Debate on the Rockzz

During my stay at IMT, I along with my partner Rajat {The Invincible Debators} have won quite a few debate competitions {IIT Powai Gladebators, Eureka 2006.....}.

Below is the writeup which was prepared for Eureka 2006 -

Job reservations in private sector is an idea whose time has come

AGAINST

 Indian economy is on a development track. One of the major reasons for this development is that after the liberalization plan of 1991 many MNCs, FIIs etc. have shown deep interest in India. Many private companies have strategic tie ups with foreign entities. If any measure where these companies are forced to recruit individuals whom they would not have selected otherwise is adopted then the overall image of Indian corporate will suffer and there is a serious threat that the foreign players showing interest in India will be disillusioned putting the globalization plans of India Inc. in jeopardy.

 We are living in a red ocean. The fact that human resources are “the” most important ingredients in any organization’s success mix does not require any justification. In this highly competitive world only that organization can have sustained growth, which have superb human resources at its disposal. Forcing a notion as described in the topic will hit the companies where it will hurt the most, the main pillar of any entities success.

 Why does the new generation aspire to be a part of a big MNC? Why does not many of us aspire to become a government official rather aim for management entrance exams? The answer lies in the simple fact that the work conditions in the government sector are not up to the mark. Red tapeism is all prevalent. The selection processes are not transparent by any standard. Does by introducing reservations in the private sector do we want the similar conditions to present themselves in private sector also. Every step must be taken to ensure that “Rent Seeker” concept is not able to penetrate the private sector.

 Even when our fore fathers devised the reservation system they remarked that this must only be employed for a set amount of time, however as reservations became a political tool, the entire knot has become very seriously entangled and it must be ensured that the private sector is kept isolated form any sort of political hindrance and it must only be an individuals skills and competencies which dictates his selection not his last name.

 If any hindrance in the working of the private sector is allowed at this juncture it may result in the initiation of chain reaction where in every next day new demands will be raised, causing a negative effect on the fiber of free economy and disrupting the concept of “Survival of the Fittest” and in the process causing serious damages to the future prospects of India Inc. on the global map.

 The supporters of the motion will argue that it will lead to the overall development of the backward faction of our society. We believe that to achieve this objective steps like providing reservations in educational institutions and enriching & equipping them with knowledge must be the solution instead of providing with a guarantee of job in private sector which will inadvertently result in germination of complacency in them and ultimately dedicated efforts from backward classes to match themselves to the requirements of market will not arise.

FOR

The Constitution of India defines India as “Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, and Democratic Republic”. The architect of our constitution Dr. B.R. Ambedkar instituted the policy of reservations to ensure Equality of opportunity & status for every citizen, which is enshrined in the constitution. It is with this goal in mind that the SC & ST were provided reservations in various government sector jobs & government institutions.

But the advent of Globalization, post 1991 era and the changes in the scope and role of government to a facilitator have made upliftment of backward societies virtually impossible through reservation only in the public sector. It necessitated the need for the private sector to come forward and shoulder their share in uplifting backward classes. It called for an “Affirmative action” on the part of private companies under which they should ensure job reservation for the weaker sections of the society. The concept also found a mention in the Common Minimum Program of the UPA government.

The time for “affirmative action” on the part of the companies has indeed come. The following points underpin and corroborate the above line of reasoning:

1. Government jobs have shrunk to almost zilch: The post 1991 era, present macro-economic conditions and the onset of globalization behooved the government to not only put a freeze on new recruitments but also to down-size to right-size. The government had to go in for disinvestment and privatization of various public sector undertakings to infuse efficiency in the economy. These developments indicate that the goal of social equality can not be fulfilled by public sector alone, as the job vacancies in the public sector are very less. The private sector has come up in leaps and bounds in the previous decade and it offers tremendous job opportunities, which can be utilized to this effect.

2. Corporate Social responsibility of the private sector: The concept of corporate social responsibility is becoming increasingly important in the present scenario. The concept involves giving some thing back to the society from which the business earns it survival and growth. Job reservation for backward classes is an effective tool for discharging that responsibility. This in turn helps the company in the long run by generating positive word of mouth about the company.

3. Beneficial for the private sector itself in the long run: An analogy can be drawn between job reservation in the private sector and setting up of industries in the backward regions of the country. It not only provides benefits to the companies in the form of tax holidays/rebates & duty cuts but also develops newer market for the companies. In case of reservation also, the private sector can get various benefits from the government and also create a market for itself by improving the standard of living and the purchasing power of certain sections of the society, which have been untapped hitherto.

4. Effective implementation of reservation policy: The policy can be very effectively implemented by the private sector because:

• The major reason for reservation policy in the public sector not having the desired effect is the rampant corruption in the government ranks. The private sector is free from all such anomalies and therefore can lead to effective implementation of the policy
• Another reason is the job security that is there in the public sector. But the private sector has very high performance demands. This will ensure that the people getting jobs through reservation work hard and launch themselves on the path of continuous improvement.

In the light of above arguments it gets proved beyond any doubt that it’s about time the job reservation in the private sector be implemented. The measure would indeed go a long way towards realizing the goal of “Social Equality”.