Abstract

Indian politics has largely been defined by the diverse demography it is home to. The society’s strata are separated by substantial gaps in education and economic status. This has arisen due to an archaic system of caste which, though effective in its time, has lost its relevance over centuries of exploitation of its divisions. Reservation in government jobs and higher education has been tipped as the solution for the disadvantaged sections of the society for decades now. It is argued that it provides an even platform for those with fewer opportunities due to societal structure. The system is now being extended to religious communities who are found to be economically or educationally disadvantaged. The question of opportunism shown by governments is left unanswered because the basis of the implementation, even now, lies in century old surveys and studies. We aim to analyse the efficacy of reservations as a concept and its implementation. The analysis will also include the people’s opinion, gathered through an open survey, of this controversial system and how a fair and effective solution can be devised to solve specific problems of the backward sections of society.