Vulnerable sections of the population are those who are exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally. Women, Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Children, the elderly, the disabled, poor migrants, those living with HIV/AIDS, and sexual minorities are among the vulnerable groups that encounter discrimination.

This article explains the Vulnerable sections of the population, issues and the welfare schemes are important for UPSC IAS exam preparation.

Vulnerable Sections of Society and their Issues

Women

• Women are vulnerable to many sorts of violence, including infanticide, lack of nourishment, education, and healthcare.
• They have little or no property in their name, and since they have little or no formal education, they become dependent on their male counterparts; they have limited influence over resources and major life decisions.
• Early marriage and motherhood have a negative impact on women's health. The maternal mortality rate is quite high.
• Adult women are subjected to violence as a result of undesired pregnancies, domestic violence, sexual abuse at work, and sexual assault, including marital rape and honour murders (double burden).
• In Indian society, women are often accorded lower status than males.

Children

• Due to their age, all children are considered vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, violence, and neglect.
• Provocative behaviours: As a result of their ignorance or misunderstanding of children's mental health or behavioural difficulties, some individuals may feel upset or agitated and hence lash out against children or entirely neglect them.
• Powerlessness: Results from the conditions and people around the children. A child is less vulnerable if the state, family, or community empowers them to engage in and fulfil their own rights and duties.
• Defenselessness is caused by a lack of protection from the state, parents, or community. If there is no child abuse law than how is a child suppose to defend himself/herself against abuse.
• Some of them are exploited as child labourers.
• Children who face poverty and discrimination are more prone to hunger, poor health, inadequate educational options, and limited finances, limiting their freedoms and prospects.
• Girl newborns have an even bigger disadvantage as a result of established societal standards that respect men far more than girls, resulting in son preference.
• A girl child is subjected to many sorts of violence, including infanticide, disregard of nutritional needs, a lack of education and healthcare, and so on.

Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes

• The government categorises certain of its residents as Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), or Other Backward Class (OBC) based on their social and economic circumstances.
• They are extremely behind in terms of social, educational, and economic development as a result of the centuries-old tradition of untouchability.
• They also suffer from a lack of infrastructure and geographic isolation.
• They are members of society's weakest stratum, with low levels of education, poor health, and limited access to healthcare services.
• Forest loss, land expropriation, and frequent displacement have weakened their position even more.

Senior Citizens/Aged

• A "senior citizen" is defined as any Indian citizen who has reached the age of sixty or more.
• The elderly are vulnerable due to an increased prevalence of disease and incapacity, as well as their economic reliance on spouses, children, and other younger family members.
• The following are the most typical types of elder abuse:
  • Physical abuse: hitting, pushing, kicking
  • Inappropriate use of medications or restraints: over- and under-medicating patients and withholding medication from them
  • Psychological or emotional abuse: insults, threats, humiliation, incarceration, isolation, and deprivation of dignity (for instance, by leaving them in soiled clothes).
  • Financial abuse: Using or stealing another person's money or possessions;
  • Neglect or abandonment: failing to provide food, shelter, or medical care

Disabled Persons

• According to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Disabled (1975), "any person unable to ensure by himself or herself, wholly or partly, the necessities of a normal individual and or social life as a result of a deficiency either congenital or not in his/her physical or mental abilities" is disabled.
• While there has been considerable progress in the field of disability rights, persons with disabilities still confront a variety of hurdles placed in place by society, not by their "condition".
• They have limited access to school, jobs, and other socioeconomic possibilities.
• They experience stigma and prejudice from the society in which they reside.
• They may find it difficult to socialise with members of society, which can lead to despair and self-pity.
• Disabled persons are frequently seen by their cultures as weak, useless, and, in some circumstances, subhuman.

LGBT Community

• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people have endured and continue to face prejudice and violence all across the world.
• Discrimination on the basis of social status, restriction of liberty, a lack of work and educational prospects, limited access to health care, and so forth.
• Forced or bonded labour, refusal to use a public area, refusal to stay in a home, hamlet
• Abuse can be physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, or financial.
• Threats, blackmail, and even violence in the name of Section 377, with no assistance or resolution
• They are always afraid and under psychological stress.
• While prosecution under Section 377 has been rare, the law is being used to persecute LGBT people.

Poor People

• Poor people suffer a variety of issues as a result of their inability to access resources such as healthcare, education, entertainment, a better quality of life, and so on.
• This causes them to live in a vicious cycle of poverty in which they are unable to obtain a better education owing to a lack of funds.
• Which leads to them taking low-wage jobs or being jobless, which maintains their poverty and prevents them from breaking free.

Minorities

• The term "minorities" is not defined in the Indian Constitution and is only mentioned in Articles 29 to 30 and 350A to 350B.
• Article 30 addresses two types of minorities: Religious and Linguistic.
• Difficulty of Identification: Because of variations in socio-cultural practices, history, and origins, minorities worldwide must contend with the question of identity, which creates a problem of adjustment with the dominant population.
• Problem of Security: Their different identity and tiny number in comparison to the rest of society creates a sense of uneasiness regarding their life, assets, and well-being. This sense of uneasiness may be heightened when relations between a society's majority and minority populations are tense or hostile.

Mechanisms and laws for the protection and betterment of Vulnerable sections

Women - Constitutional Provisions

Women - Legislative Provisions

• The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 - Provides for paid maternity leaves of 26 months.
  • The Act requires companies with 30 women or 50 workers, whichever is smaller, to provide creche facilities at the office or within 500 metres of the office.
• The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 - To end dowry by providing penal provisions.
• Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1986 - Penal provisions for trafficking of women
• Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act 1986 - To protect dignity of women
• Commission of Sati (prevention) Act 1987 - Abolished Sati system
• National Commission of Women Act 1990 - Establishes National Commission of Women
• Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 - To protect women from domestic violence
• The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2014 -It addresses workplace sexual harassment.
• UN Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

Children - Constitutional Provisions

Children - Legislative Provisions

• Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986 - It proposes to restrict the employment of children in specific occupations.
• To govern the working circumstances of children in some other jobs where minors are permitted to work.
• The Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act of 1994 (PCPNDT Act, 1994):
• It was passed to ban sex selection before or after conception and to prevent the exploitation of pre-conception and pre-natal diagnostic procedures for sex determination.
• The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act of 2015 - It strengthens provisions for both children in need of care and protection and youngsters in dispute with the law.
• Change in terminology from 'juvenile' to 'child' or 'child in conflict with the law'.
• Inclusion of several new classifications, such as orphaned, abandoned, and surrendered children, as well as minor, serious, and heinous offences committed by minors.

Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes - Constitutional Provisions

Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes - Legislative Provisions

• The Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 - It provides for penal provisions for untouchability.
• SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act - It is aimed at atrocities against the members of the SCs and STS
• The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 - Outlaws bonded labour
• The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 - Preventing atrocities and hate crimes against reserved castes and tribes. The Act is also known as the SC/ST Act, the PoA, or the 'Atrocities Act'.
• Forest Rights Act 2006 - It recognizes the rights to hold and live in the forest land
• The Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 - It is an Act to extend the provisions of Part IX of the Constitution pertaining to Panchayats to Scheduled Areas.

Senior Citizens/Aged - Constitutional Provisions

• Article 41: The State to protect the rights of old age persons particularly social security.
• Provision No. 9 of the State List and provisions No. 20, 23 and 24 of the Concurrent List relate to social security and social insurance, old age pension and economic and social planning.

Senior Citizens/Aged - Legislative Provisions

• Maintenance and Welfare Of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 - The act states that, the obligation of children to support their parents so that they can live a normal life. Obligation of any person or relative to support a senior citizen if that person or relative owns or will inherit the senior citizen's property.
• National Policy on Senior Citizens 2011 - It focuses on the execution of current policies such as:
• Awareness generation for the Maintenance of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.
• Setting up a helpline for senior citizens
• Establishing a National Commission for Senior Citizens, and
• Establishing a National Trust for the Aged.

Disabled Persons - Constitutional Provisions

The Preamble, Article 14, Article 21, and the DPSP guarantee the right of all persons to equality, fairness, and dignity, resulting in inclusive development that includes disabled people.

Disabled Persons - Legislative Provisions

• Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 - The Act repeals the 1995 Act on Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights, and Full Participation). It satisfies India's duties under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). In this act “Disability” has been described using an ever-changing and dynamic notion.
• National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act 1999
• Rehabilitation Council of India Act 1992 - Development, standardisation, and regulation of training programs/courses at various levels in the field of Rehabilitation and Special Education.

LGBT Community - Legislative Provisions

• The Trasgeneder Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 - It is an act of the Parliament of India passed with the primary goal of protecting transgender people's rights, welfare, and other concerns pertaining to them.
• It makes it illegal to discriminate against transgender people in sectors like education, employment, and healthcare.
• In job concerns, including recruiting and advancement, no government or commercial institution may discriminate against a transgender person.
• Every business is obligated to appoint a complaint officer to handle complaints relating to the Act.
• National Council for Transgenders(NCT) - The act mandates the formation of an NCT led by the Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• The Council will advise the central government and monitor the impact of transgender policies, laws, and programmes. It will also address the concerns of transgender people.

Minorities - Constitutional Provisions

Minorities - Legislative Provisions

• Different Personal Laws govern the marriage, divorce, and succession rights of people of various faiths, such as the Indian Christian Marriage Act of 1872 and the Paris Marriage and Divorce Act of 1936.
• National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, Act 2004 - This statute permits minority educational establishments to be directly affiliated with central universities.
• This act was passed in order to provide high-quality education in minority-serving institutions.

Institutions/Welfare Schemes for the betterment of Vulnerable sections

Conclusion

vulnerable groups are those who are more likely than the overall population to face poverty and social isolation. Mechanisms, laws, institutions, and bodies established in India to promote the growth and improvement of vulnerable groups to ensure the social justice and avail equal opportunities for all strata of the society.

FAQs

MCQs

1. Which article of the Indian Constitution prohibits discrimination based on religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth?

A) Article 12
B) Article 15
C) Article 21
D) Article 32

2. Which government scheme is specifically designed to promote the education of the girl child in India?

A) Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
B) Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
C) Ayushman Bharat
D) PM-KISAN

3. What is the primary objective of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)?

A) Providing healthcare to vulnerable groups
B) Supporting financial inclusion
C) Providing financial assistance to the elderly and disabled
D) Offering housing benefits to SCs and STs

4. Which constitutional body works to safeguard the rights of women in India?

A) National Human Rights Commission
B) National Commission for Women
C) National Commission for Scheduled Castes
D) National Commission for Minorities

5. Which article of the Constitution provides for affirmative action for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in India?

A) Article 21
B) Article 29
C) Article 330
D) Article 46

GS Mains Questions and Answers

Q1: Analyze the effectiveness of government policies aimed at improving the socio-economic conditions of vulnerable groups in India.

Answer: Government policies aimed at improving the socio-economic conditions of vulnerable groups in India have had mixed outcomes. Affirmative action policies, such as reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs in education and employment, have increased access to opportunities for marginalized communities. Programs like the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), and MGNREGA have provided social security, housing, and employment to vulnerable populations. However, implementation challenges, such as bureaucratic inefficiencies, lack of awareness, and corruption, have hindered the full realization of these benefits. Additionally, caste-based discrimination, gender inequality, and social exclusion continue to affect marginalized groups, particularly in rural areas. While policies have led to improvements, sustained efforts are required to address systemic issues and ensure that vulnerable populations can fully benefit from government schemes and programs.

Q2: Discuss the role of affirmative action in promoting social justice for vulnerable sections of the population in India.

Answer: Affirmative action plays a crucial role in promoting social justice for vulnerable sections of the population in India. Through policies such as reservations in education, employment, and political representation, affirmative action seeks to level the playing field for marginalized groups, including SCs, STs, and OBCs. These policies aim to address historical injustices and structural inequalities that have left these groups at a disadvantage. Affirmative action has increased access to education and employment opportunities for marginalized communities, fostering social mobility and reducing economic disparities. However, challenges such as misuse of the reservation system, lack of merit-based consideration, and the exclusion of economically weaker sections from these policies have led to debates on its effectiveness. Overall, affirmative action has contributed significantly to social justice, but ongoing reforms are necessary to address emerging concerns and ensure equitable development for all.

Q3: Evaluate the role of civil society in addressing the challenges faced by vulnerable populations in India.

Answer: Civil society plays a critical role in addressing the challenges faced by vulnerable populations in India by advocating for their rights, providing essential services, and holding the government accountable for policy implementation. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) work on a wide range of issues, including education, healthcare, social justice, and women’s empowerment. They serve as intermediaries between vulnerable groups and the government, ensuring that marginalized communities have access to resources and services. Civil society also plays a key role in raising awareness about the rights of vulnerable populations, fighting against social evils such as caste discrimination and gender-based violence, and providing legal aid and support. By empowering these groups and facilitating their participation in the democratic process, civil society contributes to a more inclusive and equitable society. However, the effectiveness of civil society is sometimes hindered by resource constraints and political challenges, highlighting the need for stronger collaboration with the government.

Previous Year Questions on Vulnerable Sections of Population

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2019:

Question: Which of the following articles of the Indian Constitution deals with the protection of the educational and economic interests of weaker sections?

A) Article 46
B) Article 21
C) Article 14
D) Article 19

Answer: A

Explanation: Article 46 of the Indian Constitution directs the State to promote the educational and economic interests of weaker sections, particularly SCs and STs, and to protect them from social injustice and exploitation.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2020 (GS Paper 2):

Question: Discuss the challenges faced by vulnerable sections of society in India and suggest measures to overcome them.

Answer: Vulnerable sections of society in India, such as SCs, STs, OBCs, women, children, PwDs, and religious minorities, face a range of challenges, including poverty, lack of access to education and healthcare, social discrimination, and underrepresentation in decision-making processes. These challenges are exacerbated by social structures like caste and patriarchy, which perpetuate inequalities. To overcome these challenges, measures such as effective implementation of affirmative action policies, strengthening social welfare programs, and ensuring legal protections against discrimination are crucial. Additionally, capacity-building programs, awareness campaigns, and improving access to quality education and employment opportunities for marginalized groups are essential to ensure their socio-economic upliftment. Civil society organizations also play a pivotal role in supporting vulnerable sections and advocating for their rights. A multi-faceted approach is needed to address the systemic barriers that hinder the development of vulnerable populations in India.