Stuck on finding a topic for a paper

Hey everyone :)

I'm currently struggling in finding a topic for a paper that I have to write for a course. The course was about group identities and conflicts in South Asia, with a heavy focus on India.

I was thinking to do some research on the Indian reservation system at universities, however I'm kinda stuck in formulating a question. I have discussed with some friends (all Indian) and some family members but somehow I didn't come to a topic yet. While my friends like to give their opinion on the caste system and the reservation system, I cannot make use of this atm because conducting qualitative interviews would be a bit too much work for this kind of paper.

I'm a bit afraid of reaching out to my professor and asking for help as she articulated it very clearly that she isn't a huge fan of students who need a lot of support. My family said that it's actually her job to support and guide me through my studies... However, I'm a bit ashamed to seek help and I'm also unsure how much I would need to prepare for a talk (e.g. all the research questions I have thought of so far but that just don't seem manageable; just a broader topic;...)

Do you guys know this problem as well? How do you come up with research questions? And how would you approach the situation with my professor?

Thanks in advance for sharing your ideas!