Day 31 – Q 2. Welfare policies can’t ensure sustainable social transformation unless they ensure social empowerment. Elucidate. (10 Marks)

2. Welfare policies can’t ensure sustainable social transformation unless they ensure social empowerment. Elucidate.

कल्याणकारी नीतियां स्थायी सामाजिक परिवर्तन सुनिश्चित नहीं कर सकती हैं जब तक कि वे सामाजिक सशक्तिकरण सुनिश्चित न करें। स्पष्ट करें।

Approach 

Students are expected to write about the social empowerment and how welfare policies were unable to ensure sustainable social transformation. Therefore suggest measures ideas how with social empowerment welfare policies can ensure sustainable social transformation. 

Introduction 

Social Empowerment means all the sections of society in India, have equal control over their lives, are able to take important decisions in their lives, and have equal opportunities. Without empowering all sections of society equally, a nation can never have a good growth trajectory.

Body 

Welfare policies unable to ensure sustainable social transformation:

• Unequal Distribution of Wealth and Non-inclusive growth: In the last five years, only 1% of the wealthiest in India increased their share in wealth of around 60% and the richest 10% in India own more than four times more wealth than the remaining 90%.
• Dismal condition of Education and Health: On comparison with similarly placed emerging economies, India spends way too low in the education and health sector.
• Education status in India: Independent India retained the largely colonial superstructure of primary, secondary, and tertiary education, which emphasis on rote learning and obsession with marks in the exams.
• Health status in India: Even after many government schemes, both the infant mortality rate and the maternal mortality rate remains high. There is a high prevalence of malnutrition in Indian children, reflected in a high percentage of Child stunting, wasting and underweight.

Welfare policies through social empowerment ensuring sustainability:

• Education and health care are not only vital for quality of life, they have much to contribute to social empowerment and social change.
• India needs to broaden its base in the spheres of education, healthcare and women’s equality to foster social empowerment. 
• There is a need for proper utilization of funds by plugging the loopholes arising from procedural and institutional bottlenecks.
• The mantra of availability, affordability, and assurance must be followed for improving status and performance of Health care in India.
• Road to sustainable social empowerment goes through breaking away from shackles of poverty, patriarchy, and Caste both in the public and private spheres.
• Many schemes and programs related to employments, such as, MGNREGA, Aajivika, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Antodaya yojana, etc. Along with schemes involving subsidies, food security, Ayushman Bharat, Ujaala, etc ensure empowerment but need to recalibrate it for sustainability. 

Conclusion

The Objectives of State as per preamble of Indian constitution are Justice, Equality, Fraternity and Liberty. These objectives point towards social empowerment of the vulnerable and hitherto socially disadvantaged section. Social empowerment will help in political and economic progress of our country and in turn help us all. The India envisaged by our forefathers is a socially empowered India and with many political-economic awareness Interventions which we must carry forward in right direction.