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This refers to the President's Republic Day address to the nation on the job reservation policy for Dalits. It is a pity that he missed, perhaps, his last opportunity as the head of State to highlight more important problems and offer his advice on their solution (Business Line, February 8).

We have entered a new world of knowledge-based socio-economic systems and there is no place for any consideration other than merit if we want to progress.

Many reviews have shown that whatever benefits have accrued to the scheduled and backward castes have been appropriated by a few sections among them and are not widely distributed. There are no two opinions on the need to raise the level of the weaker sections of society, both economically and socially. The question is how to achieve it. The problem of backwardness has to be tackled by providing liberal scholarships for education to the young, ensuring their attendance in schools and extending loans on easy terms for starting new enterprises.

Such schemes are already in operation. But they need to be implemented on a much larger scale if they are to make an impact. This would reflect on the dalits' competence and their ability to compete with the so-called forward sections.

A. Seshan

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