The Rational Behind Reservation

The intelligentsia commonly opposes the politicians of today questioning their ability to manage the affairs of a country, and in a country like India it is more so. The reservation bill and its effect thereon has been a classic example of this. The reservation bill was passed by the government almost unanimously. Public questioned the motives behind passing such a bill and labelled the move as one for getting votes. I wonder if it is just that.
Surely the politicians need votes and the reservation bill did them no harm in that terms. To think of it, I think that the reservation bill is an act of genius. The idea is that government has established institutes of national and international repute. Now how do you use them to aid in equal development, given that these institutes have not contributed to the extent one would have thought they would given their potential? Well, the idea is simple, let there be some seats allocated for people who have traditionally been backward. Amazing, isn't it. These people would, no matter what, reach somewhere riding on the brand name developed by the institutes and their next generation would be no longer backward! In this term, I think that reservation has been an amazing enabler. However, there are certain repercussions of the bill which I think need to be analyzed before it can be called a success.