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Equality forms the bedrock on which democracy and welfare can be sustained…
Equality forms the bedrock on which democracy and welfare can be sustained.
Elaborate
means state of being equal, signifies ‘having the same rights, privileges, treatments,
status, and opportunities’. Equality is treated as something that relates to distributive principle
because of which rights, treatments, and opportunities are distributed amongst the beneficiaries in a
fair manner.
The welfare state is a concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection
and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It provides a social security net
which may include education, housing, sustenance, healthcare etc
Equality as basis of Democracy and Welfare
India at the dawn of the independence inherited several economic (chronic poverty) and social
challenges, for example, vulnerable sections of the society such as women, Dalits, children were
deprived of basic means of living.
India is a democratic nation but without economic freedom, inequality becomes the very
base of India’s culture sheltering injustice, regional and sectoral imbalances etc.
The welfare state is the mandate of any mature democracy. Therefore, both citizenry and
government should strive to make society more inclusive and equitable.
Without ensuring equality of opportunity and equitable distribution of wealth, the welfare
of the marginalised and deprived sections of society cannot be ensured.
While equality of opportunity provides all the sections of the society a level playing field,
equitable distribution of wealth empowers them to maximise their productivity and
contribution in society.
Government schemes like Stand up India, Start-up India, Jan Dhan Yojana and policies like
land reform policies, reservations for the marginalised sections in job opportunities are
some of the steps being taken by the government in this direction to ensure equitable
distribution of wealth and to provide equality of opportunity.
Economic democracy is the real democracy which should be ensured through economic
packages of the government.
In this context, the Indian Constitution imbibes the concept of the welfare state, which can
be depicted in the form of Fundamental Rights and the other as Directive Principles of State
Policy (DPSP).
Fundamental rights sought to implement political equality and Directive Principles of State
Policy sought to implement socio-economic equality.
Enforcing Article 16(4) the government can provide for reservation of appointments or posts
in favour of any backward class that is not adequately represented in the state services.
In pursuance of Article 21A, the Parliament enacted the Right of Children to Free and
Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
This Act seeks to provide that every child has a right to be provided full-time elementary
education.
The Maternity Benefit Act (1961) and the Equal Remuneration Act (1976) have been made to
protect the interests of women workers.
Schemes like Ayushmann Bharat, Jal Jeevan Mission, Saubhagya scheme etc. are all steps
towards fulfilling the mandate of the welfare state.
Conclusion
Fairness does not mean all to be treated equally in all circumstances. In fact it very well means
unequal treatment for those who are unequal. Essentially it relates to the principle of justice
because it requires fair distributive principle. However those who are equal should not be treated as
unequal and the unequal as equal