000			a
999			_c31771 _d31771
008			230417b xxu||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
020			_a9780670094752
082			_a305.5680954 _bCHA
100			_aChandrachud, Abhinav
245			_aThese seats are reserved : caste, quotas and the constitution of India
260			_bViking, _c2023 _aGurugram :
300			_axviii, 247 p. ; _bill., _c23 cm
365			_b599.00 _cINR _d01
504			_aIncludes bibliographical references and index.
520			_aReservation or affirmative action is a hugely controversial policy in India. While constitutionally mandated and with historians, political scientists and social activists convinced of its need, many resist it and consider it as compromising 'merit' and against the principle of equality of opportunity. In These Seats Are Reserved, Abhinav traces the history and making of the reservation policy. How were groups eligible for reservations identified and defined? How were the terms 'depressed classes' and 'backward classes' used in British India and how have they evolved into the constitutional concepts of 'Scheduled Castes', 'Scheduled Tribes', and 'Other Backward Classes' in the present day? The book delves into the intellectual debates that took place on this matter in the Constituent Assembly, the Supreme Court and Parliament. Several contentious issues are examined dispassionately: are reservations an exception to the principle of equality of opportunity? Do quotas in government service undermine efficiency? Can 'merit' really be defined neutrally? What is the thinking behind the rule that no more than 50 per cent of the available seats or positions can be reserved? Deeply researched and ably narrated, this volume is a compelling addition to every thinking individual's library.
650			_aInterlocking reservations
650			_aAge relaxation
650			_aGovernment policy
650			_aScheduled castes
650			_aScheduled tribes
650			_aAmbedkar
650			_aHarijan
650			_aSocial ireguality
650			_aEducation
650			_aMandal commission.
650			_aDepressed classes
650			_a Backward classes
942			_2ddc _cBK