While BT could not verify the veracity of the video, several users praised Gandhi for trying to explain the complex subject of merit through affirmative action.
Many, however, accused him of kicking up a row by “fabricating stories to create divide”.
A purported video of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi using a SAT anecdote to explain merit in India to a group of individuals has kicked up a row.
In the said video, the Wayanad MP tells the group that “white people failed the SAT exam when black people prepared the question paper” while explaining the concept of merit and reservation in the country.
SAT is a paper-based test used by many universities and colleges, mostly in the US, to evaluate candidates. SAT scores are part of the requirement for applying to degrees in the States.
Gandhi, in the purported video, shared the anecdote to underscore bias in merit.
“Blacks and the Spanish origin people are not considered to be good at taking the exam. The whites excel at it. One day, a professor suggested that let the blacks set the paper and whites write the exam. You know what happened? All the whites failed in the exam!”
“Merit depends on who controls the system,” he is seen as saying in the viral video.
The senior Congress leader then said: “If you are telling me that Dalits fail the exam set by upper castes, then let’s do one thing, let us make the Dalits set the exam paper and tell the upper castes to take the exam.”
While BT could not verify the veracity of the video, several users praised Gandhi for trying to explain the complex subject of merit through affirmative action.
He was also panned for using an overly complex anecdote. Many, however, accused him of kicking up a row by “fabricating stories to create divide”.
“Again wrong concept. I know many Dalit students who are really excellent students,” wrote a user. “Rahul Gandhi completely fabricates the story about the SAT exams and Blacks. He is out to destroy IIT-JEE too. Get out to vote or he will destroy whatever excellence we have in India,” said another.
“Who told him the story that in USA, all the whites failed the SAT because exam was set by blacks? In fact, there is no official passing or failing grade on the SAT. And, how can one compare SAT with JEE or IIT? Such false stories & dreams will destroy the Education System,” lashed out another user.
“Instigating the SC/ST/OBC by saying that they aren’t allowed to write competitive exams by giving examples of racial discrimination in the US that holds zero credible sources,” a user said.
