Does Affirmative Action Reduce Productivity? A Case Study of the Indian Railways

Flashcards based on a case study examining the impact of affirmative action policies within the Indian Railways, providing definitions of key terms and concepts.

Affirmative Action (AA)

Public policy measures designed to reduce the marginalization of historically discriminated groups.

Scheduled Castes (SCs)

Communities in India that have been historically disadvantaged, now referred to as Dalits.

Scheduled Tribes (STs)

Indigenous groups in India, now referred to as Adivasis, that have historically experienced exclusion.

Reservations

Quotas or set-asides in employment and education for marginalized groups to ensure their representation.

Total Factor Productivity (TFP)

A measure of productivity that captures the efficiency with which inputs are transformed into outputs.

Cobb-Douglas Production Function

A specific functional form used to represent the relationship between two or more inputs and the amount of output produced.

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)

A non-parametric method for measuring the efficiency of production units, allowing for multiple inputs and outputs.

Labor Quality

A concept reflecting the average skill level of workers in relation to their job categories and responsibilities.

Effective Labor Input

A measure that adjusts labor input to account for changes in the quality and category of labor over time.

Causal Relationship

A relationship where a change in one variable directly causes a change in another variable.

Economic Efficiency

A state of resource allocation where resources are used optimally to maximize productivity without wastage.

Productivity Growth

The increase in the efficiency of production often measured by changes in output per unit of input over time.