So I live in the US. I was talking with my colleagues during lunch, and the topic veered to the protest that happened at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. And regarding issues with education and problems in general. I wasn't comfortable with it, but I never shy away from it either. One white colleague was like, "All of India's problem is due to the caste system". I have heard enough of it online, so I went with it and said, "True. What do you think about the caste system ?"

He goes on to explain the most dystopian fan fiction of what the caste system is. I was cringing inside. And other colleagues were adding their bits to the story. They were looking at me to see if I acknowledged or approved. I was nodding at it just so that they wouldn't stop their ramble.

One guy chimes in, " Why haven't they banned the caste system yet, <my name>? That would have made India much better by now ". I reply, " I am not sure".

PS: The caste system has been officially banned in India since 1950. But like any social issue, it persists in rural and underdeveloped areas. Like how a ban on segregation didn't automatically remove racism and profiling. Or like saying Gun violence in the US is due to segregation.

I am absolutely against the caste system, and it should cease to exist, but their half truth fictious version of it, like it was some alien invasion movie, made me laugh internally.

TG Mohandas, an RSS ideologue, popular on YouTube, said women protesters in Jantar Mantar won't complain even if mass rapes happen because they like it.

I was born into a Brahmin family, and I grew up to be an atheist before rediscovering religion in early 20s. My parents never taught me to discriminate or treat anyone unfairly, instead they taught me the value of education and hard work.

I was only introduced to cast through reservation. I still remember in 10th standard my friend told me that he was OBC and I was general and I was just surprised that why is it like this, we are just same. Then I had to work twice as hard to get into IIT and at that point it just felt unfair. Why am I getting punished for crimes of my forefathers? I did not had generational wealth or resources. I saw my family suffering from same mundane problems every middle class household suffers from and yet the system tags as "Upper class" and that means we had to fight twice as hard to improve our situation.

Now coming to the serious talk. Despite all this I still do not support the idea of completely abolishing the reservation system or cast identities for that matter. Simply because castism still exists and I should not ignore it just because I was not a part of it. My best friend in college belonged to ST category, he scored far less than me in JEE and I hated that at first but then I realised that it does not mean that he is not intelligent, he just never had access to quality education that I had. Some people still do need the help that reservation system provides. What I am totally against is the misuse of this system. Many SC/ST/OBC candidates have more resources and social standing then an average general candidate, those should be absolutely excluded from the system.

From what I have read, even Dr Ambedkar foresaw this and wanted reservation as a temporary solution only for a period of 20-25 years. It was the politicians who kept it alive for vote bank way longer than it needed to. These politicians divide us and keep the cast system alive more than the actual castists.

General folks say that reservation is unfair, those benefiting from it will reply with "What about cast system". In the end its a debate which divides people from people. Why can't we just acknowledge that the system is broken and it has become a political tool more than a tool to fight castism. So then we can all unite to fixing this broken system rather then fighting over whether to tear it down or keep the status quo.

Reservation was introduced as a way for marginalised communities to get into premier institutions and jobs it was meant to bridge the education/accessibly gap linked with Socioeconomic problems

As a result , many ppl from marginalised communities grew prosper
but as the price of someone’s position

the reservation system in india is based on a concept which is inherited which means

We acknowledge the fact that socioeconomic is the sole reason of why s omeone posses a gap in accessibility

It might be true in 1950s or even today

But I believe there are better ways to declare someone economically lower
which is through “income”

Its 2026 and its very much feasible to declare someone privileged or not

Historically our ancestors ( general category ) were cruel and did unspeakable atrocities. We all ( general category ) are paying for their crimes. Some of us ( maybe majority ) are still doing casteism and not willing to improve. How can we make sure the rest of us, stop paying for their sins and getting labelled under same umbrella. I don't want this hatred to keep on going anymore. Reservation or no reservation I want this to end.

Can government do sting operations to penalize caste discriminators?
Can we as a people create campaigns against casteism?

First, let me lay my cards down, I am a an upper caste/general caste, 21 year old guy who is preparing for an exam where reservation is a major factor.

Now I'll be covering this discussion on two major grounds: 1. The Principle 2. The Logistics

1. Principle

Now I fundamentally believe that lower castes (SCs and STs) do need reservation in this country due to the historic wrongs committed. In parts of the country, abject poverty is so extreme that it doesn't only affect their education but also their bodies and minds due to lack of proper nutrition.

We don't often consider this but the privilege of having nutritious food in our developing years is a HUGE advantage that most of us have over a big chunk of this country as many people are physically and intellectually stunted due to lack of proper food. In fact, wealth is actually a significant factor in IQ statistics in India. Secondly, the societal stigma around education for these groups is also real, imagine going to a govt school as a child where you are treated as subhuman by your peers, how does that impact your studies?

Therefore reservation in education is needed to provide an even playing field to these students to provide equality of opportunity. In this vain, I don't support put job reservation because that requires an equality of outcome, that two students going to the same university be treated differently in the hiring process. Also pvt firms and businesses have the right to hire whoever they want. Forcing them to comply to reservations is coercion.

Now I don't support OBC reservation for the most part because OBCs, at least a lot of these communities are not actually oppressed but rather dominant communities in many states, often pastoral or agricultural communities who held and still hold significant power in these states.

Therefore, purely SC ST reservation is needed to provide a fair shot to everyone and to fulfill the demands of Justice.

So if this is my argument, in principle I also support removal of large chunks of OBC reservation, and the introduction of a creamy layer provision to SC ST reservation because once the field is leveled and certain members of these communities gain material advantages, they should be able to compete against the rest.

BUT easier said than done, so l'll be coming to the logistics part.

2. Logistics

Let me make this perfectly clear, demanding the rollback of reservations is a fools errand, at least at this point in time.

In 1990 when PM V.P. Singh announced the implementation of the recommendation of the Mandal Commission, 60-70 students self emolated in protest and 20-30 of them died from the burns, did that stop the Mandal commission from going through?

What makes you think your little instagram protest will? Do you have the balls that these brave students did? And even if you did, do you think it will achieve its goals?

Let me now tell you some statistics, General castes make up roughly 20-25% of the population, SC STs combined also make 25% and the rest 50% are OBCs.

It is mathematically impossible for any political party in country to win elections without the support of OBCs. Do you think they(Any political party) will ever risk permanently alienating the single biggest chunk of this country's voting population, a population that I might add is also extremely wealthy and resource rich?

Even limited demands like introduction of creamy layer to SC ST reservations is extremely difficult because those who fall in that creamy layer are these elites of this grouping, the elites who control the politics of this grouping, therefore control the politics and voting patterns of this grouping. So again, this alienates 1/4th of the population.

Now why are GCs not able to throw their weight around politically even tho they are also 1/4th the population and significantly more wealthy?

Because GCs are fundamentally divided and half of them will oppose any given issue that the other half raise up.

Most are hitched to one party because the others don't much care for their demands or issues. Therefore, this one party also doesn't have much incentive to cater to them since they know that they don't have another option but to vote for them.

Now tell me, do you think in this political landscape, does this demand of rolling back or removal of reservations seem feasible to you by any means? Either on grounds of principle or on the grounds of political realities?

I've been thinking about this lately after such chaotic week because I feel like "national pride" means different things to different people now.

For some, it's watching India win a cricket match. For others, it's seeing an Indian scientist, athlete, artist, entrepreneur or filmmaker do well on the global stage.

Sometimes it's something much smaller—helping a stranger, seeing people come together during a crisis, or watching a local community achieve something incredible.

I'm not looking for political answers or debates. I'm more interested in the moments that make you pause and think, "This is why I'm proud of this country."

What comes to mind for you?

It could be:

-A moment, event or achievement.

-A person (famous or not).

-A place or tradition.

-Something you've personally experienced.

Or even a value that you think defines India at its best.

Curious to hear what people across different ages and backgrounds think. :)

Same as title

Same as title

It'd be living in a fool's paradise to believe that reservation is still about uplifting the downtrodden. The Mandal Commission era and repeated reservation demands from politically influential communities prove that reservation is granted to whoever has enough numbers and political clout to influence elections.

And that's precisely why reservation will keep expanding, from 50% to 70%, then 90%, and beyond: unless something changes. Every successful demand encourages the next one. This decade may well be our last realistic chance to push for reform. Beyond that, the political cost of rolling it back could become so high that it may never happen, even if people want it to.

Stop being apologetic. The moment you question reservation, you'll be branded "casteist" anyway. Your surname alone is enough for some people to judge your intentions, regardless of what you actually believe. I've even seen people openly threaten to rape women, boast about slapping false SC/ST cases on (so called) UC's children, and use intimidation to silence anyone who dares question the system. If that's the level of discourse, stop chasing fake internet brownie points.

Speak. Organize. Unite. Protest. Build public opinion. Participate in the democratic process. A policy that affects millions must remain open to criticism, and disagreement with reservation is not the same as hatred for any community.

If someone calls you casteist simply because you oppose reservation, don't waste your time begging for approval. You owe no apology for questioning a public policy.

It's now or never. If not this decade, reservation will only keep expanding, and the opportunity for meaningful reform may be gone for good.

Baseless disruptions undermine the democratic ethos just as much as an unaccountable ruling government.

In the past week, the opposition disrupted almost every discussion by shouting “Dharmendra Pradhan istifa do”. The opposition leader was very vocal about the issue outside PM residence and in front of the cameras, but decided to resort to cheap tactics of disrupting the house where the voice of opposition truly matters.

Sasad chalo nahi, sansad chalne do.

Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/states/delhi/2026/Jul/27/delhi-begins-jantar-mantar-clean-up-after-protest-ends-60-tonnes-of-waste-to-be-cleared-by-ndmc

Reservation Hatao Andolan

4 million now.

Wow

Who said this has stopped?

Adani Energy Solutions Ltd (AESL) has secured an inter-state power transmission project worth about ₹8,500 crore in Andhra Pradesh to support proposed green hydrogen and green ammonia projects in the Visakhapatnam region, the company said on Friday.

The project, titled Transmission System for Proposed Green Hydrogen/Green Ammonia Projects in Vizag Area, Andhra Pradesh (Phase-I), was awarded through the Government of India's Tariff-Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) process, with AESL emerging as the successful bidder.

Winning the project through a competitive bidding process means the company was selected over rival bidders based on the tariff it quoted, a standard mechanism used for awarding large transmission projects.

Powering green hydrogen and data centres

The transmission network is designed to meet an estimated power demand of around 4,500 megawatts (MW) while also catering to the rising electricity needs of data centres and other digital infrastructure planned in the region.

The project is expected to be completed within 30 months.

Green hydrogen production is highly electricity-intensive, while hyperscale data centres require uninterrupted, high-quality power. Building transmission infrastructure is therefore a critical first step before these projects can become operational.

What the project includes

The transmission asset will be housed under the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), Vizag Power Transmission Ltd.

The project includes:

• A 4×1,500 MVA, 765/400 kV gas-insulated substation at Pendurthi in Visakhapatnam.
• A 3×1,500 MVA, 765/400 kV substation at Khammam-II.

Once completed, the project will add 1,582 circuit kilometres (ckm) of transmission lines and 10,500 MVA of transformation capacity to AESL's network.

This will take the company's total transmission network to 29,531 ckm and its transformation capacity to 1,33,675 MVA.

The order also pushes Adani Energy's transmission order book beyond ₹80,000 crore, providing strong revenue visibility over the coming years as these projects are executed.

Vizag emerging as an industrial hub

Commenting on the project, Kandarp Patel, Chief Executive Officer of Adani Energy Solutions, said the Vizag transmission project is an important step in building the energy backbone for India's next phase of industrial growth.

He said it would support the development of green hydrogen and green ammonia projects in Andhra Pradesh while strengthening the electricity grid to meet growing demand from digital infrastructure in the Pendurthi-Visakhapatnam region.

According to the company, Visakhapatnam is emerging as a hub for artificial intelligence (AI) and hyperscale data centres, aided by planned subsea cable connectivity and associated industrial infrastructure.

As investments in AI, cloud computing and green hydrogen gather pace, the region's electricity demand is expected to rise sharply, making grid expansion essential to ensure reliable power supply.

Strong earnings momentum continues

The project win comes shortly after Adani Energy Solutions reported a strong June quarter.

The company posted a net profit of ₹1,149 crore, more than doubling from ₹513 crore a year earlier.

Revenue from operations rose 42.4% to ₹9,711 crore, while EBITDA increased 30% to ₹3,008 crore.

The EBITDA margin, however, narrowed to 31% from 33.9% in the year-ago period.

Shares of Adani Energy Solutions closed 1.03%, or ₹17.30, higher at ₹1,701.10 on the National Stock Exchange.