Sooraj Kumar Maurya, PhD, is an accomplished academic in the field of philosophy, currently serving as an Assistant Professor at Zakir Husain Delhi College, University of Delhi, India. Dr. Maurya specializes in socio-philosophy, applied ethics, feminism, philosophy of law, and existentialism. His research focuses primarily on the intersection of ethics, justice, and affirmative action within Western philosophy, alongside significant contributions to modern ethical debates related to digital technology, online education, and gender discrimination. A recipient of several awards, including the INDO-ASIAN Excellence Award in Socio-Political Philosophy (2021), Dr. Maurya has also been recognized for his contributions to academic publishing, having served as the Managing Editor of the International Journal of Applied Ethics and authored numerous articles and book chapters published in leading academic journals and books indexed by SCOPUS and Web of Science. Beyond research, Dr. Maurya is deeply involved in academic administration and has contributed significantly to the development of educational practices and faculty development programs at the University of Delhi and Ramanujan College. He has served in various roles, including member of academic supervisory committees, library committees, and as Teacher-in-Charge of the Department of Philosophy. His publications include papers on topics like the philosophy of tourism, digital parenting, and the challenges of replicating human language understanding in artificial intelligence. A highly regarded speaker and organizer, Dr. Maurya has presented papers at international and national conferences and webinars, focusing on contemporary issues such as gender discrimination, the concept of justice, and the impact of digital transformations on education. Dr. Maurya holds a DPhil in Philosophy from the University of Allahabad, where he also earned his MA in Philosophy and BA in Philosophy, English Literature, and Ancient History.

• Preface 1. The Depressed Class 2. Affirmative Action: Morally Relevant and Irrelevant Characteristics 3. Affirmative Action: An Epistemological Inquiry 4. Affirmative Action: A Metaphysical Inquiry 5. Affirmative Action: An Axiological Inquiry 6. An Inquiry into the Nature of Arguments for and Against Affirmative Action Policy 7. Affirmative Action: Forward-Looking and Backward-Looking Arguments 8. Protagonists' Perspectives on Affirmative Action 9. Opponents Views on Affirmative Action 10. A Philosophical Defense of Affirmative Action: Responses to Critics. Index

Sooraj Kumar Maurya, PhD, is an accomplished academic in the field of philosophy, currently serving as an Assistant Professor at Zakir Husain Delhi College, University of Delhi, India. Dr. Maurya specializes in socio-philosophy, applied ethics, feminism, philosophy of law, and existentialism. His research focuses primarily on the intersection of ethics, justice, and affirmative action within Western philosophy, alongside significant contributions to modern ethical debates related to digital technology, online education, and gender discrimination. A recipient of several awards, including the INDO-ASIAN Excellence Award in Socio-Political Philosophy (2021), Dr. Maurya has also been recognized for his contributions to academic publishing, having served as the Managing Editor of the International Journal of Applied Ethics and authored numerous articles and book chapters published in leading academic journals and books indexed by SCOPUS and Web of Science. Beyond research, Dr. Maurya is deeply involved in academic administration and has contributed significantly to the development of educational practices and faculty development programs at the University of Delhi and Ramanujan College. He has served in various roles, including member of academic supervisory committees, library committees, and as Teacher-in-Charge of the Department of Philosophy. His publications include papers on topics like the philosophy of tourism, digital parenting, and the challenges of replicating human language understanding in artificial intelligence. A highly regarded speaker and organizer, Dr. Maurya has presented papers at international and national conferences and webinars, focusing on contemporary issues such as gender discrimination, the concept of justice, and the impact of digital transformations on education. Dr. Maurya holds a DPhil in Philosophy from the University of Allahabad, where he also earned his MA in Philosophy and BA in Philosophy, English Literature, and Ancient History.

• Preface 1. The Depressed Class 2. Affirmative Action: Morally Relevant and Irrelevant Characteristics 3. Affirmative Action: An Epistemological Inquiry 4. Affirmative Action: A Metaphysical Inquiry 5. Affirmative Action: An Axiological Inquiry 6. An Inquiry into the Nature of Arguments for and Against Affirmative Action Policy 7. Affirmative Action: Forward-Looking and Backward-Looking Arguments 8. Protagonists' Perspectives on Affirmative Action 9. Opponents Views on Affirmative Action 10. A Philosophical Defense of Affirmative Action: Responses to Critics. Index

Sooraj Kumar Maurya, PhD, is an accomplished academic in the field of philosophy, currently serving as an Assistant Professor at Zakir Husain Delhi College, University of Delhi, India. Dr. Maurya specializes in socio-philosophy, applied ethics, feminism, philosophy of law, and existentialism. His research focuses primarily on the intersection of ethics, justice, and affirmative action within Western philosophy, alongside significant contributions to modern ethical debates related to digital technology, online education, and gender discrimination. A recipient of several awards, including the INDO-ASIAN Excellence Award in Socio-Political Philosophy (2021), Dr. Maurya has also been recognized for his contributions to academic publishing, having served as the Managing Editor of the International Journal of Applied Ethics and authored numerous articles and book chapters published in leading academic journals and books indexed by SCOPUS and Web of Science. Beyond research, Dr. Maurya is deeply involved in academic administration and has contributed significantly to the development of educational practices and faculty development programs at the University of Delhi and Ramanujan College. He has served in various roles, including member of academic supervisory committees, library committees, and as Teacher-in-Charge of the Department of Philosophy. His publications include papers on topics like the philosophy of tourism, digital parenting, and the challenges of replicating human language understanding in artificial intelligence. A highly regarded speaker and organizer, Dr. Maurya has presented papers at international and national conferences and webinars, focusing on contemporary issues such as gender discrimination, the concept of justice, and the impact of digital transformations on education. Dr. Maurya holds a DPhil in Philosophy from the University of Allahabad, where he also earned his MA in Philosophy and BA in Philosophy, English Literature, and Ancient History.

• Preface 1. The Depressed Class 2. Affirmative Action: Morally Relevant and Irrelevant Characteristics 3. Affirmative Action: An Epistemological Inquiry 4. Affirmative Action: A Metaphysical Inquiry 5. Affirmative Action: An Axiological Inquiry 6. An Inquiry into the Nature of Arguments for and Against Affirmative Action Policy 7. Affirmative Action: Forward-Looking and Backward-Looking Arguments 8. Protagonists' Perspectives on Affirmative Action 9. Opponents Views on Affirmative Action 10. A Philosophical Defense of Affirmative Action: Responses to Critics. Index