Is Reservation Policy of India an Impediment to Social Justice? A Critical Analysis

The gross inadequate representation of the Schedule Caste, Schedule Tribes, and other backward classes in terms of education, employment and political participation due to the historic oppression and discriminated strata of society leads to the institutionalisation of reservation policy in India. Reservation policy of India encompasses a set of affirmative measures such as reserving access to seats in the basic and higher education, employment opportunities, legislative measures to preferential treatment to the most disadvantageous groups/marginalised sections of the society with respect to socio-economic development by promoting equality among the marginal groups so as to protect them from social injustice. Therefore, reservation policy has always been a watchword among the political sphere and also proved to be the most controversial public policy of the State due to its norms towards treating the different strata of the people. Therefore, the present study made an attempt to critically analyse the role of reservation policy in developing social justice and equality in the economy.