Social Empowerment - 2 | Indian Society for UPSC CSE PDF Download

4. Minority
The term “Minority” has not been properly defined anywhere in the Indian Constitution. But minority status has been conferred on many groups.

• Article 29: According to Article 29 of the Constitution, any group living within the jurisdiction of India is entitled to preserve and promote its own language, script or literature, and culture.
• Article 30: Article 30 states that a minority group whether based on religion or language shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.

Minorities in India:

•  The word ‘minority’ mentioned in the Constitution of India used in various articles viz. Article 29, 30, 350 A, and 350 B. 
• The constitution recognizes minorities based on religion and language, but it neither defines the term ‘minority’.
• As per sec 2(c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act 1992, ‘minority’ means a community notified as such by the Central govt. The Union Government notified Six religious’ communities, viz; Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis), and Jains as minority communities which constitute about 19% population of the country.
• States governments are also empowered to designate state minorities and set up State Minority Commissions. For e.g. Jains were designated as a minority by 11 states before the Jains were nationally recognized in 2014.

Supreme court judgments regarding for definition of minorities:

• Kerala Education Bill case 1958: It said a minority should be a group of people who are numerically a minority in a ‘State as a whole’ as distinguished from any particular area or region’.
• Bal Patil & others v UOI, 1999, and TMA Pai Foundation v State of Karnataka 2002: It held that with regard to state law, the unit to determine a religious or linguistic minority should be the state.

Problems faced by minorities in India

• The problem of communal tensions and riots:
  • The minority interest is at stake whenever a communal riot and tension occurs. The number of social unrest also started to increase post 1960s.
  • Hence, combined with the magnitude and frequency of communal riots, the minority is losing confidence over the system and it is highly tough for the government to restore the confidence in them.
• The problem of Identity:
  • Because of the differences in socio-cultural practices, history, and backgrounds, minorities have to grapple with the issue of identity
  • This gives rise to the problem of adjustment with the majority community.
• The problem of Security:
  • Different identities and their small numbers relative to the rest of society develop feelings of insecurity about their life, assets, and well-being.
  • This sense of insecurity may get accentuated at times when relations between the majority and the minority communities in society are strained or not much cordial.
• The problem of lack of representation in civil service and politics:
  • The equality and equal opportunities to all its citizens including the religious minorities are given in Indian Constitution, the biggest minority community, that is, Muslims, have not availed themselves of these facilities of basic human cause. There is a feeling among them that they are neglected.
• The problem of separatism:
  • Some of the demands put forward by some religious communities in some areas are not acceptable to others. This has widened the gap between them and others (e.g., the separatist tendency present among some Muslim extremists in Kashmir and their demand for the establishment of Independent Kashmir is not acceptable to others)
• Education and Employment among Muslims in India:
  • The participation of Muslims is relatively low in the education space but has improved in recent years.
  • The participation of Muslims in higher education is particularly poor Household endowments along with location play a critical role in determining the participation of Muslims in education.
  • Muslims are predominantly engaged in self-employment and their participation as regular worker especially in the tertiary sector in urban areas is low as compared to other socio-religious communities

Steps Taken by Government of India:

• Prime Minister’s new 15-point program: Prime Ministers new 15 point program for the welfare of minorities, which is an overarching program covering various initiatives of different ministries.
• USTAAD: The scheme aims at upgrading skills and training in the preservation of traditional ancestral arts crafts of minorities.
• Hamari Darohar: To preserve the rich and diverse heritage of minority communities in India.
• Strengthening of State Wakf Boards: It is to provide support for training and administrative cost of State Wakf Boards, strengthen the state Wakf boards, etc.
• Nai Roshni: The scheme is envisaged to reach out to women through non-governmental organizations who will be provided with financial support for conducting leadership development training so that women are empowered and emboldened to move out of the confines of home and community and assume leadership roles and assert their rights collectively or individually.

5. Rural Population

• The majority of the population in India still lives in rural areas and it is the best example of “India lives in a village” lines by Gandhi ji.
• Even though migration has happened for a lot of years, still almost 65% of the population lives in the village. Nearly 70% of the country’s population lives in rural areas where, for the first time since independence, the overall growth rate of the population has sharply declined, according to the latest census.

Problem Faced By Rural Population

Step Taken By Government

• Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY): Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana OGSY) is the restructured, streamlined, and comprehensive version of the erstwhile Jawahar Rozgar Yojana ORY). It was started on 1 April 1999. The aim of this program was the development of rural areas Infrastructure like roads to connect the village to different areas, which made the village more accessible and also other social, educational (schools) and infrastructure like hospitals.
• The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY): It was launched by the Govt. of India to provide connectivity to unconnected Habitations as part of a poverty reduction strategy. Govt. of India is endeavoring to set high and uniform technical and management standards and facilitating policy development and planning at the State level in order to ensure sustainable management of the rural roads network.
• Integrated Rural Development Program (IRDP): By providing income-generated assets to the poor in rural India, IRDP is ambitious in alleviating rural poverty. The main objective of IRDP is to raise families of the identified target groups below the poverty line by the creation of sustainable opportunities for self-employment in the rural sector. Assistance is given in the form of subsidy by the government and term credit advanced by financial institutions (commercial banks, cooperatives, and regional rural bank.
• National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA): The NREGA bill notified in 2005 and came into force in 2006 and further modified it as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) on Oct 2, 2009. This scheme guarantees 150 days of paid work to people in rural areas. The scheme has proved to be a major boost in the Indian rural population’s income. The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) is the nodal Ministry for the implementation of NREGA. It is responsible for ensuring timely and adequate resource support to the States and to the Central Council.

6. Senior Citizens

• According to the Census 2011, India has 8 million senior citizens (above 60 years of age). This number is expected to increase significantly in the upcoming years with a rise in the life expectancy to 65 years from 42 years in 1960.
• It is predicted that between the years 2000 and 2050, the population of India will grow by 55%.
• However, the population above 60 years and 80 years will grow by 326% and 700% respectively. The percentage of senior citizens, classified as those above 60 years of age, is expected to go up in India from 8% in 2015 to 19 % in 2050.
• With an increase in populations rapidly, governments are often unprepared to mitigate the consequences, this has implications for the socio-economic and health status of the senior citizens. 

Challenges faced by senior citizens in India:

• Digital illiteracy: The inability of older family members to understand the modern digital language of communication, there is lack of communication between elderly and younger members. They also feel difficulty in getting benefits of digital schemes.
• Ruralisation of the Elderly: According to the 2011 Census, 71 percent of the elderly live in rural India. There are more problems such as Income insecurity, lack of adequate access to quality health care and isolation in rural elderly than the urban elderly.
• Migration and its Impact: Due to the migration of the younger people, the elderly are left living alone or only with their spouse and they face social isolation, poverty, and distress.

Implementation of existing policies:

• 12th plan include: (a) a scheme for awareness generation for the Maintenance of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, (b) setting up a helpline for senior citizens, (c) establishing a National Commission for Senior Citizens, and (d) establishing a National Trust for the Aged.
• Social Pensions: The National Social Assistance Programme was launched to provide social assistance to the poor and the destitute.
• National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP), 1999: It envisages State support to ensure financial and food security, health care, shelter and other needs of older persons, protection against abuse and exploitation, and availability of services to improve the quality of their lives.
• Several schemes launched within it are Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana, Health Insurance for Senior Citizens, Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana 2017, Scheme for providing Aids and Assisted Living Devices to Senior Citizens below Poverty Line, Senior Citizens Welfare Fund, etc.

Way Ahead:

• A comprehensive law for the social security of senior citizens must be enacted.
• An integrated action plan must be evolved, involving various stakeholders and departments of the government.
• Expansion of old age homes and geriatric healthcare: There should be more old age homes constructed, to ensure an old age home in every district.
• Norms and guidelines for old age homes: Standardised norms and guidelines must be formulated for old age homes, especially related to the design of buildings and expertise required to manage these homes.

7. Persons With Disabilities

• Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) experience stigma and compromised dignity in their daily life. As per Census, 2011, there are 68 crore persons with disabilities and they constitute 2.21 percent of the total population of the country, but according to the World Health Organisation, 15% of the world’s population faces some form of disability.
• Men with disabilities constitute 56%, and women with disabilities make up the rest 44%. These include persons with visual, hearing, speech, locomotors, and mental disabilities.
• The Constitution of India ensures equality, freedom, justice, and dignity of all individuals, and implicitly mandates an inclusive society for all including persons with disabilities. Therefore, the primary responsibility to empower persons with disabilities rests with the State Governments also.
• India is a signatory to the Declaration on the Full Participation and Equality of People with Disabilities in the Asia Pacific.

Article 41 of the Indian Constitution mandates the state to make effective provisions for securing the right to education, work, and public assistance for people affected by disability within the constraints of its economic capacity and level of development. The Constitution in the schedule of subjects lays direct responsibility for the empowerment of persons with disabilities on the State Governments.

Problem Faced by Disabled Section

• Isolation: The greatest challenge that disabled people have had to face has been society’s misperception that they are not normal. Historically they have been pitied, ignored, vilified, even hidden away in institutions.
• Discrimination: Disabled people have some abilities, needs, and interests as the rest of the population. Nevertheless, discrimination continued to exist in certain important areas. Some employers were reluctant to take on or promote disables people; some landlords refused to give the land on rent to them; and courts sometimes deprived them of basic rights, including custody of their children. In recent decades, this situation has undergone some positive changes through adjustments in legislation and public attitudes
• Infrastructure: The problems related to the design of the vehicles (high and incompatible steps of vehicles from the platform level especially in public transports), public and private buildings being built without proper provisions of being disabled-friendly. The absence of disabled-friendly toilets, stairs, and other basic infrastructure in public buildings is still a major problem in India.
• Limited monitoring capacity: The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) is the nodal department for issues concerning PwDs at the national level has several schemes. However, many of these schemes have a very small allocation, and the resources that are allocated do not get fully utilized. The monitoring capacity within the department is also limited which is a major challenge because a number of schemes are implemented through NGOs.

Step Taken by Government

• Right of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 – Provisions of the Act:
  • This act defines disability based on an evolving and dynamic concept.
  • Under the act, the types of disabilities have been increased from 7 to 21. In addition, the Government has been authorized to notify any other category of specified disability.
  • Persons with “benchmark disabilities” are defined as those certified to have at least 40 percent of the disabilities mentioned in the Act.
  • Every child with benchmark disability between the age group of 6 and 18 years shall have the right to free education.
  • Reservation in vacancies in government establishments has been increased from 3% to 4% for certain persons or class of persons with benchmark disability.
  • Special Courts will be designated in each district to handle cases concerning violation of rights of PwDs.
  • The act is implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
  • For strengthening the Prime Minister’s Accessible India Campaign, stress has been given to ensure accessibility in public buildings (both Government and private) in a prescribed time-frame.
• Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued National Disaster Management Guidelines on Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DiDRR). DiDRR strives to reduce the impact of disasters on affected communities by mitigating and reducing risks.
• Recently, the Rights of Persons with Disability Rules, 2017 (Rules) were notified to supplement the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016. The Act is in line with the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS)
• Scheme of Assistance to Disabled Persons for purchase/fitting of Aids/appliances (ADIP Scheme)
• Scheme for Implementation of Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 (SIPDA)
• District Disability Rehabilitation Centres (DDRC)

Accessible India Campaign:

• It is the nationwide flagship campaign of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD).
• Aim of the Campaign: to make a barrier-free and conducive environment for Divyangjans all over the country.
• It is based on the principles of the Social Model of Disability, that disability is caused by the way society is organized, and not the person’s limitations and impairments.
• It has been divided into three verticals: Built Environment; Transport and Information & Communication Technology (ICT) ecosystem

Way Ahead:

• Institutional reforms:
  • It is important to strengthen the institutional framework at all levels to have a stronger and more direct role for PwDs.The number of schemes administered by the DEPwD should be rationalized.
  • It would be judicious to have a limited number of schemes with an adequate budgetary allocation that is implemented and monitored well.
  • There is a need to strengthen the financial and human resource capacity of the Central and State Commissioners’ offices so that they are able to perform their functions more effectively.
• Improving Access to Aids/Assistive technologies for PwDs:
  • Distribution of aids to senior citizens who live below the poverty line should be prioritized as a sizeable percentage suffers from age-related disabilities.
• Strengthening Education:
  • While the Right to Education Act promised a special focus on admission and retention of children with disabilities, the situation has not seen a major improvement.
  • An NCERT study found that disabled children in schools across states still face serious infrastructure and pedagogy handicaps. Therefore, the government has to ensure that schools should have at least one section of each class accessible under the Universal Design Guidelines.

Recent News:

• International Day of Persons with Disabilities was celebrated worldwide on 3rd December 2019.
• It aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic, and cultural life.
• This year it focuses on the empowerment of persons with disabilities for inclusive, equitable, and sustainable development as anticipated in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which pledges to ‘leave no one behind’ and recognizes disability as a cross-cutting issue, to be considered in the implementation of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Way Forward

• Education: Education is one such powerful tool to break all odds faced by socially vulnerable people, and it is the best available tool to empower them. Needed measures must be taken to eliminate discrimination based on any factor, through the universalization of education. It is important to include sex education, a secular curriculum, and the art of intolerance through schools and university syllabus which not only bring awareness but also help to mobilize a large section of people to voice for the vulnerable section of the society
• Economic opportunities: GOI should provide livelihood opportunities for those people identified as vulnerable. Because the present society demands people to be economically empowered to be socially empowered. Providing MGNREGS, various social security schemes, Universal Basic Income, National urban livelihood mission are such interventionist strategies.
• Increase social security scheme: It is indeed important for GOI to provide for social security such as pension schemes, insurance schemes, etc., in order to protect them from any adverse situation. The pension should be concentrated not only on organized sector employment but also to the unorganized sector.