Social Justice and Empowerment
Part II
Chapter 3 Social Justice and Empowerment
Social Justice and Empowerment
3.1 Development and empowerment of scheduled castes (SCs), scheduled tribes (STs), other backward classes (OBCs), minorities, disabled and other social groups in order to bring them at par with the rest of society is a commitment enshrined in the Constitution. This is to be done by adopting the approach of social justice to ensure equal rights, access to benefits and resources and empowerment to enable them to develop their potential and capacities as agents of social change, through the process of planned development. and be able to lead a life with confidence and dignity. Ensuring removal of disparities, eliminating exploitation and suppression and providing protection to the disadvantaged groups. Ensuring that developmental benefits reach the unreached through equitable distribution. Ensuring the involvement of the socially disadvantaged groups in the process of planning not merely as beneficiaries but also as participants in the formulation of need-based programmes/projects, as well as their implementation, supervision and monitoring. Accelerating the on-going process of improving the socio-economic status of the disadvantaged groups through effective implementation of various policies and programmes and thus bring them at par with rest of the society.
SOCIALLY GROUPS
DISADVANTAGED
3.2. The socially disadvantaged groups include the SCs, OBC and minorities. The SCs number 166.64 million (16.2 per cent) and minorities 189.4 million (18.42 per cent) according to the 2001 Census. The OBCs, as per a Government of India notification of 8 September 1993, include castes and communities which are named in both the list contained in the Report of the Backward Classes Commission (Mandal Commission) and in the list of individual state governments. In the absence of specific Census data, it is difficult to put an exact figure on the OBC population. The Mandal
Chapter 3 Social Justice and Empowerment
Social Justice and Empowerment
3.1 Development and empowerment of scheduled castes (SCs), scheduled tribes (STs), other backward classes (OBCs), minorities, disabled and other social groups in order to bring them at par with the rest of society is a commitment enshrined in the Constitution. This is to be done by adopting the approach of social justice to ensure equal rights, access to benefits and resources and empowerment to enable them to develop their potential and capacities as agents of social change, through the process of planned development. and be able to lead a life with confidence and dignity. Ensuring removal of disparities, eliminating exploitation and suppression and providing protection to the disadvantaged groups. Ensuring that developmental benefits reach the unreached through equitable distribution. Ensuring the involvement of the socially disadvantaged groups in the process of planning not merely as beneficiaries but also as participants in the formulation of need-based programmes/projects, as well as their implementation, supervision and monitoring. Accelerating the on-going process of improving the socio-economic status of the disadvantaged groups through effective implementation of various policies and programmes and thus bring them at par with rest of the society.
SOCIALLY GROUPS
DISADVANTAGED
3.2. The socially disadvantaged groups include the SCs, OBC and minorities. The SCs number 166.64 million (16.2 per cent) and minorities 189.4 million (18.42 per cent) according to the 2001 Census. The OBCs, as per a Government of India notification of 8 September 1993, include castes and communities which are named in both the list contained in the Report of the Backward Classes Commission (Mandal Commission) and in the list of individual state governments. In the absence of specific Census data, it is difficult to put an exact figure on the OBC population. The Mandal