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Article: India: quotas vs. the caste system: affirmative action can be an even more emotional issue in India than in the United States.(INTERNATIONAL)
- Article from:
- New York Times Upfront
- Article date:
- September 4, 2006
- Author:
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The problem of caste prejudice in India is as ancient as the country's Hindu texts. In the last 15 years, an economic boom has lifted millions of people out of poverty, and India is now home to one of the world's largest and best-educated work forces. But for those at the bottom of Indian society, caste discrimination has limited access to education and jobs.
The Indian government recently proposed extending college and private-school quotas so that nearly 50 percent of admissions would be reserved for lower castes: The intense reaction it inspired shows how difficult a challenge spreading the benefits of prosperity to India's needy majority can be.
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