Historical Overview
India is one of the countries that practices affirmative action. B. R. Ambedkar, the Minister of Law in the Interim Government, and a Dalit leader who had a great influence in drafting of the Indian constitution, made provisions for reservations for minorities in government run institutions in the 1950s. Consequently, IITs have been offering reservation for Scheduled Castes and Tribes of society since 1973. However, while a policy of quota system exists throughout the country for their reservation, a different scheme exists in IITs as they are Institutes of National Importance.
The IITs had initially implemented a quota system, but the quota system was scrapped and the modified scheme described below was introduced in 1983. This procedure was evolved based on the experience of implementing a quota system for ten years (1973–1983). The logic cited for this procedure is that IITs being Institutes of National Importance, there should not be any compromise on the quality of students studying in them; accordingly, students admitted through the reserved quota have no relaxation in requirements for passing courses or getting the degree. They are, however, allowed to complete the program at a slower pace (take longer to get the degree).
Read more about this topic: Reservation Policy In Indian Institutes Of Technology
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