Vijayawada:

In Andhra Pradesh, irregularities in the implementation of reservation policies in education and employment are causing deep frustration among unemployed youth. Recent protests held across the state, including in Vijayawada, have brought these issues into sharper focus. With job opportunities scarce and reservation quotas not being properly enforced, affected candidates are resorting to demonstrations and sit-ins. Against this backdrop, there is a growing demand for the government to bring in a special law to strengthen and ensure the proper implementation of the reservation system.

The reservation quotas in the state for education and employment are as follows:

Scheduled Castes (SC): 15%

Scheduled Tribes (ST): 7%

Other Backward Classes (OBC): 28%

Economically Weaker Sections (EWS): 10%

Open Category: 40%

Although these quotas are part of the constitutional framework, unemployed youth allege that irregularities are taking place in their implementation.

According to Supreme Court judgments, seats must be filled on the basis of merit. Open category seats should first be allotted to all candidates purely on merit. If reserved category candidates qualify for open seats through merit, they should be placed in the open category, and their reserved seats should be passed on to others from the same category. Experts stress that this “migration rule” is crucial to achieving the intended purpose of reservation.

Several landmark Supreme Court verdicts reinforce this principle. In Saurav Yadav vs. State of Uttar Pradesh (2020), the Court held that meritorious reserved candidates can migrate to the open category and their reserved seats should then benefit others from the same category. In Tripurari Sharan vs. Ranjit Kumar Yadav (2018), the Court observed that failing to migrate such candidates to open seats undermines the purpose of reservation. More recently, in a ruling on August 20, 2024, the Court clarified that the open category is open to everyone based purely on merit.

However, unemployed candidates allege that these rules are not being followed in recruitment and admissions across the state. Reserved category candidates who qualify on merit are still being counted against their own category quotas, thereby reducing the number of reserved seats available to others and denying opportunities. This not only violates constitutional principles but also deepens inequality. During recent protests in Vijayawada, youth highlighted these injustices and submitted petitions to the government.

To address these issues, unemployed youth are demanding a special law. They suggest that such a law should mandate:

1.⁠ ⁠Preparation of a single merit list.

2.⁠ ⁠Filling open seats strictly on the basis of merit.

3.⁠ ⁠Allotment of reserved seats only to the remaining eligible candidates.

4.⁠ ⁠Strict penalties for violations.

5.⁠ ⁠Establishment of a monitoring body.

They believe this law, aligned with Supreme Court guidelines, would ensure transparency and demonstrate the government’s commitment to constitutional values. Social activists stress that the government must act urgently, taking into account the frustration of unemployed youth in Vijayawada. Such a move, they add, would serve as inspiration for those fighting for social justice.