The Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policies (CSSEIP), the Dr. Ambedkar Studies Centre and National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, organized a two-day international seminar titled “Dalits and African-Americans in the 21st Century: Learning from Cross-Cultural Experiences”.
As one of the many speakers at the conference, Prof. Sudhir Krishnaswamy, spoke on “Diversity and Affirmative Action in the Era of Privatization: American and Indian Experiences”.
Caste system in India and race in the USA are compared for their institutional similarities, and also these two systems become the foundations on which the affirmative action programmes in these two countries operate. In India, the last six decades since Independence, affirmative action programmes have been implemented, albeit partially, only in government institutions. The institution of economic reforms in 1991 paved the way for the withdrawal of the state from a wide range of economic activity and the consequent expansion of the private sector in the national economy. In this context, this sub-theme is sought to interrogate cross country analysis of ‘Affirmative Action Policies in the USA and India in the context of Privatization’. This will help to suggest the means and strategies for advancing a socio-legal vision on affirmative action policies in the current socio-economic environment.