The story so far: A political slugfest has emerged over the reservation issues with the BJP making outlandish remarks about the Congress’ demand for caste census by linking it to religion. The Opposition, meanwhile, had raised concern over the BJP’s position on reservation, despite the latter’s explicit denial of any change in policy.
Constitution and affirmative action
The Constitution aims to secure social justice while guaranteeing equality as a fundamental right. Articles 15 and 16 guarantee equality to all citizens in any action by the state (including admissions to educational institutions) and public employment respectively. To achieve social justice, they also enable the state to make special provisions for the advancement of OBC, SC and ST. OBC is a collective term to classify socially and educationally backward castes. Many States also classify certain castes as the Most Backward Classes (MBC). The reservation percentages vary from State to State.
