Welfare of Vulnerable Sections: Schemes, Laws and Institutions

What the official syllabus says

Main Examination, Paper III: General Studies II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations):

• Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

Topics in detail

Who are the vulnerable sections

• Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes (including Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups), Other Backward Classes, minorities
• Women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, transgender persons
• Manual scavengers, bonded and migrant labour, denotified and nomadic tribes, economically weaker sections

Constitutional provisions

• Articles 15(4), 15(5), 16(4), 16(4A); Articles 15(6) and 16(6) for economically weaker sections
• Article 17 (abolition of untouchability), Articles 23 and 24 (against forced and child labour), Articles 29 and 30 (minorities)
• Article 46 (educational and economic interests of weaker sections); Articles 330, 332 and 335; Articles 338 to 342
• Fifth and Sixth Schedules for Scheduled and tribal areas

Laws for protection

• Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955; Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989
• Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013; Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976
• Forest Rights Act, 2006 and PESA, 1996
• Women: Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961; Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005; Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013; Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017
• Children: Right to Education Act, 2009; Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006; POCSO Act, 2012; Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015; child labour law as amended in 2016
• Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016; Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019; Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007

Institutions and bodies

• National Commissions for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, Women, Minorities, Safai Karamcharis and Protection of Child Rights
• Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities; National Council for Transgender Persons
• State commissions, special courts under the Atrocities Act, child welfare committees

Welfare schemes by the Centre and States (by type)

• Education: pre- and post-matric scholarships, residential schools for tribal children (Eklavya Model Residential Schools), hostels
• Economic empowerment: credit and enterprise support (for example Stand-Up India), tribal livelihoods and minor forest produce
• Women and children: Integrated Child Development Services, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, maternity benefit, POSHAN Abhiyaan, Mission Shakti
• Social assistance: National Social Assistance Programme pensions for the elderly, widows and persons with disabilities
• Accessibility and rehabilitation for persons with disabilities; schemes for transgender persons and persons engaged in begging
• State schemes: cash transfers to women, girl-child schemes, tribal sub-plans

Performance of these schemes

• Coverage and targeting; awareness and take-up; delays in scholarships and pensions
• Utilisation of funds earmarked for SCs and STs (Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan approach)
• Evaluation and outcomes; role of social audit and grievance redressal

Reservation and related debates

• Indra Sawhney (1992) and the creamy layer; M. Nagaraj (2006) and Jarnail Singh (2018) on promotions
• Economically weaker sections quota upheld in Janhit Abhiyan (2022)
• Sub-classification of Scheduled Castes allowed in State of Punjab v Davinder Singh (2024)

Overlaps

• General Studies I: “Role of women and women’s organization”, “Social empowerment”.
• General Studies IV: “empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker-sections”.