An Equal Opportunity Commission for India

It is essential to identify channels and mechanisms that underscore the importance of diversity of the public discourses, narratives and decision-making at the national and state levels. Such mechanisms need to be institutionalized.

In the Indian context, establishing an equal opportunity commission (EOC) is imperative to improve diversity and eliminate deficits in various outcome measures, especially amongst deprived SCs/STs and Muslims, the largest of the minorities. The focus must be on mechanisms to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through institutional facilitation of EOC. This essay makes a strong case for the establishment of an EOC in India and draws upon the institutional frame and the best practices of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) of the United States of America (USA) and Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC, earlier EOC) of the United Kingdom (UK).