Srinagar, March 31 -- While one can't be against the concept of 'reservation' per se, for it is mandated by constitution in its part 3rd, but the manner in which it is being now implemented raises questions about their effectiveness and impact.

Reservation was envisioned by our constitutional framers to rectify past and historical injustices against backward classes in India and not to uproot the meritocracy. When a community is given reservation well beyond the backwardness and disadvantages, the idea of reservation dies.

The recent decision to increase the Scheduled Tribe (ST) quota by 10% and the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota by 4% in Jammu and Kashmir, enhancing the total reservation to 70%, is one such example. This move, anno...