Impacts of reservation

Abstract

Reservation policy in India's local governments, known as Gram Panchayats, is one of three major affirmative action strategies for ensuring that lower caste groups are equitably represented in political institutions.Local political reserves for SC and ST populations have been linked to more SC and ST-friendly policies, more welfare spending and infrastructure investment, and reduced household poverty levels, according to researchers.This research looks at one possible indirect advantage of reservations: higher educational attainment. The theory of role model effects is applied to the context of political reservations - more SC and ST Presidents in Gram Panchayats could operate as a positive role model of stereotype-defying success for SC and ST youngsters, motivating increased investment in educational attainment. Using a sample of 13,408 SC children and 6,066 ST children aged 5 to 18 in Karnataka, the research uses a dose-response regression model to examine the link between reservation rates and average completed years of schooling at the sub-district level. More SC and ST Presidents in Gram Panchayats are linked to higher educational achievement among SC and ST children, according to the findings of the study. To strengthen these findings and increase the literature on indirect advantages of reserves, more study is needed.