The stark contrast between opportunities and costs for students from different categories in india highlights a deep resentment brewing among many in the general category. When a student with an All india Rank of 1 has to pay over ₹14 lakh in fees, while another with a rank far lower—say 1000—pays nothing solely due to caste-based reservations, it creates a sense of injustice. The government justifies this as social compensation for historical wrongs, yet there is no direct proof that the individuals paying today bear any responsibility for those past misdeeds. Instead, the burden is placed on them purely by birth, making it a modern-day version of inherited punishment.
This approach also fuels a dangerous dependency cycle. India’s taxation system and many welfare schemes disproportionately rely on the earnings of the general category, which forms a large share of the income tax-paying population. By placing unrealistic financial burdens on one section while heavily subsidising or completely waiving costs for another, the system risks alienating the very group that keeps the economy running. True empowerment cannot come from perpetual handouts—it comes from enabling skills, education, and opportunities that allow individuals to stand on their own feet. The “give a man a fish” approach might offer temporary relief, but it never breaks the cycle of dependence.
Instead of solely feeding benefits, the focus should shift to “teaching to fish”—investing in education quality, infrastructure, and skill-building across all communities, especially in rural and economically disadvantaged areas. Social justice should mean levelling the playing field, not permanently tilting it. A nation cannot thrive by keeping one section perpetually dependent and the other perpetually burdened. Unless india rethinks its policies to reward merit while also genuinely uplifting the poor—regardless of caste—the resentment will deepen, productivity will suffer, and the cycle of inequality will never truly be broken.
This approach also fuels a dangerous dependency cycle. India’s taxation system and many welfare schemes disproportionately rely on the earnings of the general category, which forms a large share of the income tax-paying population. By placing unrealistic financial burdens on one section while heavily subsidising or completely waiving costs for another, the system risks alienating the very group that keeps the economy running. True empowerment cannot come from perpetual handouts—it comes from enabling skills, education, and opportunities that allow individuals to stand on their own feet. The “give a man a fish” approach might offer temporary relief, but it never breaks the cycle of dependence.
Instead of solely feeding benefits, the focus should shift to “teaching to fish”—investing in education quality, infrastructure, and skill-building across all communities, especially in rural and economically disadvantaged areas. Social justice should mean levelling the playing field, not permanently tilting it. A nation cannot thrive by keeping one section perpetually dependent and the other perpetually burdened. Unless india rethinks its policies to reward merit while also genuinely uplifting the poor—regardless of caste—the resentment will deepen, productivity will suffer, and the cycle of inequality will never truly be broken.