This article aims to examine the role of affirmative action policies in achieving desired outcomes among India’s Scheduled Castes in employment, education, health, and governance. It also addresses how economic criteria are not suitable for it and the problems associated with India’s affirmative action policies. The article reveals that a significant gap persists among castes, and caste is an important indicator of socio-economic backwardness. Thus, affirmative action policies should be maintained and enforced in order to realise the dream of an inclusive society.
AmbedkarB. R. (1936). Annihilation of caste: An undelivered speech. Arnold Publishers.
2.
BarooahV. (2010). Inequality in health outcomes in India: The role of caste and religion. In ThoratS. & NewmanK. (Eds.), Blocked by caste: Economic discrimination in modern India (pp. 179–210). Oxford Publication.
3.
BeckerG. (1957). The economics of discrimination. University of Chicago Press.
4.
BesleyT., PandeR., RahmanL., & RaoV. (2004). The politics of public good provision: Evidence from Indian local governments. Journal of the European Economic Association, 2(2–3), 416–426.
5.
BhartiN. (2018). Wealth inequality, class and caste in India, 1961–2012. WID. Word working paper 2018/14, 17–18.
6.
National Family Health Survey (NFHS–2, 3, 4) Key findings, 1998–99, 2005–06, 2015–16. International Institute for Population Sciences.
7.
DesaiS., & DubeyA. (2011). Caste in 21st century India: Competing narratives. Economic and Political Weekly, XLVI(11), 40–49.
8.
DeshpandeA. (2011). The grammar of caste: Economic discrimination in contemporary India. Oxford University Press.
9.
DeshpandeA. (2013, May21). Because it breaks silences. The Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/because-it-breaks-silences
10.
DeshpandeA., & RamachandranR. (2019). The 10 per cent quota: Is caste still an indicator of backwardness. Economic and Political Weekly, 4(13), 17–31.
11.
GhoshJ., & ChandrasekharC. P. (2019, July19). The withering trend of public employment in India. The Hindu Businessline. https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/columns/the-withering-tren-of-public-employment-in-india/article28750003.ece
12.
Government of India. (2022). Annual Report of Periodic Labour Force Survey, 2021–22. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
13.
Government of India. (2018a). The ‘Strategy for New India @ 75’. NITI Aayog.
14.
Government of India. (2018b). Annual report 2018–19 of Ministry of Personnel.
15.
Government of India. (2021). All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) Report, 2020–21. Ministry of Education.
16.
HimanshiD., & SinghA. (2018, April9). Why dalits are fighting for the right to ride a horse. The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/when-the-marriage-mare-becomes-a-nightmare/articleshow/63660253.cms
17.
JaffrelotC., & KalaiyarasanA. (2020, November8). Reservation is being undermined by privatisation push and decline in clout of backwardness castes. The Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/reservation-in-india-privatisation-push-nirmals-sitharaman-backward-castes-6494931/
18.
JodhkaS. (2010). Dalits in business: Self-employed Scheduled Castes in Northwest India. Indian Institute of Dalit Studies Working Paper, 4(2).
19.
KhoraS. (2021). Caste reservation atrocity law and discrimination. Aakar Books.
20.
Lok Sabha Question No. 3097. (2021, March3). Questions: Lok Sabha.
21.
Lok Sabha Question No. 678. (2020, February5). http://164.100.24.220/loksabhaquestions/annex/173/AU678.pdf
22.
MadheswaranS., & SinghariS. (2016). Social exclusion and caste discrimination in public and private sectors in India: A decomposition analysis. The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 59, 175–201.
23.
NaikA. K., & TagadeN. (2018). Poverty and inequality in Maharashtra: Inter-Group differentials and its determinants. Journal of Social Inclusion Studies, 4(1), 151–168.
24.
National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights. (2020). Quest for justice. https://www.ncdhr.org.in/publications/
25.
NSSO. (2012). Survey on Employment and unemployment—2011–12, 68th Round MOSPI. Government of India.
26.
NarayananP. (2021, April4). Why are we still asking the wrong question about reservation?The Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/why-are-we-still-asking-the-wrong-question-about-reservation-in-india-7258304/
27.
PandeR. (2003). Can mandated political representation increase policy influence for disadvantaged minorities? Theory and evidence from India. American Economic Review, 93(4), 1132–1151.
28.
RuddockA. (2021). Special treatment: Student doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Stanford University Press.
29.
ThoratS., & NewmanK. (2010). Blocked by caste: Economic discrimination in modern India. Oxford Publication.
30.
ThoratS., TagadeN., & NaikA. K. (2016). Prejudice against reservation policies: How and why?. Economic and Political Weekly, 61–69.
31.
ShahG., ManderH., ThoratS., DeshpandeS., & BaviskarA. (2006). Untouchability in rural India. Sage.
32.
SharmaK. (2019, February13). Diversity deficit in IIMs, IITs. The Print. https://theprint.in/india/education/diversity-deficit-in-iims-iits-just-23-sts-and-157-scs-in-9640-faculty-posts/191246/
33.
SubramanianA. (2019). The caste of merit: Engineering education in India. Harvard University Press.
34.
SukumarN., LalL. D., & MishraV. K. (2019). Inclusiveness in the panchayati raj institutions. Journal of Social Inclusion Studies, 5(1), 72–88.
35.
SukumarN. (2022). Caste discrimination and exclusion in Indian universities: A critical reflection. Routledge India.
36.
YadavS. (2019, January17). Reservation candidates are under-represented in government upper-rungs. The Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/education/reservation-candidates-are-under-represented-in-govts-upper-rungs-5540310/
