Affirmative Action in India: Restricted Strategy Space, Complex Constraints, and Direct Mechanism Design
This paper addresses resource allocation imbalances under India’s multi-layered reservation system—combining vertical (social group-based) and horizontal (cross-cutting criteria, e.g., gender, disability) quotas—amid practical constraints including quota rollback conflicts, restricted preference expression, and deeply nested priority structures. We introduce the Generalized Lexicographic (GL) family of selection rules, the first formal framework unifying legally mandated hierarchical priorities across reservation layers. Integrating a deferred-acceptance algorithm with a law-mechanism co-design architecture, we propose a direct matching mechanism that is constitutionally compliant, strategy-proof, and fair. It guarantees full utilization of reserved positions and significantly improves substantive representation of disadvantaged subgroups—including women and persons with disabilities—in education and public employment. Our mechanism offers a scalable, legally grounded paradigm for multidimensional affirmative action policy design.