Proven success of reservations in Tamil Nadu

The long presence of the reservation system in the state is one of the many reasons for its better show in health and education. Its century old social justice movement has aided state intervention o benefit the poor and the needy.

All the parties expressed shock over the supreme cout judgment.

Madras presidency was the first to use reservation as an instrument of affirmative action to ensure justice to the deprived.

In the early 20th century “Periyar” and the Dravidian movement worked for reservation for the oppressed caste, based on which a government order was passed giving a 44% reservation for all non Brahmins,16%each to Mohammedans, Christians, Brahmins, and 8% to Scheduled casts.

Later Kamaraj took the struggle and helped in getting the article 15 and 16 to be amended, which empower the states to provide reservation for the educationally and socially backward classes.

Successive govt have increased the reservations and taken it 69%, which is against the 50% compliance of the Supreme Court ruling. In view of this ruling the state passed an act in 1994 to include the reservation act in Schedule 9.

The allegation that reservation tends to decrease the quality of education by the fact that best medical and professional colleges are in southern states.