Affirmative Action
Also known as: Positive action
Affirmative action refers to United States measures that require or encourage proactive effort to widen opportunity for groups that have historically faced discrimination, particularly on grounds of race, sex, disability, and veteran status. In employment, it applies most directly to federal contractors and subcontractors, who have long been required to maintain written affirmative action plans setting goals for outreach, recruitment, and advancement, historically overseen by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.
Affirmative action is distinct from equal employment opportunity. EEO prohibits discrimination; affirmative action asks covered employers to take positive steps — targeted outreach, structured tracking, and goal-setting — to improve representation. The area is legally contested and has narrowed following court decisions, especially regarding the use of race, so the precise obligations on employers continue to shift and should be checked against current law.
Affirmative action is a US concept and does not exist in that form for private employers in India. The nearest Indian parallel is constitutional reservation in public-sector employment and education for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes — a public-sector quota system, not a private-employer obligation. Private companies and GCCs in India instead pursue representation through voluntary diversity, equity and inclusion programmes rather than any mandated affirmative action plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is affirmative action?
Affirmative action is a set of US policies requiring certain employers, mainly federal contractors, to take proactive steps to recruit and advance members of historically underrepresented groups. It goes beyond simply avoiding discrimination.
What is the difference between affirmative action and equal employment opportunity?
Equal employment opportunity prohibits discrimination in employment decisions, while affirmative action requires covered employers to take positive, proactive steps — such as targeted outreach and goal-setting — to improve representation. One prevents harm; the other actively widens opportunity.
Does affirmative action apply in India?
Not for private employers. India’s nearest equivalent is constitutional reservation in public-sector jobs and education for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, which is a public-sector quota system rather than a private-employer obligation.
Which employers must have an affirmative action plan?
In the US, affirmative action plans have chiefly applied to federal contractors and subcontractors above certain thresholds. The precise scope is set by regulation and has shifted following court decisions, so employers should check current requirements.