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Daily News Analysis

ACTS UNDER SOCIAL JUSTICE

27th July, 2022 Social Issues

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In News

  • The Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment has updated the Lok Sabha about the steps taken to ensure social justice in the country.

Acts and Schemes to Ensure Social Justice

  • Department of Social Justice and Empowerment under the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment implementing the following Acts:-
    • Protection of Civil Rights {PCR} Act, 1955 was enacted to abolish untouchability and forbade its practice in any form.
    • The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 was passed to check and deter crimes against the members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.
    • Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act.
    • Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.
    • The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.
  • The Protection of Civil Rights Rules, 1977 and the SC/ST Rules, 1995 have been also framed to effectively implement.
  • The Union Government has set up the National Helpline against Atrocities against SCs and STs to register grievances and follow up for their redressal at various levels.
  • Central assistance is provided to the States/UTs for effective implementation of the PCR Act, 1955 and the SC/ST (PoA) Act, 1989 is also in force. The Centrally Assistance is mainly provided for:-
    • Functioning and strengthening of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Protection Cell and Special Police Stations.
    • Setting up and functioning of exclusive Special Courts.
    • Relief and Rehabilitation of atrocity victims.
    • An incentive for Inter-Caste Marriages, where one of the spouses is a member of a Scheduled Castes.
    • Awareness generation.
  • Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act were enacted in 2007 to ensure need-based maintenance of parents and senior citizens and their welfare.
  • Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 provided a monitoring mechanism through the Central Monitoring Committee, State Level Monitoring Committees and Vigilance Committees at the District and Sub-Division Level.
  • The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 came into force in 2020.
    • The National Council for Transgender Persons (NCTP) shall monitor and evaluate the impact of policies and programmes designed for achieving equality and full participation of Transgender Persons.
  • The Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi (PM-DAKSH) Yojana was launched in 2021, by the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment.
    • PM-DAKSH (Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi) Yojana is a National Action Plan for skilling marginalized persons covering SCs, OBCs, EBCs, DNTs, Sanitation workers including waste pickers.
  • The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched an umbrella scheme “SMILE: Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise” to cover several comprehensive measures including welfare measures for both transgender persons and persons who are engaged in the act of begging. The 2 sub-schemes of SMILE are:
    • Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons.
    • Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation engaged in the act of Begging’.

 

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1844983

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