Affirmative action is a policy or a program of taking positive steps [1] to increase the representation of certain designated groups allegedly seeking to redress discrimination or bias through active measures, as in education and employment. It is usually achieved through the use of preferential treatment for those groups. Proponents of affirmative action generally advocate it either as a means to address past or present discrimination or to enhance racial, ethnic, gender, or other diversity.
However, opponents of affirmative action contend that affirmative action programs create their own discrimination because they result in preferences given to individuals on the basis of race, sex, and national origin. (From Wikipedia)
My Views:
It is obvious that the circumstances or vulnerabilites need to be kept in mind before deciding what kind of support to be given to an individual or to a family. But then how do we justify those who "seem to be taking advantage" of the schemes/policies put in place specially for them? Whether its about Reservation for people from minority community or a person from so called "scheduled castes/tribes", many of us suggest that we need to keep the economic stability as one crieteria to decide whether resources need to be allocated to a family or not.
However, I think the difficulty lies in "qyantifying" the vulnerabilities. It has been such a complex thing, especially in the developing world. Vulnerabilites can range from -belonging to lower social strata to having disability to being a woman to being a child without parents.
So, how does one decide what support needs to be given to a family where there are many children? Yes, the parents probably had choice and information to have few children , instead of many. But whats the fault of the child in this? Will stopping the support to family imapct this child? How do we manage that impact so that rights of the child are not violated?
Everyday, Govt. and voluntary sector faces these questions and work towards solutions. Probably there is no one right solution. And probably there are many soultions which need to be tried.
Yes, Govt. may at times decide on the basis of "vote bank". But is that reason enough to disgree with the measures that might reduce vulnerabilites in the long run?
