Reservations in Higher Education

How seat reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs and economically weaker sections work in Indian colleges, and what research says about their effects.

India uses reservations, a form of affirmative action, in public higher education to address historical discrimination and inequality.

The quotas

In central institutions:

Scheduled Castes (SC): 15 percent.
Scheduled Tribes (ST): 7.5 percent.
Other Backward Classes (OBC): 27 percent, introduced in central institutions from 2008, excluding the “creamy layer” of better-off OBC families.
Economically Weaker Sections (EWS): 10 percent for those not covered by other quotas, introduced in 2019 and upheld by the Supreme Court in 2022.

States have their own quotas, which vary.

The aims

Access for groups historically excluded from education.
Representation in professions and leadership.
Social mobility across generations.

What research shows

Studies of engineering colleges by economists such as Marianne Bertrand, Rema Hanna and Sendhil Mullainathan found that reservations did reach disadvantaged students, and that beneficiaries gained significantly in earnings.
Other research found that the most disadvantaged within groups may benefit less than better-off members.

Debates

Merit: critics argue reservations lower admission standards.
Targeting: whether benefits reach the most disadvantaged, and the role of income versus caste.
Sub-classification: in 2024, the Supreme Court allowed states to sub-classify SCs to give more benefits to the most disadvantaged sub-groups.
The 50 percent ceiling set by the Supreme Court in 1992, which the EWS quota exceeded.

The first graduate

A student from a Dalit family, the first in her family to attend college, gains admission to an engineering college through the SC quota. After graduating, she earns several times her parents' income, and her younger siblings follow her into higher education.

Thinking reservations only help people who don't need them

Research finds reservations reach disadvantaged students and raise their earnings, though targeting can be improved.

Key takeaways

Central institutions reserve seats for SC (15%), ST (7.5%), OBC (27%) and EWS (10%).
Reservations aim at access, representation and mobility.
Research shows beneficiaries gain significantly in earnings.
Debates cover merit, targeting and sub-classification.