It's not about social justice for all

Why the government's decision to amend the Constitution to permit 10 per cent reservation for economically backward upper castes smacks of desperation

What does the government’s decision to amend the Constitution to permit 10 per cent reservation in educational institutions and government jobs for economically weak persons from the section of the population presently not benefitting from reservations tell us about the Prime Minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party? Their supporters will claim it is proof of an abiding commitment to the poor and to social justice for all. However, to leave it at that would be facile and gullible. For it is also true this move reveals a sense of panic as the PM and his party view their electoral prospects.