write the safeguards of social justice of India
Answers
Globally, there are strong constitutional measures to ensure justice to the weaker segments of the society. American society is hugely diverse in nature. Historically, American citizens who are of African- American origin have had suffered unfortunate predicament by the dominant nativists. Keeping this in mind, American policy makers had made clauses for ‘Affirmative Action’ and ‘Positive Discrimination’. Such policy measures are usually envisioned to warrant effective representation in key areas and equitable distribution of national resources.
Indian experience also entails similar constitutional scheme to empower those who were left behind in the course of history of our nation. There are many important provisions enshrined in the constitution for the same.
Article 17 is a considered a pioneering effort towards bringing social reforms. By enacting this Article, the government of independent India acted earnestly to abolish the scourge of social discrimination. The Constitution-makers not only provided for criminalizing any form of social discrimination but also punishing those who practice such discriminations.
Similarly, Article 46 states, “The state shall promote with special care the educational and economic interest of the weaker sections of the people, and in particular, of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation.” To achieve this objective, Article 15(4) empowers the State to make special provisions for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward class of the citizens and for SCs. This article enabled the State to reserve seats for SCs in educational institutions.
Article 335 is an enabling provision which allows relaxation in qualifying marks for admission in educational institutes or promotions for SCs/STs. Similarly, Article 243D mentions reservation of seats for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in every Panchayat.
While Article 243T provides for reservation of seats for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in every Municipality, Article 330 makes provision reservation of seats for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in the House of the People and Article 332 in the Legislative Assemblies of the States.