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Critical Topics and Their Significance for the UPSC CSE Examination on November 05, 2024

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Does data justify the subdivision of quotas?

For Preliminary Examination:  Current events of national and international importance

For Mains Examination: GS II - Indian Polity & Governance

Context:

Recent debates have questioned whether a ‘quota-within-quota’ system is needed to ensure that affirmative action policies are more equitable across Scheduled Caste subgroups. Using data from six major States, one explores whether some SC castes have disproportionately benefited from reservations

Read about:

What is a Scheduled Caste List?

National Commission For Scheduled Caste (NCSC)

Key takeaways:

• India's reservation policy has served as a means to uplift marginalized communities, especially the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), providing them with greater access to education, public jobs, and political representation.
• This system, born out of a need to counteract generations of exclusion, has opened new doors for historically disadvantaged groups.
• However, more than seven decades after independence, questions have arisen about the effectiveness of reservations, particularly with evidence that some subgroups within the SCs benefit more than others.
• Recent discussions, intensified by a Supreme Court ruling, have considered the potential for a "quota-within-quota" structure to make affirmative action more equitable within SC subgroups.
• This approach would subdivide SC reservations to help the most disadvantaged communities within this category receive more direct support. While states like Punjab have trialed such approaches, the overall effectiveness of subdividing quotas remains debated.
• The core question remains: are reservations equally beneficial for all SCs? If disparities exist, should the policy be restructured for a fairer distribution?

Examining Caste Quotas

• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, a primary architect of the Constitution, recognized that mere legal equality—such as voting rights—would not erase deep-seated caste disparities. Reservations were thus designed to bridge the gap between legal and actual equality by promoting SCs and STs in public sector employment, higher education, and government institutions.
• Despite its goals, the reservation system has shown unequal results across SC groups. Some have seen more progress than others, prompting calls for a more refined approach to affirmative action that acknowledges the diversity within the SC category.
• Using data from six key states—Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal—analyses reveal whether certain SC groups benefit more from reservations than others.

Insights from State Data

• Andhra Pradesh: Data suggests that while two primary SC groups, the Malas and Madigas, show slight differences in socio-economic progress, both have experienced improvements in education and white-collar employment by 2019, making quota subdivision less critical.

• Tamil Nadu: Similar to Andhra Pradesh, the leading SC groups—Adi Dravida and Pallan—display comparable socio-economic outcomes, minimizing the need for further quota divi