Former Karnataka High Court Judge H.N. Nagamohan Das recently delivered a compelling address, asserting that India’s reservation system in education and employment must persist as long as societal inequality and the deeply entrenched caste system continue to exist. His remarks were made during the inauguration of a two-day workshop focusing on Kannada Culture and Ambedkar’s Thoughts, hosted at Kuvempu University, near Shivamogga.
(Image: Retired High Court Judge H.N. Nagamohan Das speaking on the Indian Constitution at Kuvempu University.)
During his insightful talk on the Indian Constitution, Justice Das engaged directly with students, addressing their questions. He firmly stated that reservation is a vital instrument for ensuring social justice. He also clarified a widespread misunderstanding: ‘Many people mistakenly believe that the framers of the Constitution intended to limit the reservation policy to just ten years. However, this restriction applied solely to political representation, not to provisions for education and employment.’
Countering arguments against the reservation policy, Justice Das highlighted a crucial statistic. He explained that currently, reservations are predominantly implemented in the government sector, which accounts for only about 2% of total jobs. ‘Within this small percentage of government jobs, one percent remains unreserved, designated for the general category. This means only one percent of total jobs are reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other backward classes, who collectively constitute over 76% of the nation’s population,’ he emphasized, underscoring the limited scope of the policy in practice.
Addressing the significant backlog of cases in Indian courts, Justice Das noted that more than five crore cases are pending across the country. He attributed this delay in the justice delivery mechanism to a severe shortage of judges, courts, advocates, and support staff vacancies.
Echoing Justice Das’s sentiments, Vice-Chancellor Sharath Ananthamurthy stressed the urgent need to extend reservation policies to the private sector. He described reservation as a tool essential for identifying talent and achieving social justice, both of which are fundamental principles enshrined in the Indian Constitution. Ananthamurthy urged private institutions to adopt these principles.
The Vice-Chancellor also voiced concerns regarding the government’s perceived withdrawal from its responsibilities towards public education. He pointed out the potential conflict of interest among some people’s representatives who own private educational institutions while advocating for public and higher education policies.
(Image: Research scholars, students, and faculty members attending the workshop at Kuvempu University.)
The workshop itself was a collaborative effort, jointly organized by the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Study Centre at Kuvempu University, the forum of Kannada teachers from degree colleges, and the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Research Centre of the Social Welfare Department. It saw active participation from research scholars, students, and teaching faculty, fostering discussions on these critical social issues.