Test: Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities - UPSC MCQ

The Constitution of India aims to achieve equality and justice for all by abolishing any discrimination against or in favor of any class of persons on the grounds of religion, race, or place of birth. It seeks to bring the nation as a whole to the same level in terms of social and political equality.

Article 25 of the Indian Constitution guarantees religious freedom to every individual. It does not contain any provision for the furtherance of any particular religion, thus protecting the religious minorities.

Article 29 (1) of the Indian Constitution states that any section of the citizens of India having a distinct language, script, or culture of its own shall have the fundamental right to conserve them.

Article 30 (1) of the Indian Constitution grants all minorities, whether based on religion or language, the fundamental right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.

Article 16 (2) of the Indian Constitution lays down that no person can be discriminated against in matters of public employment on the grounds of race, religion, or caste.

Article 15(4) of the Indian Constitution exempts measures for the advancement of SC/ST from the general ban against discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, caste, etc. This means that special provisions made by the state in favor of members of these castes and tribes cannot be impeached on the grounds of discrimination.

At the central level, the quota for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in government jobs and admissions to educational institutions is 22.5%. The Other Backward Classes have a quota of 27%, bringing the total reservations to 49.5%.

The main function of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is to investigate all matters relating to the safeguards provided for SC/ST under the Constitution, evaluate the working of such safeguards, and report to the President.

The main objective of setting up the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) was to alleviate the lot of 14% of India's population belonging to minorities. The NMDFC aims to promote economic and developmental activities for the benefit of backward sections among minorities, provide loans and advances for financially viable schemes, and promote self-employment and other ventures for the benefit of minorities.

Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the legislature is a temporary provision in the Indian Constitution, intended to enable them to come up to the level of the general body of citizens. This reservation will cease on the expiration of 50 years from the commencement of the Constitution (i.e., in January 2000).