able to save the blacks “


By R. Aravinthan