There is a need to revisit the reservation systems in India, said K Kavita, MP, Lok Sabha and leader of the Telangana Rastra Samithi (TRS) at the ISB Conclave “Road to 2019: Dialogue for Progress” here today.

“The State governments must decide the reservation dynamics based on its demographic raw materials and it [quotas] must not be imposed by the Union government,” she said.

Referring to women’s leadership and their role in politics, she said that unless made mandatory, women will find it difficult to get opportunities. “Why is it just 33 per cent. It should be 50 per cent as we constitute half the population,” said Kavitha.

The objective of the day-long conclave organised by the ISB was to bring in different perspectives regarding the issues of youth, which are to be addressed as part of the 2019 election manifestos of political parties.

Prominent political leaders expressed views on various topics covering reservations, freedom of expression, leveraging youth potential, politics and policy making, political reforms, the urban-rural divide, and public governance, among others.

Ram Madhav, national general secretary, BJP, said: “It is important to have certain systems in place that build values and help tackle the problems of corruption.” He added, “Corruption has to be tackled from the top and values must be built from the bottom. Only then will India progress.”

Divya Spandana, Chairperson, Social Media, Cong(I) talked about the importance of freedom of expression and the importance of social media for political campaigning. She said social media offers a convenient pathway to put forth views to a larger audience. “The women electorate in India can make or break 2019 elections,” she said.

Feroze Varun Gandhi, MP, Lok Sabha, BJP, said that it is important to work with the electorate and create mechanisms for a competitive policy reforms.

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