Social Justice & Welfare
20 study notes for Social Justice & Welfare, mapped to the official UPSC syllabus.
Study notes
Constitutional Basis of Reservation in IndiaExplains the constitutional basis of reservation in India through Articles 15, 16, 330 and 332, the Indra Sawhney ruling, and the NALSA extension.National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992The minorities commission act, 1992 made India's 1978 Minorities Commission a statutory body — the National Commission for Minorities.Definition of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (Article 366)Article 366 defines socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC) by cross-reference to Article 342A's Central List, with Article 338B providing oversight.Mandal Commission and Indra Sawhney v UOIThe Indra Sawhney v UOI (1992) Mandal Commission OBC ruling upheld 27% reservation with creamy layer exclusion, a 50% ceiling, and no promotion quota.Right to Food: Judicial Expansion and Midday Meal SchemeHow the Supreme Court read the right to food into Article 21 and made the midday meal scheme mandatory nationwide from 2001.Rights of Scheduled Castes: Constitutional ProtectionsSC rights flow from Articles 15-17, 46 and 330-338: non-discrimination, reservation in seats and jobs, and a dedicated National Commission for enforcement.Maratha Reservation Case: Jaishri Laxmanrao Patil v UOIThe Maratha reservation case (Jaishri Laxmanrao Patil v UOI) held that states lost power to identify SEBCs after the 102nd Amendment Act, 2018.Central List of Socially and Educationally Backward ClassesThe OBC central list under Article 342A is the President-notified list of socially and educationally backward classes for Central Government purposes.Claims of SC/ST to Services and PostsArticle 335 requires SC/ST claims to be considered in Union and State service appointments, subject to maintaining administrative efficiency.Representation of Anglo-Indians in State Legislative AssembliesArticle 333 let Governors nominate one Anglo-Indian member to State Legislative Assemblies, until the 104th Amendment Act, 2019 ended the provision.Rights of Religious Minorities in IndiaHow Articles 25-30, the Preamble, and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 together protect religious minority rights in India.Rights of Women: Constitutional Provisions and Historical StruggleWomen's rights in India draw on Article 15's equality guarantee, its special provisions for women, Article 51-A duties, and institutions like the NHRC.Rights of Scheduled Tribes: Adivasi Identity and SafeguardsST rights in India: reserved seats in Parliament and panchayats, Article 15 education quotas, and Article 275 grants for tribal welfare.Welfare State and Directive PrinciplesHow India's welfare state ideal is written into the Constitution through Part IV's Directive Principles of State Policy and Article 38's justice mandate.Housing and Rehabilitation as Article 21 Rights: The Narmada ExperienceThe right to housing is not named in the Constitution but is read into Article 21, shaping how courts view rehabilitation after displacement.Special Provision for Anglo-Indians in ServicesArticle 336 protected Anglo-Indian employment in Railway, Customs, Postal and Telegraph services on a phased, ten-year sunset basis.Representation of Anglo-Indians in the Lok SabhaAnglo-Indian representation in the Lok Sabha rests on Article 331, letting the President nominate up to two members if inadequately represented.Women's Reservation in Legislatures (106th Amendment)Article 330A and the 106th Amendment reserve women reservation seats in the Lok Sabha, extending a model first tested under the 73rd/74th Amendments.EWS Reservation: 103rd Constitutional AmendmentEWS reservation is the 10% quota for Economically Weaker Sections in jobs and education, introduced by the 103rd Constitutional Amendment, 2019.Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM): Objectives, Funding Pattern, Implementation and ChallengesJal Jeevan Mission aims to provide a functional household tap connection to every rural household. A complete study note on its objectives, funding pattern, institutional architecture, the crucial coverage-versus-functionality distinction, and the challenges that decide whether taps actually deliver water.