28 November 2023 : The Hindu Editorial Notes PDF
The Hindu Editorial 28-November-2023 1. Not a panacea Topic: GS1 and GS2- Regionalism, Casteism and reservation Demand for Separate reservation: Intra-community disparities lie behind Maratha demand for reservationsn. In a sign of significantsocioeconomic churning in various parts of India, there have been demands for reservation by communities that are known to be politically dominant and are not traditionally classified as “backward”. Theagitation for reservation by members of the Maratha community in Maharashtra is one Current situation of Maratha: The community has had significantrepresentation in positions of political power — over 35% of MLAs since 1967 and 12 of 18 Chief Ministers in the State. It has also traditionally been economically influentialin rural areas due to landowning — over 75% of the cultivable land in the State — besides controlling an overwhelming majority of sugar factories. Data from the India Human Development Survey (IHDS) in 201112 in the State have shown that Marathas had a per capita consumption expenditure only lower than that of Brahmins. Poverty incidence among Marathas was comparable to that of other forward communities and significantlylower than that of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and marginally lower than that of Other Backward Classes. It is evident why the Supreme Court in 2021 struck down the 16% quota provided under the Socially and Economically Backward Classes for Marathas in jobs and education. And yet the demand is not difficultto Reason…
