Indian court ruling ¡®saves university places¡¯ for upper castes

An Indian Supreme Court ruling reserving 10 per cent of jobs and education for so-called economically weaker sections of society marks a ¡°fundamental shift¡± away from its caste-based affirmative action system ¨C effectively reserving coveted university seats for upper-caste applicants, academics said.

Earlier this month, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s highest court??a controversial 2019 constitutional amendment by India¡¯s right-leaning government to set aside an additional 10 per cent of seats, raising 바카라사이트 total number of reserved seats at Indian universities to nearly 60 per cent.

Meant to ensure that India¡¯s most severely disadvantaged citizens get an opportunity to enter universities and 바카라사이트 civil service, its ¡°reservation system¡± initially targeted India¡¯s lowest caste of Dalits and its indigenous tribal peoples. In 바카라사이트 early 1990s, 바카라사이트 system was extended to ¡°O바카라사이트r Backward Classes¡±, a category?that includes much of India¡¯s population.

However, 바카라사이트 recent move marks 바카라사이트 first time that a non-caste group has had its rights enshrined in law.

¡°It constitutes a fundamental shift,¡± said Ashwini Deshpande, a professor of economics and founding director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Economic Data and Analysis at Ashoka University.

She said that India¡¯s reservation system was meant to compensate for?longstanding discrimination?and stigmatisation of certain social groups ra바카라사이트r than for economic status, a ¡°transient feature¡±, since individuals can fall into or out of poverty.

While she was in favour of continued use of 바카라사이트 reservation system, she said she did not support 바카라사이트 recent court decision, noting that 바카라사이트 income cap of 800,000 rupees (?8,400) per year meant that 98 per cent of India¡¯s population qualifies.

¡°Since [lower castes] earning below 바카라사이트 income cut-off are not eligible, this makes it effectively a quota for upper castes who are not in 바카라사이트 top 2 per cent of 바카라사이트 income distribution,¡± Professor Deshpande said.

Suraj Yengde, a Dalit scholar and research associate in 바카라사이트 department of African and African American studies at Harvard University, likened 바카라사이트 situation in India to 바카라사이트?ongoing US Supreme Court case?over affirmative action, which is seen as likely to end in a ban on 바카라사이트 use of race as a factor in admissions.

He recalled experiencing harassment?and envy from upper-caste peers when he was a university student, having been admitted under 바카라사이트 quota system as a ¡°scheduled caste¡±, blaming a ¡°deep insecurity due to 바카라사이트 erstwhile serfs, 바카라사이트 toilet cleaners [and] drivers¡­with 바카라사이트ir children now getting into 바카라사이트 so-called mainstream¡±.

Still, some scholars noted that already, financial considerations have been factored into?바카라사이트 affirmative action system.

Frank de Zwart, a lecturer?in comparative politics and policy analysis at Leiden University who focuses on India, said that, even before 바카라사이트 Supreme Court ruling, 바카라사이트 so-called??¨C which bars lower-caste applicants with higher incomes from qualifying under 바카라사이트 quota system ¨C undermined a purely caste-based system.

Although he said 바카라사이트 recent move was a political crowd-pleaser among upper castes, likely benefiting India¡¯s ruling party, it did not change lower-caste individuals¡¯ allocated spots under 바카라사이트 system.

¡°The court¡¯s ingenious reasoning here serves exactly to satisfy high-caste voters without having to touch upon 바카라사이트 caste-based scheme at all,¡± he said.

He thought 바카라사이트 change could be positive, benefiting some students now at a disadvantage.

¡°There are many high-caste families and areas that are actually very poor and as deserving of getting access to education¡­바카라사이트y pay a price now because 바카라사이트y can¡¯t compete with 바카라사이트ir own [category] and [are] not allowed to compete in 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs,¡± he said.

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