Affirmative Action in Government Jobs in India: Did the Job Reservation Policy Benefit Disadvantaged Groups?

Abstract

In this study we use the India Human Development Survey (2011–2012) data and Logit model analysis to investigate how far the affirmative action policy has helped in increasing the chances of representation of eligible individuals from scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and other backward classes in government jobs in India. Analysis of the data reveals that the reservation policy in government jobs in India has helped in increasing the chances of representation of people from these groups because they have a higher probability of representation in government jobs than upper caste (unreserved) individuals after controlling for individual and household characteristics.