Polity & Governance
Social Justice and Welfare Schemes
GS Paper II
Social Justice and Welfare — Quick Revision
One-page UPSC revision of social justice: constitutional safeguards, protective laws by group, NFSA entitlements, long-running welfare programmes, judgments and delivery issues.
SyllabusGS II · Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies for their protection and betterment; issues relating to health, education, human resources, poverty and hunger
A last-week sheet on social justice and welfare. Prelims tests Acts, years and entitlements; Mains tests delivery.
Constitutional Safeguards
| Article | Safeguard |
|---|---|
| 15(4), 16(4) | Special provisions and reservation for backward classes, SCs, STs |
| 17 | Untouchability abolished |
| 21A | Free and compulsory education, 6–14 years |
| 23, 24 | No trafficking or forced labour; no child labour in hazardous work below 14 |
| 39(f) | Protection of children |
| 41 | Right to work, education, public assistance |
| 46 | Weaker sections, especially SCs and STs |
| 47 | Nutrition, standard of living, public health |
| 338 / 338A / 338B | NCSC / NCST / NCBC |
| 340 | Backward Classes Commission |
| 341 / 342 / 342A | SC / ST / SEBC lists |
Protective Laws by Group
| Group | Law | Year |
|---|---|---|
| SCs | Protection of Civil Rights Act | 1955 |
| SCs and STs | Prevention of Atrocities Act (amended 2015, 2018) | 1989 |
| STs (Scheduled Areas) | PESA | 1996 |
| STs and forest dwellers | Forest Rights Act | 2006 |
| Women | Domestic Violence Act | 2005 |
| Women | Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act | 2013 |
| Children | RTE Act | 2009 |
| Children | POCSO Act | 2012 |
| Children | Juvenile Justice Act | 2015 |
| Manual scavengers | Prohibition of Employment and Rehabilitation Act | 2013 |
| Persons with disabilities | RPwD Act (21 disabilities; 4% jobs; 5% higher education) | 2016 |
| Transgender persons | Protection of Rights Act | 2019 |
| Senior citizens | Maintenance and Welfare Act | 2007 |
NFSA, 2013 — Entitlements
75-50-5-35
- Coverage: up to 75% rural and 50% urban population.
- Priority households: 5 kg per person per month.
- Antyodaya households: 35 kg per household per month.
- Maternity benefit: not less than ₹6,000.
- Eldest woman (18+) is head of household for the ration card.
- Free of cost since January 2023.
Long-Running Programmes
| Programme | Year | Remember for |
|---|---|---|
| ICDS | 1975 | Six services through anganwadis |
| NSAP | 1995 | Social pensions (Article 41) |
| Mid-day meal / PM POSHAN | 1995 / 2021 | School meals |
| DBT | 2013 | Cash to bank accounts |
| PMJDY | 2014 | Bank accounts for all households |
| Beti Bachao Beti Padhao | 2015 | Child sex ratio |
| Stand-Up India | 2016 | Loans for SC/ST and women entrepreneurs |
| PM-JAY | 2018 | ₹5 lakh per family per year; all aged 70+ since 2024 |
Judgments
| Case | Holding |
|---|---|
| Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan (1997) | Guidelines on workplace sexual harassment |
| PUCL v. Union of India (2001 onwards) | Food scheme benefits as legal entitlements |
| S. Subramaniam Balaji (2013) | Poll freebies not a corrupt practice; ECI to frame guidelines |
| NALSA v. Union of India (2014) | Third gender recognised |
| Pramati Educational Trust (2014) | RTE Act not applicable to minority schools |
| K.S. Puttaswamy (Aadhaar, 2018) | Aadhaar for welfare upheld; private use struck down |
| Prithvi Raj Chauhan (2020) | 2018 PoA amendment upheld |
Traps
- NFSA covers about two-thirds of the population, not everyone.
- Only the President (and then Parliament) decides SC and ST lists.
- RPwD implements the CRPD, not the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
- ICDS is under the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Related Topics
- Welfare of Vulnerable Sections — main note
- Social Justice — practice questions
- Social Justice — overview
- All quick revision sheets
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