Why Does Tamil Nadu Have the Highest Reservation in India?

More than 80 percent of Tamil people belong to the Backward Classes (BC), Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC), contributing to the high reservation policy in the state. The reservation percentages have dramatically increased over time, from 41 percent in 1954 to 69 percent in 1990.

Reservations in Tamil Nadu: A Historical Perspective

The journey of reservation in Tamil Nadu reflects a desire to provide equal access to education and government positions for historically marginalized communities. According to recent data from the All India Survey for Higher Education 2018-19, other Backward Classes (OBCs) have shown fair representation in both public and private higher education institutions, albeit not at the level desired.

Reservation Breakdown in Tamil Nadu Higher Education Institutions (2018-19)

Universities:

SCs: 15.00% STs: 61.00% OBCs: 1.50% Muslims: 1.50% Government: 69.69% Private unaided: 78.41%

Colleges:

SCs: 14.28% STs: 66.18% OBCs: 5.00% Muslims: 5.00% Government: 71.48% Private unaided: 84.46%

(Source: All India Survey of Higher Education 2018-19)

Challenges in Reservation Compliance

While these figures show progress, significant gaps remain in the representation of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Muslims. OBCs and SCs also struggle to achieve fair representation in institutions of national importance, such as the Institutes of Technology (IITs). In these institutions, Dalits and OBCs have only 2.05 and 9.42 percent representation, respectively.

Revisiting the Commission Recommendations: The Sattanathan Commission Report

The history of reservations in Tamil Nadu is marked by efforts to address these issues. The Sattanathan Commission, a crucial report submitted in 1970 under the chairmanship of A.N. Sattanathan, pointed out that the upper crust of the Backward Classes were appropriating most of the benefits of reservation, leaving real backward castes behind.

The commission highlighted that nine specific castes, accounting for around 11.3% of the total backward classes' population, had cornered a disproportionate share of reservation benefits. These groups had a significant presence in non-gazetted and gazetted posts, engineering seats, medical seats, and scholarships.

Commission's Recommendations

In response to these findings, the Sattanathan Commission recommended:

The identification of a separate ‘Most Backward Class’ category. Increasing the quota to accommodate everyone. Introducing economic criteria to stop individuals from the 'creamy layer' from accumulating all benefits of reservation. Excluding certain castes from reservation benefits if they were found to be advanced enough.

The commission suggested that the backward class reservation be increased to 31% and the SC/ST reservation from 16% to 18%, but these recommendations were largely ignored.

Ultimately, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government in 1971 did raise the reservations, but without addressing the issue of the creamy layer, nor demarcating a separate 'Most Backward Class' category.

Thus, the reservation policy in Tamil Nadu remains a complex and ongoing process, balancing inclusivity with equitable distribution of benefits to historically marginalized communities.