Even when jobs are set aside for struggling tribes in India, the richest families in those groups are the ones actually getting them.
March 27, 2026
Original Paper
Do Commonly Invoked Factors Explain Stratification in Affirmative Action? Evidence from Scheduled Tribes in India
SSRN · 6370219
The Takeaway
It is widely assumed that 'elite capture' occurs, where the wealthiest members of a disadvantaged group hoard all the benefits of affirmative action quotas. However, empirical analysis of employment data shows that household wealth has almost no impact on who actually lands these jobs, suggesting the barriers to entry are systemic rather than purely economic.
From the abstract
This paper examines whether commonly invoked explanations of within-group stratification, particularly household economic resources and geographic location, differentiate access to government employment among Scheduled Tribes in India. Using data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24, the analysis estimates logit models of entry into government and elite government employment across three states: Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Odisha. The results provide limited evidence that household