“.. so long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over. And so we have to labour and to work, and work hard, to give reality to our dreams. Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world.”

— Tryst With Destiny, speech delivered by Jawaharlal Nehru to the Constituent Assembly of India in New Delhi on August 15, 1947—

India’s journey as a democratic nation is marked by significant achievements and stark contradictions. While the country has made considerable progress in some areas, it remains plagued by persistent socio-economic challenges that underscore the critical need for comprehensive social welfare policies.

India faces persistent socio-economic challenges despite its economic growth, highlighting the critical need for comprehensive social welfare policies. Significant portions of the population continue to live in poverty and malnutrition, with India housing the largest number of poor and malnourished individuals globally. Rising non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and high healthcare costs put many households at risk of financial ruin due to illness. Additionally, while primary education coverage is high, learning outcomes remain poor, and a large segment of the labor force works in the informal sector without job security or retirement benefits.

In 2015, one in four people living in poverty globally was in India, reflecting its large population and high poverty rates. The international poverty line indicated a headcount ratio (HCR) of 13.4%, while the lower and upper middle-income class poverty lines showed HCRs of 50.4% and 82.3%, respectively. Although these figures have limited policy implications, they highlight the severity of poverty in India. According to a recent NITI Aayog report using the multi-dimensional poverty index, the national HCR of poverty is 25.01%, with rural areas experiencing significantly higher rates (32.75%) compared to urban areas (8.81%).

Furthermore, The government combats poverty by meeting basic needs and enhancing disposable income through social protection schemes, essential in most countries. These schemes were vital during the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to address the core issue of poverty: the inability to access food, clothing, and shelter. Aimed at redistributing income from the wealthy to the poor, these policies need efficient allocation due to limited resources and the informal labor force in poorer economies.

Challenges include low literacy hindering information access, poor health, daily wage work, and gender-based roles limiting physical access to welfare schemes, especially for women. Time poverty exacerbates these issues, creating a cycle that requires intervention to break. Despite these challenges, the Government of India has implemented numerous schemes aimed at reducing inequality across various sectors.

India’s approach to social welfare is rooted in its constitutional commitment to promote the well-being of its people, particularly the weaker sections of society.  The Constitution of India is the source of most of the social policies formulated and executed in the country. The Indian government has implicitly committed itself to be a welfare-state. In order to fulfill its obligations as a welfare-state, the government has formulated several policies and plans of action for the welfare of marginalized and weaker sections of the society. 

The concept of social welfare in India has a long tradition, with references found in ancient religious scriptures emphasizing the provision of welfare facilities by the state, community, and wealthy individuals. Social welfare is broadly defined as a system of laws and institutions aimed at promoting the economic and social well-being of citizens through various forms of social insurance and organized services. The country’s social welfare policies are designed to address a wide range of issues, including healthcare, education, housing, employment, nutrition, and others for specific vulnerable groups.

A social welfare policy, implemented by the government, aims to protect citizens who may be considered poor, unemployed, unhealthy, or marginalized from their community. India’s vast population presents unique challenges when it comes to ensuring the well-being of its citizens.  Fortunately, the country has established certain social policies under which varied programs are implemented catering to specific needs of different segments of the community. These programs are designed to assist individuals and families in need.  These policies act as guide for the programs under it while providing essential support to the beneficiaries.

Since Independence, the government of India has formulated many policies and reviewed and modified them from time to time. National Health Policy 2017 (NHP), National National Education Policy 2020,  National Policy on Empowerment of Women 2001, National Policy for Persons with Disability 2006, National Youth Policy, National Policy on Children 2013 and so on and so forth.

In India, there is no comprehensive policy on social welfare covering a range of issues affecting various disadvantaged sections of the society like Scheduled Castes, destitutes, street children, aged, disabled and so on. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowernment (MSJE) is entrusted with the welfare, social justice and empowerment of disadvantaged and marginalized sections of the society viz, Scheduled Caste, Backward Classes, Persons with Disabilities, Aged Persons, and victims of Drug Abuse, etc. The basic objective of the policies, programmes, law and institution of the Indian welfare system is to bring the target groups into the main stream of development by making them self-reliant.

Key Target Groups Under Various Social Welfare Policies Are As follows:-

• Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SCs & STs): The Indian Constitution provides special provisions for the welfare of SCs and STs to promote their social, economic, and educational development. Various schemes and policies are implemented to improve their living conditions and ensure equal opportunities.

   

• Welfare of Other Backward Classes (OBCs): Similar to SCs and STs, OBCs benefit from policies aimed at enhancing their socio-economic status, including reservations in education and employment.

   

• Welfare of Persons with Disabilities: Articles 14 and 15 of the Indian Constitution prohibit discrimination against persons with disabilities. The government has established a separate Department of Disability Affairs to focus on policy issues and the empowerment of disabled individuals.

   

• Welfare Measures for Minorities: The Indian Constitution protects the interests of minorities, ensuring their rights to preserve their language, culture, and educational institutions. The Ministry of Minority Affairs focuses on policy planning and implementation for the benefit of minority communities.

   

• Women and Child Development: Women and children are given priority in social welfare policies. The government implements various schemes to improve women’s literacy rates, labor participation, and health. Child development programs focus on nutrition, education, and protection.

Some of The Key Policies That Are In India Today Are As Follows:-

A) National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP)

In response to increasing vulnerability of elderly, the Ministry of SJE formulated a National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP) in January 1999 to reaffirm its commitment to ensure the well-being of the older persons in a holistic manner. It assures financial security through Old Age Pension Scheme for poor and destitute older persons, better returns on earnings/savings of people in organized sector, skill upgradation, self-employment, continued employment and income generation.

B) The National Policy for Persons with Disabilities

The National Policy for Persons with Disabilities recognizes that Persons with Disabilities (PWD) are valuable human resource for the country and seeks to create an environment that provides them equal opportunities, protection of their rights and full participation in society. The policy focuses on prevention of disabilities (awareness and early detection camps) and rehabilitation measures (physical, educational, vocational and economic rehabilitation for a dignified life in society). It talks about awareness, early detection and intervention, counseling and medical rehabilitation, provision of suitable and modern aids and appliances through DDRCs and Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) of National Rural Health Mission, National institutes mentioned above and their outreach work.

C) New Education Policy 2020

As mentioned in the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, The aim must be for India to have an education system by 2040 that is second to none, with equitable access to the highest-quality education for all learners regardless of social or economic background. This NEP 2020 is the first education policy of the 21st century and aims to address the many growing developmental imperatives of our country. This Policy proposes the revision and revamping of all aspects of the education structure, including its regulation and governance, to create a new system that is aligned with the aspirational goals of 21st century education, including SDG4, while building upon India’s traditions and value systems.

D) National Health Policy (2017)

The National Health Policy aims to achieve the following goals: It aims to offer superior health services to every age group and gender. The policy focuses on providing universal access to excellent quality health care services at a reasonable cost.  The primary aim of the National Health Policy, 2017, is to inform, clarify, strengthen and prioritize the role of the Government in shaping health systems in all its dimensions- investments in health, organization of healthcare services, prevention of diseases and promotion of good health through cross sectoral actions, access to technologies, developing human resources, encouraging medical pluralism, building knowledge base, developing better financial protection strategies, strengthening regulation and health assurance.

E) National Policy on Children (2013)

The Government has adopted a new National Policy for Children, 2013 on 26th April, 2013. The Policy recognises every person below the age of eighteen years as a child and covers all children within the territory and jurisdiction of the country. It recognizes that a multisectoral and multidimensional approach is necessary to secure the rights of children. The Policy has identified four key priority areas: survival, health and nutrition; education and development; protection and participation, for focused attention. As children’s needs are multi-sectoral, interconnected and require collective action, the Policy calls for purposeful convergence and coordination across different sectors and levels of governance.

F) National Youth Policy (2014)

The National Youth Policy, 2014 (NYP-2014) reiterates the commitment of the entire nation to all-round developmen t of the youth of India, so that they can realize their full potential and contribute productively to the nation-building process. The Policy defines ‘youth’ as persons in the age-group of 15-29 years. The NYP-2014 identifies 5 clearly defined ‘Objectives’ which need to be pursued and the ‘Priority Areas’ under each of the Objectives.