The Myth of the Ten-Year Limit on Reservations and Dr Ambedkar’s Stance

Abstract

It is a common perception that the reservation framework for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in India was supposed to last only for a period of 10 years, and that B. R. Ambedkar himself was a proponent of this view. This article analyses the historical material to argue that the supposed time limit on reservations is a falsehood. The initial time limit was imposed only on political reservations (subject to few conditions) and not on reservations in services and education. It would be demonstrated that Ambedkar was not in favour of any time limit even on political reservations, and that the temporary 10-year limit imposed on political reservation was a decision adopted by other members, who formed the majority in the Constituent Assembly. It would be further demonstrated that Ambedkar had suggested the method of constitutional amendments to keep increasing the initial time limit on political reservations.