Reservations, meritocracy in India, Admission process in the States

It is true that 80 percent of candidates who take IIT-JEE are not cognitively well-equipped; in the sense that they haven't set their eyes on JEE since 6th grade, or that they haven't focussed on these stuff. These exams favor those who know how to beat: training centers, coaching centers, hiring private tutors, etc.

(a) There is no meritocracy;therefore, many argue, (b) reservation based on caste is justified. (a) is defensible, but (b) is not, since the truth of (b) depends upon many phony theories that there is a caste system; that kuruva in Guntur belongs to the same kurubvas in Kurnool (in fact, this classification of castes is a British enterprises); that a group across space and time is supressed; and so on.

Can we find a better system instead of just some entrance exam. Nope, as long as you tie education with labor market. 99 percent of the folks are in the game for getting employment. In order to learn, you dont need schools, nor do you need teachers (recal ekalavya story).

Indian entrance system is not fair for the majority (how on earth an enkatesu from Ulindakonda, who goes to ZP Highschool, can compete with Ramesh from Hyd, whose dad prepped him for IIT from 6th grade).

Then, there comes another gang, who claim that American admission process is fairer than Indian ones: they look at the whole package (your economic background, social background, etc). This is a bird-eye picture. In India, you have coaching centers; in the US, parents play different game to get into top schools: private schools, sending kids to africa in the name of community help (but their goal is to get into Ivy league); doing things that help game the system. Then, there are donors, who game the system as well: at Stanford Univ, a daughter of one who donated $5M was awarded Ph.D without proper defense; Professors in the panel were requested to not probe the ph.d candidate.


Indians, chinese, rich whites have been gaming the American education system for a long time. There are coaches who charge $20K for 5 years training, etc.

There is no learning; it is all about labor. Once the ponzi schemes of renteir capitalism are exposed, we can see whats gonna happm