Social Justice in India: Laws, Classification, Importance - UPSC Notes

Social justice is to make the rights, opportunities and treatment of all the individuals in a given society similar irrespective of caste, class, gender, religion, race and economic status of the individual. It works on elimination of social and economic disparities and providing an equitable spread of resources, services, and protection under the law. Social justice encourages dignity and respect to all individuals and equal participation in the lives of people in the society. 

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In India, two significant legislations have been enacted to address the persistent issues of social discrimination and exploitation of the marginalized communities. These are the Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Act of 1955 and the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. These laws are particularly important in tackling social evils such as untouchability and the rising cases of atrocities against the disadvantaged sections of the society. The Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has provisions for special courts and mobile courts to ensure prompt and efficient disposal of cases. 

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Social Justice in India is one of the most important topics for the UPSC IAS exam. It covers a significant part of the sociology subject in the General Studies Paper-1 syllabus and General Studies Paper 1 of the UPSC Prelims syllabus. The UPSC aspirants can also take the help of Testbook’s UPSC Free Coaching to boost their UPSC Exam preparation! You can also study all major topics related to UPSC IAS Exams with Testbook!

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What is Social Justice?

Social justice is a political and philosophical term that pays attention to the concept of equity in interactions among people in society. It promotes equality in the access to resources, opportunities and social privileges, and this is intended to help to eliminate inequalities in the societal wealth, social statuses among other elements in the society.Social justice helps create an equal society. It fights all types of injustice.

To provide effective implementation of the said Acts, in 1955 a Centrally sponsored scheme having the compliance of PCR Act and POA Act was initiated. The scheme offers help in terms of strengthening the administrative, enforcing and judicial machineries relating to these legislations. It is also assistive when it comes to publicity and relief/rehabilitation of the affected individuals. In spite of these, untouchability still exists and that the same legislations should be strictly enforced and the general awareness spread. India has a mix of many communities, languages, and religions. Many people face inequality due to caste, gender, or class. To stop this, social justice in India is a must.

The total abolition of manual scavenging by the end of the Tenth Plan (2007) has especially been emphasised. The programme will consist of, converting dry latrines to water-borne latrines and training and rehabilitating scavengers (estimates to be approximately 6,76,000) so that they may receive an alternative and dignified occupation.

The first component of the scheme is overseen by the Ministry of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation. The National Scheme of Liberation and Rehabilitation of Scavengers and Their Dependents was transferred to the Ministry of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation in 2003-04 to ensure its effective implementation.

A comprehensive List of Poverty Alleviation Programmes in India is available at the linked article.

Classification of Social Justice

Generally there are four types of social justice namely: distributive justice (fair distribution of resources), procedural justice (fair to make decisions), retributive justice (fair treatment of misdoings), and restorative justice (reparation of wrongs by reconciliation). They are all oriented to sustaining equality, dignity, and fairness in various dimensions of social, legal and economic systems.

Five Principles of Social Justice

The five social justice principles are equity, access, participation, diversity and human rights. Fairness guarantees people are treated equally. Equality of access ensures the equalative access to resources. The concept of participation makes all people participators in decision-making. Diversity fascinates other identities and cultures. It is human rights that guard the primary liberties and dignity of every human being. All these principles enhance fairness and equity in the society.

1. Access to resources: That there must be equal distribution of such personal needs as education, health opportunities and work opportunities.
2. Equity: This is the concept of equity which must be considered by making sure that inequalities in the system are prioritized, as well as providing every individual with a chance to prosper regardless of their backgrounds and circumstances.
3. Participation: Facilitation of active involvement and speaking with the voices of diversity in the societal decision-making.
4. Diversity: Acceptance and understanding of differences in the human display, inclusion and abolition of discriminatory trends.
5. Human Rights: Upholding and protecting the fundamental rights and dignity of all individuals, irrespective of factors like race, gender, or socio-economic status.

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Indian Government & Social Justice

While activists and advocates have a significant impact on promoting social justice globally, the practical implementation of social justice policies is often delegated to administrators, including government bodies, non-profit organizations, foundations, and bureaucratic agencies. These entities are tasked with shaping public policies to address social justice issues, and the degree to which social justice influences governmental policies is influenced by political factors.

Various government programs, such as wealth and income redistribution, subsidies, legal protection in employment, and measures like fines or taxes targeting privileged groups, have historically been used to pursue social justice initiatives. Socialist and communist countries often incorporate social justice into their economic policies, and left-leaning political parties within democracies frequently include social justice in their platforms.

Also, read the Salient features of the Indian Constitution here.

Conclusion

Social justice means equal rights and fair treatment for all in society. It ensures that people get equal chances without bias. In India, social justice plays a key role in making society equal for every citizen. This concept fights poverty, discrimination, and inequality. In the UPSC exam, social justice is very important. Many students study the social justice book for UPSC to understand the basics. You must study it deeply through social justice UPSC notes and other resources to score well in the mains. This article will help you understand social justice in India, its features, and how it connects with the UPSC syllabus.

The foundation of an equal India lies in social justice. It tries to provide all individuals with equal rights and dignity. This topic is a necessity for UPSC. You should know it well in order to be able to answer good questions. You can secure good marks with proper notes, like social justice UPSC mains notes,and you can score well. Prepare smartly using social justice UPSC notes and stay updated.

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