Problems of socially backward classes
Answers
Answer:
While the term ‘backward classes’ has not been defined by the Indian Constitution, the characteristics of backwardness are described here and there and also sometimes the categories are mentioned. Article 15(4) speaks of the socially and educationally backward class.
Article 16 (4) uses the term ‘backward class’ and speaks of inadequate representation in services. Article 46 mentions the weaker sections of the people and includes in that expression the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Article 340 empowers the State to investigate the conditions of the backward class and to help them by grants.
Recognising that Indian society is made up hundreds of millions of citizens who are utterly poor, illiterate and live in small, closed tribal and village societies the Constitution has laid stress on the social, economic and political justice along ‘with equality of status.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
While Article 14 and 15 (1) and (2) emphasise equality of all citizens before law and prohibit discrimination on grounds of caste, creed, birth etc., Article 15 (4) asserts that these Constitutional provisions do not prevent the State from making special provisions for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Thus, the Constitution has recognised that it is necessary to take special steps to help the socially and economically backward classes.
The Backward Class Commission was appointed in 1953 with Kaka Kalelkar as the Chairman according to the Article 340 of the Constitution. The Commission was asked to determine the criteria to be adopted to provide concessions to “socially and educationally backward classes” besides The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
The Commission was also asked to prepare a list of such classes. The Commission prepared a list of about 2400 castes. The words specifically used are classes and sections and not castes and yet, as explained in the body of the report the words ‘sections and classes’ mean nothing but castes and no other interpretation is feasible. List prepared for backward classes deemed to have been made in terms of castes and the term ‘backward classes’ has been used to describe and include “backward castes”. But the Constitution does not recognise caste, except the scheduled castes.
It must be recognised that the term ‘class’ is associated with economic category and indicates an ‘open’ status group. By contrast, the backward classes in India form an aggregate of ‘closed’ status groups; they belong to these groups by birth, not because of their individual economic characteristics.
Answer:
Low status, poverty and illiteracy are social problems, which they have inherited due to their ascribed status of being born in a low caste or tribe. The backward classes constitute a large and mixed category of persons. They comprise roughly one-third of the total population of the country.