As the government proposes to expand the quota system in centrally-funded higher education institutes, Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata has warned that such a move would leave the country divided.
"Bad" was what Tata had to say on the Centre's move to introduce reservation in the Indian Institutes of Management and the Indian Institutes of Technology, and other like institutes.
He also opposed a call for job reservation in the private sector.
Tata, who headed the Investment Commission set up by the United Progressive Alliance regime, said: "Though I do not want to comment on it (reservation), it is bad. In some way, it will tend to divide the country into different groups."
Stating that the efforts should be made to remain as a unified country, he said such policies would not help in the nation's development.
Should there be 49.5% quota in IITs, IIMs?
On reports that the government was gearing up for introducing job reservation in the private sector, he said: "I do not think this is a right way to go forward."
While uplift of socially backward classes is important, merit is an important aspect and should not be compromised, he said at the Institute of Management Technology function in Ghaziabad.
'Reservation will affect bright students'
Congress general secretary Margaret Alva on Saturday admitted that reservation in central educational institutions would affect bright students but the measure was taken to give "equal" opportunity to students from backward classes.
"It is true that a section of bright students will be affected because the number of general seats will come down.
But we are talking of equal opportunities and students from the backward classes seldom have the opportunity to go to good institutions," she told reporters in Kolkata.
She said that the proposal to reserve 27 per cent of seats in central universities and institutions should not be a problem since the Supreme Court has set a 50 per cent limit on seat reservation in the academic institutions.
The proposal also had the nod of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she said.
HRD Minister Arjun Singh had said on Friday that it was the government's responsibility to implement the law in this regard and felt opposition to it was being whipped up.Are you an IIT-ian? Want to discuss IIT matters with current students, alumni? Join the IIT Discussion Group
