While the Constitution of India provides for equality of status to all the citizens, it also recognises the neen for special provisions in favour of the socially disadvantaged groups with the objective of bringing them to a level comparable to the other communities. Based on the thesis of the author's doctoral research, the present volume examines the impact of the policy of compensatory discrimination and the various constitutional provisions aimed at giving preferential treatment to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes especially with regard to the provision of resevation of jobs in the public services. The author analyses the degree of social transformation achieved dure to the implementation of the policy of reservation in the public services among the SC's and ST's with particular reference to the State of Bihar. Many significant findings have emerged out of the study. The beneficiaries of reservation have not only broken away from their traditional occupations but have also become examples for members of their communities in view of their power, prestigve and self-confidence vis-ý-vis members of the upper castes. Induction in to the government services has given a fillip to these communities to contribute actively in the development process. The volume also examines the implementation of the policy of reservation and the change that has occurred in the semi-feudal society of Bihar. The book contains valuable suggestions towards ensuring effective administration of the reservation policy. These deserve the attention of policy-makers, academicians and administrators engaged in the task of bringing about social change through constitutional means.

This Is A Somewhat Expanded Version Of The Paper Presented At The Ambedkar Memorial Lectures In The Univversity Of Bombay In 1980. It Tries To Explore The Implications Of The Position In Society Visualized For The Backward Classes In Our Constitution. Cover Slightly Shopsoiled, Text Clean, Condition Ok.

This Book Relates To The Indian Debate On Reservations - A Legal Provision That Guarantees A Minimum Presence In Various Institutions To Social Categories Considered Considered As Victims Of A Historical Prejudice. It Focuses On The Implementation Of Electoral Reservations For Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes And Women. The Book Thus Offers A Collective, Though Partial, Stock-Taking Exercise, And Adds To Our Understanding Of Reservations As A Policy, Their Limitations And Their Principal And Secondary Effects.

This book is a comprehensive study of historical sociology and its development, especially in the Indian context. It looks at the works of Indian sociologists and analyses their approaches in terms of book-view (normative) and field-view (descriptive) history. The volume: critically appraises reports of empirical surveys conducted during early colonial rule including those by H. T. Colebrooke, Francis Buchanan, William Adam; engages with the works of sociologists such as M. N. Srinivas, Ramkrishna Mukherjee, Louis Dumont, Nicholas Dirks, Bernard Cohn, Yogendra Singh, D. N. Dhanagare, A. M Shah, T. K. Oommen, among others; and shows how historical perspective has been adopted in understanding aspects of Indian society villages, castes, traditions, socio-cultural change, education, peasants and their movements, etc.Presenting an alternative idea of social reality, this book will deeply interest students and scholars of sociology, social theory, and social history.

Contributed seminar articles with reference to India.

The book is an outcome of a report of a major research project sponsored by UGC, New Delhi; entitled "A study of scheduled castes in two districts of rural Rajasthan" which was submitted by the author in March, 1995. It deals with the various dimensions of social change which are largely affected by occuptional mobility and/or continuity in the people of two major categories, viz .leatherworking and scavenging.