Affirmative Action During the Time of Enrolment in Higher Education in India: An Investigation

The effect of the affirmative action policy on higher educational enrolment in India is addressed here. This article tries to identify the factors that play important roles in enhancing the enrolment of young people from ethnically disadvantaged groups, specifically Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) in higher education. Using the probit regression technique, it finds that females from ST communities have a lower chance of enrolling in higher education. Conversely, the probability of young females participating in higher education is higher in the OBC community. At the household level, household income, smaller family size and household location increase the probability of enrolment in higher education among young individuals from the three castes considered. Furthermore, a larger number of higher educational institutions and increased government spending on higher education also contribute to higher enrolment rates for young individuals from these socioeconomically disadvantaged households.