Diverse students climbing a staircase of books towards a university in the sky, symbolizing affirmative action and equitable education.

Fairness in Education: Can Affirmative Action Truly Level the Playing Field?

Jordan Keane in Politics & Policy June 2025 • 4 min read.

"Exploring the complexities of affirmative action in India and the quest for equitable access to education."

Affirmative action, designed to uplift historically marginalized groups, is often at the center of heated debates. The core principle is simple: provide opportunities to those who have been systematically denied them. However, the practical implementation of these policies often faces significant hurdles, leading to unintended consequences and sparking controversy.

In India, affirmative action policies reserve teaching vacancies in central educational institutions for specific beneficiary groups. These reservations, while intended to promote inclusivity, have become a battleground of legal challenges, teacher union protests, and complex implementation issues. The core problem lies in balancing the need for reservation with the indivisible nature of teaching positions and departmental needs.

This article examines the challenges inherent in implementing affirmative action, drawing insights from a recent research paper analyzing India's experience. We will explore the inherent difficulties of achieving fairness when resources are limited, and needs are diverse, ultimately seeking potential pathways toward more equitable and effective solutions.

The Reservation Quagmire: Unintended Consequences in India's Education System

Diverse students climbing a staircase of books towards a university in the sky, symbolizing affirmative action and equitable education.

India's Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Act, 2019, exemplifies the complexities of affirmative action. While the act aims to reserve teaching positions for beneficiaries, its implementation has been fraught with challenges. A key issue highlighted by researchers is an 'impossibility result,' where reserving seats simultaneously at both the university level and within individual departments creates inherent contradictions.

The Supreme Court's proposed solution and the Act itself have been criticized for flaws in reserving seats simultaneously at the university and departmental levels, leading to protests and legal battles. The core issue is that the eligibility and selection criteria for faculty positions often vary by department, making it difficult to apply a uniform reservation policy across the entire university. This can result in some departments having only reserved candidates while others have none, sparking accusations of discrimination.

Conflicting Objectives: The simultaneous reservation mandates at the university and department levels create conflicting objectives.
Departmental Disparities: Applying a uniform reservation policy can lead to imbalances in faculty representation across different departments.
Legal Challenges: The implementation of reservation policies has faced numerous legal challenges and protests from teacher unions.

To overcome these challenges, researchers have proposed alternative solutions based on approximate implementation of fractional assignments. This approach aims to find a middle ground between the two disputed solutions, offering a more nuanced way to allocate reserved positions while respecting departmental needs and university-wide goals. The key is to move beyond rigid quotas and embrace a more flexible, adaptable system.

Looking Ahead: Finding the Path to Equitable Education

The pursuit of fairness in education through affirmative action is an ongoing journey. While rigid quotas and top-down mandates can create unintended consequences, embracing flexibility, approximate implementation, and a commitment to addressing historical disadvantages can pave the way for a more equitable and inclusive education system. The goal is not simply to meet numerical targets but to foster a truly diverse and supportive learning environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2111.11963,

Title: Affirmative Action'S Cumulative Fractional Assignments

Subject: econ.th

Authors: Haydar Evren, Manshu Khanna

Published: 23-11-2021

Everything You Need To Know

What is the primary goal of affirmative action policies?

The core principle of affirmative action is to provide opportunities to those who have been systematically denied them, particularly historically marginalized groups. The goal is to correct historical disadvantages and create a more equitable education system. This involves addressing systemic inequalities that have limited access to education and employment for certain communities.

What are the main challenges in implementing affirmative action policies in India's education system?

The main challenges in India's education system, as highlighted by the article, include: the inherent difficulties in balancing the need for reservation with the indivisible nature of teaching positions and departmental needs. Specifically, the 'impossibility result' of simultaneous reservations at the university and departmental levels creates conflicting objectives, leading to departmental disparities in faculty representation, and triggering legal challenges and protests. The act, namely, India's Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Act, 2019, exemplifies these complexities.

What are the unintended consequences of reservation policies in the context of the provided text?

The unintended consequences stem from the practical implementation of affirmative action, specifically, in India. One major consequence is the creation of an 'impossibility result' when reserving seats simultaneously at the university and department levels, as explained by the India's Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Act, 2019. This leads to contradictory situations and can create disparities across departments. These rigid quotas can result in some departments having only reserved candidates while others have none, sparking accusations of discrimination, legal battles, and protests from teacher unions.

How does India's Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Act, 2019, contribute to the complexities of affirmative action?

The Act exemplifies the complexities of affirmative action. The act aims to reserve teaching positions for beneficiaries, but its implementation has been fraught with challenges. A key issue highlighted by researchers is the 'impossibility result' caused by the simultaneous application of reservation at the university and departmental levels. This creates conflicting objectives, departmental disparities, and legal challenges. The Supreme Court's proposed solution and the Act itself have been criticized for these flaws, leading to protests and legal battles. The act highlights the challenges of implementing a uniform reservation policy across diverse departments, as eligibility and selection criteria vary.

What alternative solutions are proposed to address the challenges of affirmative action, and why are they important?

Researchers propose alternative solutions based on approximate implementation of fractional assignments. This approach aims to find a middle ground between the two disputed solutions, offering a more nuanced way to allocate reserved positions while respecting departmental needs and university-wide goals. The key is to move beyond rigid quotas and embrace a more flexible, adaptable system. This is important because it aims to overcome the limitations of rigid quotas, address the conflicting objectives of simultaneous reservations, reduce departmental disparities, and minimize legal challenges, ultimately fostering a more equitable and inclusive education system.