Affirmative action

noun (uncountable; used as noun phrase)

/əˈfɜːmətɪv ˈækʃən/

A set of proactive policies designed to increase the representation and opportunities of historically disadvantaged groups in education, employment, and public life. In India, the constitutional framework of reservations under Articles 15(4), 15(5), and 16(4) constitutes the primary form of affirmative action. Unlike the US model, India's affirmative action is grounded in caste-based historical injustice rather than race, and extends to OBCs following the Mandal Commission recommendations implemented in 1992.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

The Supreme Court's judgment in Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992) upheld affirmative action for OBCs while imposing the 50% ceiling on total reservations, a constraint that states like Tamil Nadu continue to contest through constitutional amendment.

Synonyms

positive discriminationreservationpreferential treatmentcompensatory discriminationremedial policy

Antonyms

meritocracyequal-opportunity neutralitynon-preferential treatment

🌱 Word Family

affirmative (adjective), affirm (verb), affirmation (noun), affirmatively (adverb)

🔡 Root

Latin affirmare = to assert, strengthen (ad- = to + firmare = to make firm); actio = a doing, from agere = to drive

📜 Etymology

The phrase entered American policy vocabulary via US Executive Order 10925 (1961) under President Kennedy, mandating non-discrimination in federal employment. It migrated into global governance discourse through UN conventions; in India, the concept predates the term itself, embedded in Ambedkar's drafting of Articles 15–16 of the Constitution (1950).

🧠 Memory Hook

Affirm means to assert positively — affirmative action asserts a positive push for those held back. Picture a hand actively pushing up a person who has been held down: that active uplift is the 'action' part.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Prelims 2011 — Public Finance & Fiscal Policy
Mains 2024 · GS1 · 15 marks — Indian Society

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Affirmative action” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

⚖️ Social Justice 📖 Seen in: Dalit Rights & SC/ST Atrocities Act — ... 📋 Also in Key Terms

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