Reassessing India's Reservation Policy: Challenges of the Existing Framework and the Case for Population-Based Reservation and an Aadhaar-Linked Caste Census

Abstract India’s reservation policy represents one of the most comprehensive affirmative action frameworks globally, designed to address historically entrenched social and educational inequalities rooted in the caste system. Since Independence, constitutional provisions have enabled reservations in education, employment, and political representation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes as instruments of substantive equality and social justice. Despite its normative justification and measurable achievements, the existing reservation framework has increasingly faced structural, administrative, and legitimacy-related challenges. Central among these concerns is the continued reliance on outdated caste population data, largely derived from the 1931 Census, which no longer reflects India’s contemporary demographic and socio-economic realities. This research critically examines the limitations of the current reservation policy and evaluates reform-oriented approaches aimed at improving its equity, efficiency, and public credibility. Using a qualitative and analytical research methodology based on constitutional texts, judicial interpretations, government reports, and peer-reviewed literature, the study identifies key shortcomings, including disproportionate benefits within reserved categories, lack of periodic policy review, administrative inefficiencies, and growing public skepticism regarding fairness and transparency. The absence of a comprehensive and updated caste census is found to significantly constrain evidence-based policymaking and accurate assessment of social backwardness. The paper explores two interrelated reform proposals: population-based reservation and an Aadhaar-linked caste census. Population-proportionate reservation is examined as a mechanism to align affirmative action with current demographic realities, thereby strengthening representational justice. Additionally, the study assesses the potential of leveraging Aadhaar infrastructure for conducting a transparent, accurate, and regularly updated caste enumeration, while emphasizing the necessity of robust legal safeguards to protect privacy and prevent data misuse. Comparative insights from international affirmative action regimes underscore the importance of reliable demographic data and periodic policy evaluation. The study concludes that modernization of India’s reservation policy through data-driven reforms can reinforce its constitutional legitimacy and social acceptance. Rather than undermining affirmative action, such reforms have the potential to strengthen democratic accountability, enhance distributive justice, and sustain the transformative vision of the Indian Constitution in a changing socio-economic context.