Positive Discrimination in India: New Approaches to Contemporary Socio-Economic Issues

In contemporary India, the policy of positive discrimination aims to help socially backward classes of the society which includes Scheduled castes, Scheduled tribes and Other Backward Classes. The state provides reservations in educational institutions and public employment to them. These categories include only some groups of the religious communities, Dalits and also the members of the middle and low castes of the Hindu community. However, in 2019 Narendra Modi’s government passed the constitutional amendment that allows citizens with low income to apply for 10% quota places regardless of their religion and cast status.Public ambiguously accepted the reform, but the Supreme Court upheld the Amendment. The economically backward citizens who do not belong to any reserved category now have the reservation for admission in educational institutions and government jobs. Muslims as well as members of the other religious minorities who are not covered by the existing quotas now can also enroll in the educational institutions or enter the civil service. Despite the positive nature of the reform for the poor citizens many still believe that it is another way to attract the votes during the elections.

India, Muslim community, Dalits, reservation, economically weaker sections of the society, other backward classes