Impact of Reservation on Admissions to Higher Education in India

What is the empirical evidence on the consequences of Indian reservation policies in admissions to higher educational institutions? Reservations at all levels of higher education both redistribute SC and ST students upward in the university quality hierarchy, and attract significant numbers of SC and ST students, who would not otherwise pursue higher education, into universities. That reservations tend to benefit a 'creamy layer' of SC and ST students does not mean they are failing in achieving their objectives. They should be understood, instead, as an effort to promote integration of the upper strata of society - by increasing the access of highly disadvantaged and under-represented communities to elite occupations and decision-making positions.