Social Inequality, Labour Market Dynamics and the Need for Expanding Reservation - Some Issues for Consideration

This paper brings two new elements to the debate around expanding reservation in centres of excellence in higher education. First, it establishes that Upper Caste Hindus are significantly better off in education, employment and relative incomes than ST, SC or OBC populations. Second, it links this privileged positioning of Upper Castes Hindus with changing labour market dynamics in the 1990s and shows how Upper Caste Hindus dominate the best jobs in the Urban economy. Since access to high quality tertiary education then becomes key to accessing the most dynamic segment of a decelerating labour market, the paper therefore argues that expanding reservations to OBCs in public institutions of higher learning is imperative.