Avoiding quota dystopia

It is time we tried different approaches before merit and talent are completely sidelined

India is on the cusp of embracing a dystopian education and jobs quota system, driven by crass politics and even judicial interventions. While regional politicians and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have been trying to push India to count its castes — with caste-based tensions foretold — the Supreme Court, in a recent judgment on reservations, has backed the idea of sub-quotas within quotas for the really backward within any category. Since this verdict comes with a warning to political parties that the judiciary will not accept any arbitrary creation of sub-quotas, it effectively mandates caste-based surveys.

The Supreme