A less commendable's thoughts on merit

Students across the country have initiated a movement called "Bangla Blockade," demanding the abolition of the quota system in government jobs. The "Bangla Blockade" involves sit-ins that aim to paralyze Bangladesh. They have been organizing protests and human chains since 2018, leading the Awami League government to issue a notification abolishing the quota system for first and second-class government jobs. In 2021, several children of freedom fighters challenged the government's decision to abolish the freedom fighter quota in the High Court. On June 5 of this year, the court declared the abolition of the reserved quota for freedom fighters illegal. The quota system was initially implemented by the Awami League government, and it was the same government that later abolished it.

Students are now protesting on the streets to maintain the circular for merit-based recruitment and abolish the quota system, while the Awami League government is fighting in the courts. The goals of the protesting students and the Awami League government are aligned. However, students are now demanding that the existing quota policy for third and fourth-class employees also be abolished, arguing that merit is needed there too. Despite this emphasis on merit, there have been no significant inventions or innovations in the country, and even in office work, district quotas have proven to be more effective than merit quotas. Knowledge is boundless, and it is impossible for any one person to know everything. There is an anecdote, whose authenticity I have not verified: during the British era, Netaji Subhas Bose failed to answer three consecutive questions in the Indian Civil Service oral exam. An English member of the exam board, somewhat irritated, asked, "You seem to know nothing." Netaji replied, "I know many things, just not the answers to the three questions you asked." The flaws and shortcomings of the methods used to assess merit need to be considered.

In school, college, university, or job exams, not all teachers evaluate answer sheets with the same mindset. Answer sheets assessed by conservative teachers tend to receive lower scores, while those assessed by liberal teachers tend to receive higher scores for the same answers. Recognizing this reality, the unscientific ranking of merit lists was abolished in favor of a grading system, where all students achieving a certain grade are considered to possess equal merit. Therefore, all candidates who qualify through quotas possess equal merit. Merit-based candidates surely know that all quota candidates must pass written and oral exams to qualify for jobs. From the pool of successful candidates, panels are formed, from which merit quotas, freedom fighter quotas, district quotas, etc., are determined. Thus, all candidates within the merit and freedom fighter quotas are selected from the same pool of qualified candidates—they did not parachute into the panel. It is ignorant to claim that offices will be devoid of merit if these candidates are appointed.

Currently, the BCS exam field is the grazing ground for all forms of merit. Many who were top in their subjects at university did not pass the CSS exams during Pakistan's era or the BCS exams in Bangladesh. Excelling in a subject does not guarantee success in job exams. There is a vast expanse of knowledge beyond what one individual can know, and it is hard to predict what questions will be asked. Since knowledge is limitless, there is no such thing as complete merit. People may be talented in specific areas, but there is no way to generalize merit to make it an exclusive trait. The opportunity to be considered meritorious in job-related exams arises when common knowledge is tested; otherwise, it is elusive.

In the realm of infinite knowledge, fate or destiny cannot be disregarded. To read everything Rabindranath Tagore wrote in one lifetime would take several lifetimes. The true essence and necessity of merit lie in research, discovery, and teaching, not in administration. No administrator has ever been known to invent something for the betterment of humanity. Moreover, laws are enacted by legislators and policies are formulated by the cabinet, not by bureaucrats or administrators. Therefore, merit is essential for lawmakers and ministers; if merit assessment is required, it should be applied to political leaders.

We support quotas in the national interest as well. It is due to our support for quotas that Bangladesh seeks GSP or duty-free preferential export opportunities. Even during the British era, quotas existed, and various developed countries still follow quota systems. The United States, which attracts talent from around the world, reserves quotas for Native Americans. Australia has opened all doors of opportunities for its indigenous people, who have been securing jobs for generations without needing to pass exams. However, in our country, freedom fighters are marginalized, and now the meritorious are being further marginalized.

It is important for the meritorious to understand that those recruited under the freedom fighter quota also possess the highest degrees. Their merit, intelligence quotient, or IQ is often higher than many others; otherwise, their ancestors wouldn't have participated in the Liberation War. They were progressive thinkers, which is why they are included among the victorious. Hence, thinking that those who get jobs through the freedom fighter quota lack merit is foolish. The meritorious do not accept the freedom fighter quota but accept quotas in cricket, voting, and scholarships. Although India plays good cricket, meritorious supporters of Pakistan do not support India; they maintain Pakistan's quota in this regard. The same behavior is seen when Pakistan performs well. Do the meritorious vote for the most capable individuals regardless of party affiliation? No, they vote for party symbols or the wealth of individuals without merit. This is because most of us are mentally bound by quotas.

There are quotas for scholarships for higher education abroad. This is why many talented individuals from Bangladesh often do not have to compete with the global talent pool; scholarships are specifically allocated for underdeveloped and developing countries, which is the reason for their pride in their merit. Given the vast ocean of knowledge, claiming to be meritorious after a little swim is questionable. The government-provided opportunities for the development of merit are not equally accessible to everyone across all regions of the country. Until equal opportunities are provided for all, merit alone cannot be the sole criterion for obtaining jobs. As long as the state cannot ensure this, quotas are necessary. Without quotas, no one would voluntarily offer jobs to the disabled.

Without quotas, people from small ethnic groups would not only miss out on jobs but also the opportunity to see Dhaka city. Many freedom fighters who risked their lives during the Liberation War had to resort to begging in an independent country. The new generation of meritorious individuals has not seen this tragic scenario. After the Awami League came to power in 1996, freedom fighters gained the courage to reveal their identities. Unfortunately, freedom fighters are not only disrespected by anti-liberation individuals but also by the Ministry of Freedom Fighters itself; this ministry is filled with slow, ineffective, and lifeless individuals who do not even have the courage to respond to negative news about the freedom fighters' list.

The percentage of the freedom fighter quota should have been reduced before 2018 because the meritorious have long filled the quota due to a lack of candidates. There is hope that the abolition of the quota system will overcome the country's lack of merit and eradicate bribery and corruption. Lastly, a piece of advice for the meritorious: "Everyone praises the lion, but they prefer the donkey.

Author: Former Executive Director of Bangladesh Bank and former Managing Director of Mint.