The Hindu Business Line : Reservation debate

Universities and colleges based in the US, Australia, Canada and the UK frequently advertise inviting Indian students for study there. The Government of India can give interest free loan to meritorious Indian students to facilitate their studies in engineering, medicine and business management, abroad.

This will open up vacancies in the IITs, IIMs and medical colleges, to be allotted to the OBCs, without having to go to the expense of increasing the number of seats and expanding the infrastructure of these institutions. The

Rs 8,000 crore thus saved can be used to fund studies abroad, which students can repay on getting employed. I am sure this will satisfy both the pro- and anti-quota factions. But will it please our politicians?

C. V. K. Moorthy

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It is ironic that the Prime Minister's chief scientific advisor and chairman of the steering committees of the Indian Institutes of Technologies, Professor C. N. R. Rao, was "neither consulted nor asked" for his views before the Government decided to increase seats in Central institutions as part of its OBC quota formula.

This does not speak well for progress in Science and Technology, which every politician mouths is the panacea for all problems of society.

V. S. Venkatavaradan

Salem

Apropos the quota controversy, the reservation system is more protectionist than one that can empower the weaker sections.

Why not provide opportunity for the socially weaker sections a chance to improve and develop their skills? Why not improve the primary and secondary school system which will prepare them to enter the mainstream?

Lalitabh

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