印度保留政策的“奶油层”设置及其论诤

The“Creamy Layer”in India and its Arguments

在群体性优惠照顾政策中,受惠目标群体的确定是颇为棘手的难题,而印度的保留政策则是其中颇富探索精神和样本价值的实践。印度保留政策的目标群体主要是印度社会中的表列种姓、表列部族和其他落后阶级三大群体。表列种姓和表列部族的成员都可享受保留政策的好处,但其他落后阶级却受到“奶油层”设置的限制。“奶油层”的设置是为了避免“马太效应”,遏制保留政策不断扩张的态势,也是平息高种姓和社会精英激烈反对的需要。在政策的执行过程中,“奶油层”的理念与实践皆遭遇了不少质疑。与以往保留政策不断“做加法”的方式不同,排除“奶油层”的做法从反向剔除受惠群体中的上层人士,是一种极具启示意义的探索。

The determination of the beneficiary group is a difficult task in group preferential policies.India s reservation policy is a practice with ample spirit of exploration and sample value.The beneficiary groups of the reservation policy mainly include three groups:Scheduled Castes,Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.Members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes can enjoy the benefits of the reservation policy,but members of Other Backward Classes are confined by the set of creamy layer.The creamy layer is set to avoid the“Matthew Effect”,to curb the expanding trend of the reservation policy,and to quell the fierce opposition from high castes and social elites.In the implementation of the policy,the concept and practice of creamy layer have been questioned in several aspects.Different from the traditional method of“do the addition”in reservation policy,the practice of excluding the creamy layer from the upper class of the beneficiary group provides valuable significance.