Amartya backs quota in IITs

CHENNAI: Counselling critics of reservation in Indian institutions like the IITs to take a long-term view of the delicate social issue, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on Sunday said the justice component in quotas could not be wished away, as many sections of Indian society had been denied access to education for centuries.

������ There are concerns that those who benefit are from the upper layers of the reserved categories,������ Sen said, replying to a question from the audience after he delivered the valedictory address at the Pan-IIT global meet here. However, he added that issues like merit and efficiency should be seen from the point of view of creating a just and equitable society.

������ You have to see what best you can do to meet the demands for justice and efficiency in the delivery of public services,������ he said, adding that affirmative action was prevalent in many societies. Harvard had a policy of giving extra credits to those from a disadvantaged school, other criteria being equal. Merit should not be discerned from the performance in an institution , but from a person���s efficiency over a period of time.

Dealing with it figuratively, the eminent economist quoted Mark Twain to contend that a navigator���s efficiency should not be judged from the ������ next bend in the river��� ��� but from his knowledge of the ������ whole shape of the river������ . Sen advocated an approach to problems based on ���nyaya��� rather than ���neethi��� . He described ���neethi��� as a mere set of rules and ���nyaya��� as the fair outcome and realization of the benefits of law.

Sen said IITs had not only achieved much in terms of technology, but also ushered in a culture of ������ getting things done������ . ������ The IIT culture has contributed much to the corporate and modern sector, but the contribution should be made at a lower level.

Courtesy: www.timesofindia.com