Quotas and the private sector

Rather than a blind reproduction of the government template, a more productive way of enforcing affirmative action in the private sector could be to emulate an American model

With India in permanent election mode this year, expect an exponential growth in the demands for higher quotas in government jobs and educational institutions as more communities suddenly discover their backwardness. Some years ago, it was Patels, Marathas and Jats. This time, with Karnataka polls looming, Vokkaligas and Lingayats, the two dominant castes in the state, were gifted higher percentages by the state cabinet. Down in West Bengal recently, Kurmis blocked railway lines to add muscle to their petition for Scheduled Tribe status.

When growth in the job market is all but non-existent and many communities find themselves increasingly excluded or