From Access to Power: Dalit Representation Deficits Across State, Market, and Cultural Institutions in Neoliberal India

This paper examines the persistence of representation deficits among Scheduled Castes (Dalits) across state, market, and cultural institutions in neoliberal India. While affirmative action has expanded access to education, public employment, and political participation, it has not ensured proportional representation in positions of authority and decision-making. Using a qualitative research design based on secondary data, the study analyses representation patterns in the bureaucracy, judiciary, corporate sector, media, cinema, and sports. It develops the concept of representation deficit to explain the gap between institutional inclusion and leadership representation. Drawing on Ambedkar’s analysis of caste exclusion, theories of representation, and the capability approach, the paper argues that access alone is insufficient for achieving substantive equality. Comparative evidence suggests that affirmative action has generally been more successful in expanding participation than in redistributing institutional power. The paper concludes by proposing sector-specific reforms to strengthen leadership representation, accountability, and institutional inclusion.