Quota-Within-Quota System in India’s Reservation System

• Supreme Court ruling has sparked debates on the need for a quota-within-quota system for equitable affirmative action policies across Scheduled Castes (SCs) subgroups.
• The reservation system has been a tool for uplifting historically marginalized communities, particularly SCs and Scheduled Tribes (STs), but questions are raised about its effectiveness, especially when some subgroups within the SCs seem to benefit more than others.
• The debate centers on whether all SCs benefit equally from reservations and if not, should the system be redesigned to ensure a more balanced distribution of opportunities.
• Data from six major states explores whether some SC castes have disproportionately benefited from reservations, leaving others behind.
• Less than 50% of SC households in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have caste certificates, indicating a significant portion of SCs are excluded from benefits intended to uplift them.
• The current system should focus on improving access to reservations across the board, ensuring all eligible SCs can avail them.
• The Supreme Court’s suggestion of introducing a “creamy layer” exclusion for SCs needs a stronger evidentiary basis.
• The affirmative action policy consists of quotas and monetary benefits, but there is no evidence that improving class status necessarily reduces discrimination for historically stigmatised groups.
• India’s national Census provides comprehensive data on caste-based disparities, which is needed for attempts to reform the system.