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Approach / Explaination / Answer

Approach

• Describe social empowerment and its importance for the deprived sections and society as a whole.
• Mention the relatively deprived sections in India and means of reinforcing the dignity of different sections of society.

Introduction

• Social empowerment is the process of developing a sense of autonomy and self-confidence, and acting individually and collectively to change social relationships and the institutions that exclude socially disadvantaged sections and keep them in poverty.
• The social empowerment of different sections of population removes the age old discrimination and suffering received by the weaker section and enables creation of a just, egalitarian and democratic society. This reinforces the principles and values of the constitution enshrined in preamble, fundamental rights and various other schedules.
• The empowerment also contributes to the overall strength of a nation through economic contribution of all the sections, removing differences and friction among different communities and bringing harmony which works in tandem to social security and economic strength.

Body

• The socially disadvantaged groups in India include the SCs, STs, OBC, minorities and women.

Broader goals for ensuring dignity to socially disadvantaged

• Providing enabling environment: Social empowerment of these sections include creating an enabling environment that is conducive for these groups to exercise their rights freely, enjoy their privileges and be able to lead a life with confidence and dignity. For instance, institutions, public spaces and private relationships are free of biases and discriminations
• Removal of disparities: Ensuring removal of disparities, eliminating exploitation and suppression and providing protection to the disadvantaged groups through laws, institutional set-ups, positive discrimination to create a level playing field for all communities.
• Inclusive growth: Ensuring that developmental benefits reach the socially disadvantaged through equitable distribution of resources at all levels.
• Participatory development process: Ensuring the involvement of the socially disadvantaged groups in the process of planning not merely as beneficiaries but also as participants in the formulation of need-based projects, as well as their implementation.

Agents of social empowerment

• Education: Education is the basic requirement and the most effective instrument of social empowerment. Right to Education Act 2009, declared education as a fundamental right for children of 6-14 years of age.
• Economic empowerment: Economic empowerment of the weaker sections of SCs, OBCs and minorities is being carried out through promotion of employment and income generating activities e.g. Skill India, Stand Up India for SCs/STs and women.
• Social Justice: The Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Act, 1955, and the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (PoA Act) are two important legislations to address the problems of social discrimination, prevalence of social evils like untouchability and the increasing cases of exploitation and atrocities against disadvantaged groups
• 73^rd and 74^th constitutional amendments: These amendments provide reservations for SCs/STs/OBCs/women paving way of their political empowerment by providing reservations in institutions of local governance of both rural and urban areas.
• Gender budgeting: Gender Budgeting is a powerful tool for achieving gender mainstreaming so as to ensure that the benefits of development reach women as much as men. It ensures focused spending on health, nutrition, education needs of women.
• Tribal sub-plan: The Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) is a strategy for the rapid Socio-economic development of tribal people. It forms a part of annual Plan of a State/UT.
• Minorities social empowerment: Minorities are empowered through schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) which is designed to address the development deficits of the identified Minority Concentration Areas, Nai roshni for women by providing knowledge, tools and techniques for interacting with Government systems, banks etc.

Conclusion

• Socially disadvantaged groups often lack the skills and confidence to engage in community decision-making due to traditional social barriers.
  Therefore it is important to specifically target marginalised groups in order to ensure that they can be socially empowered ensuring inclusive and sustainable development.