National Workshop on “Reservation at the Crossroads: Constitutional Morality, Social Justice, and Merit” | 1st November 2026
TSCLD is organising a National Workshop on the theme “Reservation at the Crossroads: Constitutional Morality, Social Justice, and Merit”. The workshop aims to explore the constitutional foundations of reservation in India and examine the relationship between social justice, equality, constitutional morality, and merit.
About the Event
India’s reservation framework is one of the most consequential experiments in constitutional equality. Rooted in Articles 15(4) and 16(4) and shaped by decades of judicial scrutiny, from Indra Sawhney to the upholding of EWS reservation in Janhit Abhiyan and the recognition of subclassification in State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh, it continues to evolve. Yet fundamental questions remain contested: the meaning of substantive equality, the use of the creamy layer, the limits on the extent of reservation, the relevance of caste-based data, and whether merit is a neutral standard or a product of unequal starting points.
These debates are growing more complex. Demands for caste census data, sub-categorisation within reserved classes, reservation in private and higher education, and tensions between affirmative action and economic criteria are reshaping the discourse. Each tests the balance between constitutional morality, which asks the State to honour the Constitution’s transformative promise, and public morality, which often reflects prevailing social attitudes.
Against this backdrop, The Society For Constitutional Law Discussion (TSCLD) is organising a national workshop on “Reservation at the Crossroads: Constitutional Morality, Social Justice, and Merit.” It will bring together members of the judiciary, policymakers, practitioners, academicians, researchers, and students to examine where India’s reservation jurisprudence stands and where it should go.
Objectives
The workshop aims to:
Examine the constitutional foundations of reservation under Articles 15(4) and 16(4) and its evolution through judicial decisions.
Assess the tension between constitutional morality and public morality in debates on affirmative action.
Evaluate contested issues such as the creamy layer, sub-classification, the ceiling on reservation, and EWS reservation.
Interrogate the concept of merit and its relationship with substantive equality and social justice.
Facilitate dialogue among the judiciary, policymakers, practitioners and academia, culminating in a policy brief.
Date & Time
1st November, 2026 at 12:00 PM, Venue: Online/Virtually
About the Speaker
Dr. Ashit Kumar Srivastava is a distinguished legal academic and Dean, School of Law at the Uttar Pradesh State Institute of Forensic Science, Lucknow. He holds an LL.B., an LL.M. in Constitutional Law, and a Ph.D. in Data Protection Law. His areas of expertise include constitutional law, data protection law, and digital constitutionalism.
He has previously served at Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur. He is also a frequent speaker at national & international seminars, sharing his expertise on contemporary legal issues.
Eligibility
Students, Advocates, Professor / Faculty Member, Research Scholars, Legal Professionals
Theme
“Reservation at the Crossroads: Constitutional Morality, Social Justice, and Merit”
Registration
Participation in the workshop is Free of cost; the Registration Link.
Certificates
Participants will be provided with certificates upon completion of the event, subject to their attendance at the meeting.
Contact
Email: events@tscld.com
Comments