27th June 2022 | Social Policies and Programmes in India and Telangana: Policies for Women, Children, Aged and Disabled; Policies for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and Minorities.

Syllabus- Social Policies and Programmes in India and Telangana: Policies for Women, Children, Aged and Disabled; Policies for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and Minorities.

Number of questions- Mains: 02, Prelims – 10

Mains Questions of the day-

1.Mention the historical background of OBCs reservation with emphasis on Mandal Commission recommendations.

Introduction:

Mention the current status of OBCs in India and current related issues such as creamy layer and giving the constitutional status to   National Commission for the Backward Classes under Article 338B

Body:

Mention the historically background of OBCs reservation.

Conclusion:

• Implementation of Mandal commission recommendations empowered communities.
• But the current architecture of reservations needs a review, with the aim of creating a just, inclusive and equal society, without inclination towards populist movements.

Content:

• The National Commission for the Backward Classes of India is a Constitutional Body (as per 102nd Constitution Amendment Act of 2018) under Article 338B of the Indian Constitution.
• It was formerly managed by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment as a statutory body under the National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993.

Historical Background of OBC Reservation:

• Establishing First Backward Class Commission: 
• In January 1953, the Nehru government had set up the First Backward Class Commission under the chairmanship of social reformer Kaka Kalelkar.
• The commission submitted its report in March 1955, listing 2,399 backward castes or communities, with 837 of them classified as ‘most backwards’.
• However, the report was never implemented.
• Establishing Second Backward Class Commission: 
• On January 1979, the Morarji Desai government chose Mandal, a former chief minister of Bihar, to head the Second Backward Class Commission.
• Mandal submitted his report two years later, on December 1980.
• However, by then, the Morarji Desai government had fallen and Indira Gandhi came to power and the issue remained in the deep freeze for about a decade.
• Implementation of Mandal Commission: 
• In 1990, the then Prime Minister V P Singh announced in the Parliament that the recommendations of the Mandal Commission would be implemented.
• The announcement witnessed violent protests all over India, especially in northern and western India, and many students immolated themselves in protest and a few of them died as well.
• Indira Sawhney Case:
• Following the severe opposition, the issue of OBC reservation reached the Supreme Court in 1992. This case is known as ‘Indira Sawhney Judgment’ or Mandal Case.
• The Supreme Court upheld the 27% reservation for OBCs but also stated that the only caste was not an indicator of social and educational backwardness.
• Also, to ensure that benefits of the recommendations of the Mandal Commission percolated down to the most backward communities, the creamy layer criteria was invoked.

Aftermath of Mandal Commission:

• Opposition to Mandal Commission: 
• It faced mainly opposition on two grounds, that reservation would compromise the merit and can the reservation be given on economic lines.
• However, it revolves around vote-bank politics which defeats the original purpose of reservation policy.
• Defeating the Intended Goal of Reservation Policy: 
• In order to fulfil populist’s demands, political parties continued to expand reservation to the extent that communities who are well-off, avail reservation quotas.
• This has undermined the entire purpose of reservation, envisaged as a tool to address historic injustice, and made it an exercise in power distribution and employment generation.
• Unequal Benefits and Creation of Political Divide:
• According to the Rohini Commission, out of almost 6,000 castes and communities in the OBCs, only 40 such communities had gotten 50% of reservation benefits for admission in central educational institutions and recruitment to the civil services.
• This has led to a political divide and demands for sub-categorisation, a process currently underway.
• Cause of Social Disharmony: 

The policy of reservation has caused the resentment of those communities which did not have a share in the reservation.

Mandal commission recommendations:

• In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 340, the President appointed a backward class commission in December 1978 under the chairmanship of B. P. Mandal. 
• The commission was formed to determine the criteria for defining India’s “socially and educationally backward classes” and to recommend steps to be taken for the advancement of those classes. 
• The Mandal Commission submitted its report in 1980 and generated an all-India other backward classes (OBC) list of 3,743 castes and a more underprivileged “depressed backward classes” list of 2,108 castes. 
• The Commission concluded that India’s population consisted of approximately 52% OBCs, therefore 27% government jobs should be reserved for them. 
• In pursuit of social justice, the Mandal Commission recommendations were implemented. However, only half of the recommendations of the commission were implemented.
• The commission held that reservations along all financial assistance will remain mere unless the problem of backwardness is tackled at its root.

Thus, it recommended land redistribution and change in relations of production:

• Making Agriculture Economically Viable: 
• As the small landholders, tenants, agricultural labour, impoverished village artisans, unskilled workers, forms the bulk of the OBCs community.
• Therefore, it is imperative to make agriculture (the backbone of the rural economy) economically viable.
• Reviving Private Investment to Lessen Demand for Reservation: 
• There is a need to revive private sector manufacturing.
• This will attract youth towards lucrative employment avenues in the private sector and hence, there will be less demand for jobs in the public sector and reservation.
• Review of Reservation Policy: 
• Reservation has remained a powerful tool of affirmative action.
• However, after 75 years of independence, India’s socio-economic polity has transformed.
• Therefore, strong political will is required to review the reservation policy and establish an egalitarian society.

2. Briefly discuss the poverty alleviation programmes of Telangana Government.

Introduction:

• Define poverty
• Mention the current status of poverty in India and Telangana

Body:

Mention the Telangana Government initiatives in eradicating the poverty in state.

Conclusion:

• The Government’s sustained commitment to the welfare of the citizens is evidenced by the schemes and programmes it has continued to run in 2021- 22 such as, Dalit Bandhu and SC and ST Special Development Funds.
• The initiatives of the Government (both state and central) are important building blocks in alleviating poverty and developing a futuristic developmental state that combines economic growth with equitable distribution of its benefits and thus provides social protection.

Content:

• Addressing poverty and its determinants has been one of the main focus areas of the Government.
• Since formation of the State, the Government has revamped the existing poverty alleviation programmes, especially the Public Distribution System (PDS) and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and the 100% subsidised 2-BHK Housing Scheme.
• Further, State level societies such as Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) and Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) are helping to build and nurture women led Self Help Groups (SHGs) and implementing poverty alleviation programmes in rural and urban areas.
• Importantly, the Government broadened the focus of poverty alleviation by working to eradicate multidimensional poverty.
• As per NITI Aayog’s Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) baseline report 2021, which has three equally weighted dimensions—Health, Education, and Living Standards
• one in four individuals in India is multidimensionally poor, but in Telangana this is not true it has one out of seven individuals poor.
• Comparing to national average in poor, state has reduced the number of poor. 
• Since the formation of the State, the Government has made targeted interventions in:
• Health such as KCR Kits, Aarogya Lakshmi, Giri Poshana, improving the Public Health Infrastructure etc.
• Education such as revamping school infrastructure through Mana Ooru Mana Badi and
• Living Standards such as housing, skill development, asset creation, free electricity, etc. covering specific marginalised groups in the State.

Aasara Pension:

• As part of its welfare and social safety net strategy, the Government has introduced the “Aasara’’ pension scheme in November 2014 in order to support the most vulnerable sections of the society.
• The scheme is meant to protect different sections of society in particular the old and infirm, disabled persons, Widows, people with HIV-AIDS, Filaria effected persons, weavers, toddy tappers, Beedi workers and Single Women.
• Around 37 lakh pensioners benefited form the scheme.

Public Distribution System (PDS):

• The Government is distributing essential commodities and food grains to priority households at subsidised prices as per their eligibility.
• The Government has been proactively implementing the Public Distribution System (PDS), through a network of Fair Price Shops (FPSs).
• The Government of Telangana has extended the PDS coverage to an additional 96 lakh people over and above the prescribed coverage of around 1.91 crore (persons/units) by Government of India under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), thus effectively covering 2.87 crore beneficiaries in the state.
• Along with additional beneficiary coverage the Government has also enhanced the scale of distribution of rice from 5 Kgs per person at Rs.3 per Kg as prescribed by Government of India, to 6 Kgs per person at Rs.1 per Kg to all the members in a family.
• Along with Food Security, the State has facilitated Gas Connections to poor and marginalised households under the DEEPAM Scheme.
• The total outlay on this program has been doubled from 2014 to 2021.
• At present, the Public Distribution System has served around 3.36 crore beneficiaries in the State.

Prelims Questions of the day:

1.Which of the following is true regarding National Commission for scheduled Castes?

1. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes is under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Minority Affairs
2. Original constitution has a special officer for SCs and STs
3. It replaced the one-member system with a multi-member National Commission for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) by 89th Amendment, 2003 Act.
4. National Commission for SCs came into existence in 2001

Answer: B

Explanation:

National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC):

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes is a constitutional body under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Special Officer:

• Initially, the constitution provided for the appointment of a Special Officer under Article 338.
• The special officer was designated as the Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

65th Amendment, 1990:

• It replaced the one-member system with a multi-member National Commission for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST).
• The Constitution (65th Amendment) Act 1990, amended Article 338 of the Constitution.

89th Amendment, 2003:

• By this amendment, the erstwhile National Commission for SC and ST was replaced by two separate Commissions from the year 2004 which were: National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) under Article 338-A.

2.Under which of the following scheme of Telangana Government provides gas connection to poor and marginalized households?

1. DEEPAM
2. Aasara scheme
3. T-PRIDE
4. BHAROSA

Answer: A

Explanation:

DEEPAM:

• DEEPAM is an ambitious social welfare scheme of Government of Telangana.
• DEEPAM Scheme aims to safeguard the health of women & children by providing them with a clean cooking fuel – LPG, so that they don’t have to compromise their health in smoky kitchens or wander in unsafe areas collecting firewood and also to provide LPG connections to Women belonging to the poor sections of the society i.e. women in BPL (Below Poverty Line).
• The scheme is aimed at replacing the unclean cooking fuels mostly used in the rural India with the clean and more efficient LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas).

Some of the objectives of the scheme are: 

• Empowering women and protecting their health.
• Reducing the serious health hazards associated with cooking based on fossil fuel.
• Reducing the number of deaths in India due to unclean cooking fuel.
• Preventing young children from significant number of acute respiratory illnesses caused due to indoor air pollution by burning the fossil fuel.
• With a view to ensuring that the identification, selection and sanction under Deepam Scheme is done in a simple, transparent and fool-proof manner and that every needy and genuine family gets it for proper domestic use.

3.Which of the following is true regarding the Entrepreneurship Development (T-PRIDE) of Telangana Government?

1. It has launched a special incentive package scheme to encourage entrepreneurship among the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and eligible Physically Handicapped Citizens (PHCs).
2. Apart from facilitating access to credit facilities, the policy envisions preferential allotment of plots in Industrial Parks and intensive entrepreneur and skilling programmes.
3. It was launched in 2014
4. All the above

Answer: D

Explanation:

Entrepreneurship Development (T-PRIDE):

• The Government has launched a special incentive package scheme called Telangana State Program for Rapid Incubation of Dalit Entrepreneurs (T-PRIDE) in 2014, to encourage entrepreneurship among the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and eligible Physically Handicapped Citizens (PHCs).
• Apart from facilitating access to credit facilities, the policy envisions preferential allotment of plots in Industrial Parks and intensive entrepreneur and skilling programmes.
• Since the inception of the scheme in 2014 till January 2022, an amount of Rs. 1052 crore was sanctioned to 23,742 ST entrepreneurs, Rs. 1032 crore sanctioned to 22,955 SC entrepreneurs and Rs. 93 crore sanctioned to 1708 PHC entrepreneurs.

4.Which of the following is not the powers of National Commission for SCs?

1. Commission can regulate its own procedure
2. State Government are required to consult the commission on all major policy matters affecting the SCs
3. Both A and B
4. Commission has powers of criminal court in regards to examining cases

Answer: D

Explanation:

National Commission for Scheduled Castes Functions

• Monitoring and investigating all issues concerning the safeguards provided for the SCs under the constitution.
• Enquiring into complaints relating to the deprivation of the rights and safeguards of the SCs.
• Taking part in and advising the central or state governments with respect to the planning of socio-economic development of the SCs.
• Regular reporting to the President of the country on the implementation of these safeguards.
• Recommending steps to be taken to further the socio-economic development and other welfare activities of the SCs.
• Any other function with respect to the welfare, protection, development and advancement of the SC community.

5.Which of the following is not correct regarding the poverty alleviation programme of Telangana Government?

1. Societies such as Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) and Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) are implementing poverty alleviation programmes in rural and urban areas.
2. Poverty is totally eliminated in Telangana.
3. Revamping school infrastructure through Mana Ooru Mana Badi
4. 100% subsidised 2-BHK Housing Scheme

Answer: B

Explanation:

Note: Poverty cannot be eliminated totally it can be reduced through State and Central Government initiatives.

Poverty alleviation programme of Telangana Government:

• Addressing poverty and its determinants has been one of the main focus areas of the Government.
• Since formation of the State, the Government has revamped the existing poverty alleviation programmes, especially the Public Distribution System (PDS) and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and the 100% subsidised 2-BHK Housing Scheme.
• Further, State level societies such as Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) and Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) are helping to build and nurture women led Self Help Groups (SHGs) and implementing poverty alleviation programmes in rural and urban areas.
• Importantly, the Government broadened the focus of poverty alleviation by working to eradicate multidimensional poverty.
• As per NITI Aayog’s Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) baseline report 2021, which has three equally weighted dimensions such as Health, Education, and Living Standards.
• One in four individuals in India is multidimensionally poor, but in Telangana this is true for only one out of seven individuals.
• Since the formation of the State, the Government has made targeted interventions in:
• Health (KCR Kits, Aarogya Lakshmi, Giri Poshana, improving the Public Health Infrastructure etc.,)
• Education (revamping school infrastructure through Mana Ooru Mana Badi) and
• Living Standards (housing, skill development, asset creation, free electricity, etc.) covering specific marginalised groups in the State

6.Which of the following is correct regarding Scheduled Tribes?

1. As per Census-1947, Schedule tribes are termed as “backward tribes” living in the “Excluded” and “Partially Excluded” areas.
2. The Constitution does not define the criteria for recognition of Scheduled Tribes.
3. The largest number of tribal communities are found in Haryana.
4. Mostly tribes are identified in Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Pondicherry.

Answer: B

Explanation:

Schedule Tribes:

• As per Census-1931, Schedule tribes are termed as “backward tribes” living in the “Excluded” and “Partially Excluded” areas. The Government of India Act of 1935 called for the first time for representatives of “backward tribes” in provincial assemblies.
• The Constitution does not define the criteria for recognition of Scheduled Tribes and hence the definition contained in 1931 Census was used in initial years after independence.
• However, Article 366(25) of the Constitution only provides process to define Scheduled Tribes: “Scheduled Tribes means such tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed under Article 342 to be Scheduled Tribes for the purposes of this Constitution.”
• 342(1): The President may with respect to any State or Union Territory, and where it is a State, after consultation with the Governor, by a public notification, specify the tribes or tribal communities or part of or groups within tribes or tribal communities as Scheduled Tribe in relation to that State or Union Territory.
• There are over 700 tribes which have been notified.
• The largest number of tribal communities (62) are found in Odisha.
• No Tribe was identified in Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Pondicherry.

7.Which of the following is related to T-She Box of Telangana government?

1. Promote entrepreneurship of women in rural area
2. Registration of complaint related to sexual harassment of women in organized sector
3. Registration of complaint related to sexual harassment of women
4. Promote entrepreneurship of women in urban area

Answer: C

Explanation:

The Sexual Harassment Electronic Box (T-She Box):

• The Government established T-She Box (a mobile and web app) as an effort to provide a single window access to every woman, irrespective of her work status, whether working in organised or unorganised, private or public sector, to facilitate the registration of complaint related to sexual harassment.
• In 2021-22, 4,376 Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) and 28 Local Complaints Committees (LCC) have been registered on the platform.
• In addition, the Government has also established a new home for the safety of trafficked victims in Hyderabad.

8.Which of the following is true regarding the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities?

1. To identify socially and economically backward sections minorities
2. To suggest welfare measures for socially and economically sections among religious and linguistic minorities
3. Both A and B
4. None

Answer: B

Explanation:

National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities:

National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities has the following objectives:

• To identify socially and economically backward sections among religious and linguistic minorities and
• To suggest welfare measures for them

9.Which of the following was established in each district of Telangana government for providing integrated support to women affected by violence, in private and public spaces, within the family, community and at the workplace?

1. Sakhi centres
2. The Sexual Harassment Electronic Box (T-She Box)
3. Mahila Shakti Kendras (MSKs)
4. Arogya Lakshmi

Answer: A

Explanation:

One Stop Centres (Sakhi Centres):

• The One Stop Centres (also called Sakhi Centres) were set-up across all 33 districts in the State in December 2017 with an objective to provide integrated support to women affected by violence, in private and public spaces, within the family, community and at the workplace.
• Sakhi Centres handled 32,114 cases from 2017 to October 2021, which is evident from the growing reach of Sakhi centres.
• Around 66% of the total registered cases are under domestic violence.
• A Women Helpline (WHL) 181 was launched in Telangana on 19th August, 2017 with a 6-seater Call Center.
• The Sakhi Centre is integrated with WHL to provide support to women/girls affected by violence.

10.Which of the following scheme of telanagana Government is to support the people with HIV-AIDS, Filaria effected persons, poor Beedi workers and Single Women?

1. DEEPAM Scheme
2. Aasara scheme
3. T-PRIDE
4. Dalit Bandhu

Answer: B

Explanation:

Aasara Pension:

• As part of its welfare and social safety net strategy, the Government has introduced the “Aasara’’ pension scheme in November 2014 in order to support the most vulnerable sections of the society.
• The scheme is meant to protect different sections of society in particular the old and infirm, disabled persons, Widows, people with HIV-AIDS, Filaria effected persons (Grade-II & III), incapacitated weavers, toddy tappers, poor Beedi workers and Single Women.
• In 2021-22 (upto January 2022), around Rs. 7,078 crores have been disbursed to 37.34 lakh pensioners.
• Since 2014, an average around 38 lakh beneficiaries have been covered annually under this scheme.
• Since the launch of the scheme in Nov 2014 to January 2022, around Rs. 45,882 crores have been disbursed.
• Since June 2019, the pension amount has been increased from Rs. 1500/- to Rs. 3016/- per month for disabled persons and for all other categories of pensioners from Rs. 1000/- to Rs. 2016/- per month