Sambhav-2025

Approach Define affirmative action policies and their role in achieving social justice in India. Critically examine their impact, highlighting both successes and challenges with examples and data. Analyze the extent of required reforms to address contemporary issues like economic disparities and inefficiencies. Conclude with a balanced perspective on the way forward.

Introduction

Affirmative action policies in India aim to correct historical injustices and ensure social justice through reservations in education, employment, and politics for marginalized communities. While these policies have contributed to upliftment, challenges like unequal distribution, economic disparities, and meritocracy concerns call for a reassessment and reform.

Body

Role of Affirmative Action in Achieving Social Justice:

• Empowers Historically Disadvantaged Groups: Reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) promote social and economic mobility.
• Enhances Representation in Governance: Reserved seats in legislatures (Articles 330 & 332) ensure marginalized communities have a voice in policy-making.
• Improves Access to Education: Reservation in top institutions and central universities helps students from disadvantaged backgrounds compete with privileged groups.
• Reduces Economic Inequality: Reservation in government jobs has enabled many to secure stable incomes, reducing intergenerational poverty.
• Judicial Support: Indra Sawhney case (1992) upheld OBC reservations, ensuring wider inclusion while capping total reservations at 50%.

Challenges and Need for Reform:

• Economic vs. Caste-Based Criteria: Many argue that reservations should be based on economic status rather than solely on caste to help all disadvantaged groups.
• Creamy Layer Issue: Benefits often reach relatively affluent sections within reserved categories, leaving the poorest still marginalized.
• Impact on Meritocracy: Some critics argue that excessive reservations affect efficiency and competitiveness in institutions and employment.
• Political Reservations Without Social Mobility: While SC/ST representation in legislatures has increased, socio-economic disparities persist, showing the need for broader development measures.
  • The Justice Rohini Commission report recommends sub-categorization of OBCs to ensure equitable distribution of reservations among socially and educationally backward classes.
• Vacant Reserved Seats: Many reserved posts in government jobs and higher education remain unfilled, highlighting implementation gaps.
• Judicial Interventions: Supreme Court rulings, including those on EWS reservations (103rd Amendment, 2019), show the need for periodic reassessment of affirmative action policies.

Conclusion

Affirmative action has advanced social justice, but reforms like a Deprivation Index, Equal Opportunity Commission, and caste-based census are essential for better targeting. A balanced approach, integrating economic criteria, outreach, and periodic review, will enhance fairness, inclusivity, and policy efficiency.