For decades, India has ring-fenced around half of all government jobs and university spots for the socially disadvantaged groups that were for centuries relegated to the bottom rung of the Hindu caste hierarchy.

Now, a similar policy is being launched for the poor as well. Divya Arya asks whether affirmative action can help tackle poverty. In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we speak to a student from the disadvantaged groups, an economist and a corporate diversity advisor about the quota system. Has it led to greater social inclusion, and can the new policy aimed at tackling poverty have any meaningful impact? Presenter: Divya Arya Contributors: Thallapelli Praveen, PhD candidate, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Rosita Rabindra, Co-Founder, Diversity Dialogs; Ashwini Deshpande, Professor of Economics, Ashoka University.

Image: A father and son look at a laptop (Credit: Getty Images)