In Search of Inclusive Policy: Addressing Graded Inequality »

In their introduction to the volume, familiarizing the lay reader with the long drawn-out and complex debate on OBC reservations, the editors have contextualised the issues of social exclusion in Indian society associated with multiple group identities like caste, ethnicity, religion, gender and other forms of exclusions. They have also indicated the theoretical framework for developing inclusive policies to deal with the consequences of historical exclusion, as well as the safeguards against continuing discrimination in the present. In the end, they have proposed that, given the multiple forms of exclusion associated with group identities, the nature of inclusive policy should be such that it addresses the group-specific problem, depending on the nature of discrimination and resultant educational, social and economic situation.

Introduction : graded inequality and inclusive policy : an overview Sukhadeo Thorat Thorat, Sukhadeo Narender Kumar Kumar, Narender 1

I Discrimination, deprivation and inclusive policy

1 Paying the social debt Sukhadeo Thorat Thorat, Sukhadeo 29

2 Caste, inequality and affirmative action Andre Beteille Beteille, Andre 39

3 Caste indignities and subjected personhoods A. R. Vasavi Vasavi, A. R. 51

4 The eternal debate Ashwini Deshpande Deshpande, Ashwini 67

5 Reservation and social justice Ambrose Pinto Pinto, Ambrose 75

6 Positive discrimination : a political analysis Partha S. Ghosh Ghosh, Partha S. 88

II Size of OBCs

7 On backwardness and fair access to higher education K. Sundaram Sundaram, K. 119

8 Identifying other backward classes A. Ramaiah Ramaiah, A. 148

9 Underrepresentation in colleges : what do the data tell us? Rana Hasan Hasan, Rana Aashish Mehta Mehta, Aashish 166

10 Assumptions and arithmetic of caste-based reservations Rohini Somanathan Somanathan, Rohini 182

III Alternative equal opportunity policies

11 Redesigning affirmative action Satish Deshpande Deshpande, Satish Yogendra Yadav Yadav, Yogendra 191

12 Three myths about reservations Neera Chandhoke Chandhoke, Neera 209

13 Affirmative action : experiments in the former Soviet Union Japan and America Dipak Basu Basu, Dipak 214

14 Indian toiler should reject the framework of reservation Kranti Kumara Kumara, Kranti Keith Jones Jones, Keith 221

IV Why reservation for OBCs?

15 Case for caste-based quotas in higher education Jayati Ghosh Ghosh, Jayati 231

16 Reservation without reservation T. Pradeep Pradeep, T. 244

17 Equality with social justice R. Arun KumarKumar, R. Arun 250

18 Merit of reservation Kancha Ilaiah Ilaiah, Kancha 257

19 Why reservation for OBCs is a must? V. B. Rawat Rawat, V. B. 265

V State and equal opportunity policies

20 Moments in the history of reservation Bhagwan Das Das, Bhagwan 275

21 Equality in higher education : the impact of affirmative action policies S. Srinivas Rao Rao, S. Srinivas 286

22 Reservation and casteism C. P. Bhambhri Bhambhri, C. P. 312

VI Debating merit

23 Exclusive inequalities : merit, caste and discrimination in higher education Satish Deshpande Deshpande, Satish 321

24 Merit is my mother tongue Kancha Ilaiah Ilaiah, Kancha 338

25 The question of merit Sandeep Pandey Pandey, Sandeep 342

26 The sociology of merit Amman Madan Madan, Amman 346

27 Democracy, disagreement and merit Pratap Bhanu Mehta Mehta, Pratap Bhanu 360

VII Better-off, worse-off and creamy layer

28 Examining the creamy layer principle S. Subramanian Subramanian, S. 371

29 Creamy layer principle : a comment K. Sundaram Sundaram, K. 378

30 Demystifying the anti-creamy layer K. Ravi Srinivas Srinivas, K. Ravi 382

31 A reply to Sundaram and Ravi Srinivas S. Subramanian Subramanian, S. 385

Contributors 393

Index 395