The system of reservation in India is perhaps the most critical social experiment undertaken since Independence. Rooted in the need to dismantle the hierarchical and oppressive structure of the caste system—a rigid, socio-religious stratification that dictated occupation and social standing for millennia—affirmative action was established to grant historically marginalized communities a fair entry point into educational institutions and public services.
​Governments, both central and state, have successfully implemented numerous legislations to ease the suffering and ensure the upliftment of these classes. Key among them are the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and various schemes targeting educational stipends, housing, and poverty alleviation. These policies were designed to be a protective ladder, not a permanent elevator, yet today, they face a crisis of purpose and distribution.

​The Success That Needs Recalibration

​Affirmative action has achieved profound success over the past seventy years. It has empowered the first and second generations of countless families, providing them access to education and jobs that were historically denied. These individuals have broken cycles of poverty, acquired social capital, and moved firmly into the middle class.

However, the continued application of........

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