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Constitutional Implementation of Affirmative Action Policies in India

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  • Tayfun Sonmez
  • M. Bumin Yenmez

Abstract

India is home to a comprehensive affirmative action program that reserves a fraction of positions at governmental institutions for various disadvantaged groups. While there is a Supreme Court-endorsed mechanism to implement these reservation policies when all positions are identical, courts have refrained from endorsing explicit mechanisms when positions are heterogeneous. This lacunae has resulted in widespread adoption of unconstitutional mechanisms, countless lawsuits, and inconsistent court rulings. Formulating mandates in the landmark Supreme Court judgment Saurav Yadav (2020) as technical axioms, we show that the 2SMH-DA mechanism is uniquely suited to overcome these challenges.

Suggested Citation

  • Tayfun Sonmez & M. Bumin Yenmez, 2022. "Constitutional Implementation of Affirmative Action Policies in India," Papers 2203.01483, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2024.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2203.01483
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Battal Dou{g}an & Kenzo Imamura & M. Bumin Yenmez, 2022. "Market Design with Deferred Acceptance: A Recipe for Policymaking," Papers 2209.06777, arXiv.org.

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