Transcending Reservations: A Paradigm Shift in the Debate on Equality

Abstract

Some of the contemporary debates on social inequality, that began in the aftermath of the Sachar Commission Report on the status of Muslims in India, transcend reservations so as not to be entrapped in an exclusive caste paradigm. This article maps the creeping changes in official discourse brought about by the infusion of fresh ideas contained in the Equal Opportunity Commission Bill and the Diversity Bill. If implemented, the new proposals have the potential of bringing about significant changes in the lives of many, thereby achieving a more meaningful equality for a wider population.

Keywords: Equal Opportunity, Equal Opportunity Commission, Diversity Index, Deprivation Index, Diversity Gap, Affirmative Action, Equality, India, Reservations, Quotas, Caste, Religion, Sachar Commission, Menon Commission, Kundu Commission, Private Sector, Discrimination, Antidiscrimination, Muslims, Dalits