Current Affairs 4 November 2024

GS Paper 2: ‘Quota-Within-Quota’ System
Syllabus: Reservation in India

Source: The Hindu (TH)

Context:

A recent Supreme Court ruling has revived debates on the need for a ‘quota-within-quota’ system to ensure that affirmative action policies are applied equitably across subgroups within the Scheduled Castes (SC), particularly for the most marginalized communities.

Existing Reservation Quotas:

• Scheduled Castes (SC): 15% reservation in education and public employment.
• Scheduled Tribes (ST): 7.5% reservation.
• Other Backward Classes (OBC): 27% reservation with a “creamy layer” exclusion.
• Economically Weaker Sections (EWS): 10% reservation without caste restrictions.

Constitutional Articles and Court Judgments on Subcategorization:

• Article 15(4) and Article 16(4) empower the State to make special provisions for backward classes.
• 2004 E V Chinnaiah Case: Upheld that SC/ST categories should remain homogenous.
• 2024 Verdict: Overturned the 2004 ruling, allowing states to create subcategories within SC and ST groups to improve social justice for the most marginalized.

Case Study: Punjab’s SC Quota Subdivision

In Punjab, the SC quota was subdivided in 1975 to create provisions for the Balmiki and Mazhabi Sikh communities, some of the most marginalized within the SC category. This move resulted in better representation and more educational and employment opportunities for these groups. However, the policy requires continuous monitoring and updated data for effectiveness, highlighting the importance of regular assessments in such quota-subdivision models.

Advantages of Quota-within-Quota:

1. Targeted Assistance: Ensures benefits reach the most disadvantaged subgroups within SC/ST categories, addressing unequal access.
2. Reduces Monopolization: Prevents dominant subgroups from monopolizing benefits, promoting a fairer distribution across all communities.
3. Enhanced Representation: Focusing on marginalized subgroups ensures more balanced representation in education and employment.
4. Flexible Policy Design: Allows states to customize policies to better suit the socio-economic conditions of different regions and communities.
5. Promotes Social Justice: Aims to create a more equitable system by addressing the disparities within SC/ST groups.

Limitations of Quota-within-Quota:

1. Data Deficiency: The lack of up-to-date, accurate caste-based data makes identifying the most deserving subgroups difficult, complicating implementation.
2. Political Influence: The system can be exploited for political gains, leading to biased or arbitrary allocation of subquotas.
3. Implementation Challenges: Managing multiple subquotas can create administrative complexities and inefficiencies.
4. Dilution of Reservation Impact: Fragmenting quotas can result in competition among subgroups, potentially diminishing the overall effectiveness of reservations.
5. Increased Social Fragmentation: Subcategorization may exacerbate social divisions within SC/ST groups, causing inter-group tensions and undermining unity.

Way Forward:

1. Strengthen Access: Ensure all SC subgroups have equal access to reservation benefits by improving administrative reach.
2. Updated Census Data: Conduct a detailed caste-based census to enable data-driven policy decisions.
3. Transparent Criteria: Develop clear guidelines for subcategorization to prevent political misuse.
4. Public Awareness: Increase awareness within SC communities about eligibility and rights related to reservations.
5. Monitoring and Evaluation: Implement regular assessments of the impact of quota policies to identify and address emerging inequities.

Conclusion:

The ‘quota-within-quota’ system could provide a more nuanced and effective approach to affirmative action, targeting the most marginalized within SC/ST categories. However, careful implementation, updated data, and transparent policies are necessary to avoid political manipulation and ensure that these policies achieve their intended purpose of social upliftment.

Previous Year Question:

What are the two major legal initiatives by the State since Independence addressing discrimination against Scheduled Tribes (STs)? (UPSC-2017)