Quota

noun

/ˈkwoʊtə/

A government-imposed numerical limit on the quantity of a specific good that may be imported or exported during a defined period.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

While the constitutional quota for the historically disadvantaged seeks to repair entrenched inequity, policymakers must ensure that such affirmative action evolves with credible economic criteria, lest the instrument harden into a permanent entitlement divorced from its emancipatory purpose.

Synonyms

allotmentallocationshareproportionrationquotient

Antonyms

wholeentiretytotalityunlimited supply

🌱 Word Family

quotas (n pl), quote (v/n), quotient (n), proportional (adj)

🔡 Root

Medieval Latin quota = how great a part, from quota pars; feminine of quotus = how many, of what number

📜 Etymology

From Medieval Latin quota (short for quota pars, "how great a part"), feminine of quotus ("how many"); first used in English around 1618.

🧠 Memory Hook

"Quota" contains "quote" plus an "a" — like a quoted figure: a fixed numerical share assigned to you. Root quot 'how many' (cf. quotient) signals it is always about a counted portion.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Prelims 2024 — Women's Reservation
Prelims 2024 — Women & Gender

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

🤝 International Relations 📖 Seen in: International Trade, WTO & Trade Agree...

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