“When nepotism sidelines merit & skill”

Before I begin explaining favouritism and nepotism, let me tell you the difference between the two. Nepotism ,a derivative from Latin for nephew, in its extended meaning covers in its gamut all relatives and close associates where as favouritism is from favour done to a person over other no matter what. Chosing lead and trampling over diamond is foolishness, nay favoritism. Selecting your rotten eggs and prefer them over pure ones is nepotism. You may find these tendencies in every sphere of life. In religion it leads to riots, in politics violence and in society backwardness. It’s one step forward, two steps backward motion. Nepotism had eaten into the vitals of progressive health of a nation. Evinced to it is the presence of vacuous ones prevailing over the chairs. Such is the ironical efficiency of these backdoor entrants that more than half of the population is found busy on getting their documents like Adhars corrected through private agents. By sidelining the merit, inefficiency is ruling on the thrones. Scandals in selection process, job recruitment and rigging in the elections have been too obvious to need any clarification. Umpteen scandals and scams have been witnessed so far irrespective of Era and political party in action. In fact they are sailing in the same ship. It’s akin to sowing the seeds of weeds and longing for a rich productive crop. Helpless and un influential are punished while the influential ones are frolicking around scot free due to nepotic tendencies of those at the helm. By brushing aside talent, it’s a disaster being invited to be in the making. The nations with merit being given the importance, the progress and prosperity flourishes at a dizzying heights. India like countries have mired in corruption, favoritism and nepotism.
The main reason behind this menace is the lack of realisation and enlightenment. To present the point more precisely, the qualified are not educated which unfortunately has taken the society into the state of nature. Although man has trapped the solar energy and brought revolution through nanotechnology like methods, he has been a failure to enlighten the path of his human orbit. Nepotism in politics has given birth to hooligans and thugs. It is shameful that the nepotism has been at its height in the top rung of educational arena I.e at the university level. Incompetent youth given the reigns to steer and mould the future of society to a course where they put the cart before the horse. The curse of nepotism and favoritism has now an adverse impact on the sports of nations. The successors are often the scions of previous cricketers and the result speaks volumes about the selection policy. However, india is at the fringe if not leading in this aspect.
(The author is Research scholar at Law Department at University of Kashmir Srinagar. Views are her own)
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