Modern government policy aimed at redressing particular poor or low-status groups' long-standing economic and social disadvantages by providing them with preferential treatment in employment and education.
This is frequently accomplished by "reserving" specified
percentages of government employment or spaces in higher education institutions
for persons from impoverished communities, who are admitted under far lower
requirements than the general public.
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are the titles given
to those who qualify for such reservations, after the "schedule" or
official government list on which their names appear.
The Scheduled Castes are low-caste Hindus who were formerly
known as untouchables, whereas the Scheduled Tribes are indigenous peoples
(adivasis) who dwell mostly in central India.
Despite the fact that the reservations policy has been in
place for some time, it continues to be a cause of contention.
Its supporters argue that it is integrating socially
disadvantaged individuals into Indian society and assisting in the correction
of centuries of injustice.
Opponents argue that the purposeful selection of less
competent persons makes a mockery of the merit system.
Critics further contend that the people who gain the most
from such policies are the wealthiest members of such communities—the so-called
creamy layer, which denotes their status at the top—while the really
disadvantaged stay in their pre-existing positions.
Apart from philosophical disputes, this strategy has had a
discernible influence on people's lives.
As a result of these reservations, competition for the
remaining slots has become even fiercer, and reservations have become a
politically thorny topic.
Given the advantages of reservations, there has been
substantial agitation to incorporate other, less advantaged groups under its
umbrella in order to disseminate benefits to other segments of Indian society.
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