%0 Report %A Prakash, Nishith %T The Impact of Employment Quotas on the Economic Lives of Disadvantaged Minorities in India %D 2020 %8 2020 Nov %I Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) %C Bonn %7 IZA Discussion Paper %N 13847 %U https://www.iza.org/publications/dp13847 %X India has the world's biggest and arguably most aggressive employment-based affirmative action policy for minorities. This paper exploits the institutional features of a federally mandated employment quota policy to examine its causal impact on the economic lives of the two distinct minority groups (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes). My main finding is that a 1-percentage point increase in the employment quota for Scheduled Castes increases the likelihood of obtaining a salaried job by 0.6-percentage points for male Scheduled Caste members residing in the rural sector. The employment quota policy has no impact for Scheduled Tribes. Contrary to popular notion, I do not find evidence of "elite-capture" among the Scheduled Castes – the impact is concentrated among members who have completed less than secondary education. Consistent with the employment results, I find that the policy improved the well-being of Scheduled Castes members in rural areas who have completed less than secondary education. Finally, the impact of the employment quota policy varies by state characteristics. %K consumption expenditure %K Scheduled Tribes %K Scheduled Castes %K employment quota %K public sector %K India