Affirmative Action for the disabled

Further provisions of affirmative action in state employment have been made for the physically disabled.

Caste-religion link challenged

The Justice Mishra Committee for Religious and Linguistic Minorities has demanded that caste-based reservations must be delinked from and made available to people from all religions.

Diversity index

A Ministry of Human Resources Committee has recommended that the University Grants Commission must evolve a diversity index and tie grants to universities depending on their ranking on this index.

OBC reservation Bill passed

A Bill providing for reservations for STs, STs and OBCs in educational institutions has been passed by the Lok Sabha.

Government to implement quotas

The government has decided to bring a legislation to implement quotas for other backward classes in higher education.

The reservation debate

As the reservation debate rages on, Satish Deshpande and Yogendera Yadav find quotas unjust and instead propose an alternative affirmative action plan. Affirmative action instead of reservations have been supported by Achin Vanaik and Pratap Bhanu Mehta as well.

Reservations in private unaided educational institutions

The Parliament has passed the Bill amending the Constitution to provide for reservations in private unaided educational institutions. Minority insitutions, are however, outside the scope of the amendment - a move that has drawn criticism.

Quotas in private educational institutions

The government proposal to introduce quotas for SCs and STs in private educational institutions by amending the constitution has raised a political storm, especially because it leaves minority-run institutions out of its purview. D. Raja supports the move.

Panel for reservations for Muslims in higher education

A government appointed panel has submitted a report outlining the bleak status of Muslims in education in India, and has, inter alia, suggested that Muslim candidates should be given quotas in institutions like IITs and IIMs.

No quota in private unaided colleges

The Supreme Court's decision banning quotas for weaker sections in private unaided colleges has met political resistence.

SC judgment on reservations in unaided educational institutions

The Supreme Court has disallowed any quota in unaided educational institutions.

AP reservations

The reservations for Muslims as a community by Andhra Pradesh is meeting increasing resistence, being seen as a divisive move.

Quota for Muslims

Andhra Pradesh government has accepted a Backward Classes Commission Report and classified muslims as a backward class, providing 5% quota for muslims in education and state employment. Its political as well as social implications remain to be seen.

Private Sector affirmative Action

Amidst the demands of reservations in the Private Sector, Sudhir Krishnaswamy details an alternative diversity based action plan that will ensure adequate representation for dalits in private sector amployment.

Corporate responsibility and affirmative action for dalits

The big corporate houses have reached an agreement with the government to provide affirmative action to the scheduled castes and tribes in the industry. The move is short of reservations, and is a significant move towards the realisation of the demand of affirmative action in the private sector. Probably a first good step would be to statutorily outlaw discrimination in the private sector. Article 15 of the Constitution prohibits discrimination only by the State - a good deal of social diversity can be achieved in areas of private employment, housing, education etc. through a compensation-regime based on outlawing discrimination.


Haryana mulls affirmative action to protect girl child

The government of Haryana is planning to provide job quotas for women for teaching positions. This might be too little too late. Lot more needs to be done to check entrenched patriarchy than offer cash incentives for a girl child in Haryana. But by considering quotas for women in employment, at least the government is thinking.