Social Justice and the Marginalised

A. Choose the correct answer and fill in the blanks.

1. c; 2. c; 3. d ; 4. c ; 5. c

B. Fill in the blanks.

1. 15

2. Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation 

 3. dalits

4. pre and post metric 

5. mistakes  

C. State whether true or false. If false, correct the statement.

 1. F (correct: The process of marginalisation takes away the access to basic human

rights.)

2. F(correct: It is covered under Article 39(D))

3. F (correct: Fundamental Rights

aims at providing equal status to every citizen.)

4. T

D. Answer the following in 10-20 words.

1. Other backward classes are those castes/ communities that are notifid as socially

and educationally backward classes by the state governments or those that may be

notified as such by the central government from time to time.

2. Social justice targets the marginalised people of the society. It recognises that there

are situations where application of the same rules to disadvantaged groups can

generate inequality. Social justice provides a framework to assess the impact of

policies and practices.

3. The Article 15 of our Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion,

race, caste, sex or place of birth. Reservations in the case of women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, disabled persons and other backward classes are

allowed.

4. Manual scavenging refers to people lifting human excreta with their hands and

carrying loads on their head, hips or shoulders.

E. Answer the following in 50-70 words.

1. Our Constitution makers who were aware of the injustices done to the Scheduled

Castes made provisions to improve their condition.

• Under Article 15 and 16, our Constitution prohibits any kind of discrimination

by the state on grounds of caste, creed or colour and seeks to provide them

equal economic opportunity.

• Untouchability was legally abolished through Article 17 and was declared a

punishable offence.

• All public places including the religious ones have been thrown open to all

Hindus, including the Scheduled Castes.

• No person belonging to the Scheduled Caste can be denied entry to public

places like shops, hotels, restaurants, cinema halls and fairs.

• Different welfare departments have been set up for them. The Ministry of Social

Justice and Empowerment looks after the welfare of the Scheduled Castes,

minorities and backward classes.

2. Several schemes have been launched for them by the Government of India. These

include:

• pre-examination coaching to enable the OBC candidates to compete in various

competitive or entrance examinations,

• hostel facilities for OBC boys and girls,

• financial help through pre and postmatric scholarship facilities for the OBCs,

• assistance to voluntary organisations for the welfare of the OBCs and

• 27% reservation in government services.

3. The main objective of Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their

Rehabilitation Act, 2013 act was to do the following.

i) eliminate the insanitary latrines

ii) prohibit:

a) employment of manual scavengers and

b) hazardous manual cleaning of sewer and septic tanks

iii) survey of manual scavengers and their rehabilitation in a time bound manner.

F. Answer the questions in 80-100 words.

1. Efforts made for upliftment of women

• Under article 15, women have been given an equal status and special provisions

have been made for them and children.

• Their right to equal pay for equal work has been recognised under Article 39(D)

• One-third of the seats in the panchayats are reserved for SC and ST women.

• Laws have been enacted to prohibit taking of dowry, abolishing the system of

polygamy amongst the Hindus, prevention of domestic violence against the

women and to give them the same right to inheritance of property as men.

• Education of girl child and women has been encouraged through various schemes

and welfare policies launched by the government. Efforts made for upliftment of

minorities

• The Fundamental Rights of our Constitution guarantee to the minorities the right to

practice their religion and preserve their culture, language and script.

• To improve their social and economic condition, several programmes and schemes

have been launched under the directive of the central government. The Ministry of

Minority Affairs has implemented schemes such as ‘Seekho Aur Kamao’, ‘Usttad’,

‘Garib Nawaz Kaushal Vikas Yojana’ and ‘Nai Roshni’ to provide employment to

these communities.

• Scholarships, fellowships and skill development programmes have been initiated

to benefit the minority students.

• Educational infrastructure and resources have been improved for minorities. The

provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities)

Act can be divided into three categories. The first category contains a long list of

defined atrocities against the SCs and the STs, the second lists provisions for relief

and compensation for victims of atrocities and the third describes the authorities

responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the Act.

2. Chapter II of the Act lists the offences of atrocities and punishments for these. Some of

these atrocities are mentioned here.

i. forcing a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe to drink or eat any

inedible or obnoxious substance

ii. acting with intent to cause injury, insult or annoyance to any member of a

Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe by dumping excreta, waste matter, carcasses

or any other obnoxious substance in his premises or neighbourhood

iii. forcibly removing clothes from the person of a member of a Scheduled Caste

or a Scheduled Tribe or parading them naked or with painted face or body or

commiting any similar act which is derogatory to human dignity 

iv. wrongfully occupying or cultivating any land owned by or allotted to or notified

by any competent authority to be allotted to a member of a Scheduled Caste or a

Scheduled Tribe or get the land allotted to him transferred

v. wrongfully dispossess a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe from

his land or premises or interfere with the enjoyment of his rights over any land,

premise or water

Efforts made for upliftment of women

• Under article 15, women have been given an equal status and special provisions

have been made for them and children.

• Their right to equal pay for equal work has been recognised under Article 39(D)

• One-third of the seats in the panchayats are reserved for SC and ST women.

• Laws have been enacted to prohibit taking of dowry, abolishing the system of

polygamy amongst the Hindus, prevention of domestic violence against the

women and to give them the same right to inheritance of property as men.

• Education of girl child and women has been encouraged through various schemes

and welfare policies launched by the government. Efforts made for upliftment of

minorities

• The Fundamental Rights of our Constitution guarantee to the minorities the right to

practice their religion and preserve their culture, language and script.

• To improve their social and economic condition, several programmes and schemes

have been launched under the directive of the central government. The Ministry of

Minority Affairs has implemented schemes such as ‘Seekho Aur Kamao’, ‘Usttad’,

‘Garib Nawaz Kaushal Vikas Yojana’ and ‘Nai Roshni’ to provide employment to

these communities.

• Scholarships, fellowships and skill development programmes have been initiated

to benefit the minority students.

• Educational infrastructure and resources have been improved for minorities.