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Caste disparities and affirmative action in India

Author

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  • Ashwini Deshpande
  • Rajesh Ramachandran

Abstract

This paper uses data from the National Family and Health Survey (NFHS) for India for 2019–21 to present estimates of contemporary caste gaps in education, occupational distribution, and wealth between three broad groups: Scheduled Castes–Scheduled Tribes (SC–ST), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and Others, the latter being a proxy for higher-ranked castes and communities. We find the caste gaps continue to be significant, indicating the persistence of the traditional caste hierarchy. We then assess how these gaps have evolved since the previous round of NFHS (2015–16). We find convergence in asset ownership between OBCs and Others. Finally, using a difference-in-differences estimator, we identify the direct impact of the extension of reservations in the arena of tertiary education in 2006 to the OBCs. We find a positive impact on the probability of acquiring tertiary education in the treated cohorts of OBCs.

Suggested Citation

  • Ashwini Deshpande & Rajesh Ramachandran, 2024. "Caste disparities and affirmative action in India," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 40(3), pages 630-640.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:oxford:v:40:y:2024:i:3:p:630-640.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/oxrep/grae033
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