Time has come to look for reservations on economic grounds: Bhupendra Chaubey

Will the Quota Bill on promotions derail the reforms push? CNN-IBN's National Bureau Chief Bhupendra Chaubey joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on the issue.

Q. Will the Quota Bill on promotions derail the reforms push? Asked by: BS Singh

A: It will delay the process.

Q. You said that both quota and reforms are needed. Is there any limit beyond which caste based quota should be denied? Has that limit reached? Asked by: Anand

A: I feel caste based quota has already reached its limit.

Q. Dear Mr Chaubey, In your opinion on what ground this quota bill on promotion is getting pushed in RS? Considering the way quota is being given in every walk of like, where should poor of general category should go? Asked by: Anand

A: I believe time has come to look for reservations on economic grounds now. But its a very sensitive issue which I feel in present state of coalition governments is very difficult to achieve.

Q. Quota bill honestly its not going to passed that means its taken to divert from some other issues ? Asked by: Hari

A: Yes, I am not sure if quota bill in its existing form can be passed. Even if some amendments are made, It will be difficult for the govt to build a consensus.

Q. Why BSP chief prefers to become RS member instead of becoming LS member? Asked by: Anand

A: She has been in the Lok Sabha too. Since here, she came mid term, after losing the assembly polls, and I guess since Mulayam Singh is in the Lok Sabha, she wouldn't have wanted to be in the same house.

Q. Dear Mr Chaubey, Why is SP only opposing quota in promotion? Why other parties are mum despite the fact that it is not a good thing for the nation? Asked by: Anand

A: A lot of other parties are also opposed to quota in promotion, but since this is a sensitive subject, no one wants to oppose this publicly.

Q. Has any other country, developed or developing, reservation/quota system based on caste basis? Asked by: Shyam Vadalker

A: There are reservations which have been made on ethnic grounds in several other countries as well.

Q. We all know that even Babasaheb Ambedkar wished to have quota system only for initial 10 years. Don't you think that the power hungry politicians with a view to vote bank in their dirty minds are playing with fire by encouraging reservation/quota for years together? Asked by: Shyam Vadalker

A: Its a tricky subject. Decades of discrimination can't be washed away by one round of reservations. So maybe you do need two rounds of reservations. In promotions too, to bring the discriminated lot at par, you need to do this perhaps.

Q. The Economic reforms still on anvil like the banking and Pension bills will have left fully opposed and hence Govt mat again try to break the opposition on individual Bill(issue ) basis and still have the last Laugh? Asked by: sundar1950in

A: At the moment, the opposition wont allow parliament to function. Since they have been browbeaten by the congress on FDI vote, no chance of them cooperating with govt on these legislation. Hence no question of all these bills coming up.

Q. Who needs reform when government is distributing education, jobs, contracts etc based on caste based quota. Don't you think reform is nothing but asking general category poor people to shut the eyes from ground reality? What is your view? Asked by: Anand

A: Caste is a reality of our country. We cant outrightly deny it. Problem arises when people only and only start taking decisions on the basis of caste. govt on one hand is giving the reforms agenda a big push, on the other is dangling the quota card. Both are needed.

Q. What is your opinion on Mulayam and Mayawati supporting the UPA Government? Asked by: Rajesh

A: Both are propping up UPA for their own reasons. Mayawati wants Quota bill for sure, Both Mulayam and Mayawati hope they can take support from a weakened congress and make it to the top post themselves.

Q. Dear Mr Chaubey, any reform can not work in vacuum. Nation needs effective Bureaucracy as a precursor to any reform. Considering the fact is it right to say that quota bill on promotions derails the reform push? Why can not as a nation we decide the fate of caste based quota. Asked by: Anand

A: Quota bill & reforms are inversely proportional because parliament won't take any position on quota. BSP and SP at logger heads will ensure that no other reform bill can be discussed or passed.