India And Nepal And Positive Discrimination In The UK (Essay Sample)

Affirmative action (known as reservation in India and Nepal and positive discrimination in the UK; also known in a narrower context as employment equity in Canada and South Africa) is the policy of favoring members of a disadvantaged group who suffer or have suffered from discrimination within a culture. Often, these people are disadvantaged for historical reasons, such as oppression or slavery. Historically and internationally, support for affirmative action has sought to achieve goals such as bridging inequalities in employment and pay, increasing access to education, promoting diversity, and redressing apparent past wrongs, harms, or hindrances. The nature of affirmative action policies varies from region to region. Some countries, such as India, use a quota system, whereby a certain percentage of government jobs, political positions, and school vacancies must be reserved for members of a certain group. In some other regions where quotas are not used, minority group members are given preference or special consideration in selection processes.
Affirmative action has, however, been misunderstood the beneficiaries in a great way.
The law of the jungle is that survival is only for the fittest; one has to fight for a place in society and not to wait to be given. A good example in Kenya is where special seats were created for women groups alone which have brought about so many negative economic implications. Affirmative action has really lost its meaning ant intended purpose and has turned into a form of blackmail to the au...