What’s wrong with this advertisement?
Advertisement like these come and go without ever getting etched into our memory. There are very few advertisements remembered for their uniqueness and some just for the controversy they generate.
What is this advertisement about?
A kid remembers t0o late about his next day’s school project and so his parent’s work on his project which results in him getting an “A” grade.
Why I feel so strongly about this advertisement to write about it?
State of India
In a country like India with many religions and caste system, the backward classes never had any chance until India achieved independence in 1947. To tackle these issues, quota (reservations) were set up wherein seats were reserved for backward castes in colleges and government jobs. But like everything else, this too is often misused and holds no sense in today’s India.
Everything should be based purely on merit. I don’t believe in setting up any reservation but I do believe that even today these reservations do help some deserving students. And this oftens gets me into arguments with my friends and colleagues who hate reservations and feel it’s not fair.
A perfect system would be a system where reservation is based on a person's merit and exceptions should be made only after considering a person’s talent and their financial situation. But there is no perfect system. And when I see people complaining about the reservations in colleges, this particular advertisement comes to my mind.
Is there actually a level playing field?
We don't live in a fair world. While growing up, I have seen educated parents helping their kids with their school projects. Most parents now a days send their kids for coaching classes for every single school subject from as early as they are 4 years old. And I find it really irritating when a person who had the most resources complains about reservation system and merit.
I like learning new things but I have never been someone who worked hard to get good grades. I just learned enough to get a passing grade. I am writing this because even though I did not struggle, I have seen the struggle of people like my brother and few friends who worked hard and succeeded on their own despite facing so many challenges.
So when I find someone complaining about reservation system in India and about level playing field, my question to them would be — “who deserves an “A” grade? the student who worked hard and managed to make something on their own or the one whose parents did it for him?”
