These Seats are Reserved: Caste, Quotas and the Constitution of India – Book Review

Abstract

These Seats are Reserved by Dr Abhinav Chandrachud explains the legal history of the Indian Constitution’s affirmative action and demystifies the intricate system of regulations and processes that these policies rely upon for being implemented. The first half of the book chronicles the process of constitutionalizing reservation, starting with Jyotiba Phule’s campaigning and ending with the 103rd ConstitutionalAmendment’s enactment, which grants 10% quota to the economically weaker sections. The analysis of judicial rulings and constitutional amendments in the second\ part provides important clarification on the bewildering complexity of the legislation
regulating reservations. It is interesting to note that not many issues in India spark as much passion as those pertaining to reservations. The most frequent points of contention between lawmakers and judges have been around reservation policy, along with judicial independence and land reforms. It is important to remember that there could be two extremes in these arguments. Either they focus on the details without taking the larger context of the constitution into consideration, or they use impersonal ideals to conceal the fact that reservations are specific policies that have altered public life. As a result, a critical study upon this issue becomes important