Published Paper Details:

India's reservation policy, rooted in colonial-era practices and constitutional commitments to social justice, has expanded through legislative and judicial milestones to address historic exclusion. Yet in higher education, quota-based admissions are increasingly criticized for distorting merit allocation, incentivizing category competition, and failing to target present-day deprivation. This paper argues that reservation in admissions now functions as an obstacle to optimal educational outcomes and social mobility. We propose a shift from category-based admission quotas to robust need-based fee concessions and support services, while retaining narrowly tailored safeguards against discrimination. The analysis traces India's reservation history and jurisprudence, evaluates recent developments (EWS, Maratha case), and compares international approaches (United States, Brazil, Malaysia, South Africa, Sri Lanka). We outline a policy blueprint that preserves equality of opportunity through means-tested financing, academic bridges, and anti-bias enforcement rather than blanket quotas.