Page 2 - LN- Std 8 - civics - Chap 7 - Subtopic - 1

Article 17 of the Constitution states that untouchability has been abolished, this

means that no one can henceforth prevent Dalits from educating themselves,
entering temples, using public facilities etc. Untouchability has been made a

punishable crime now.

Article 15 – No citizen of India shall be discriminated against on the basis of religion,
race, Caste, sex or place of birth. This has been used by the Dalits to seek equality

where it has been denied to them.

 Minority groups have drawn on the Fundamental Rights section of our
Constitution. Example – Right to Freedom of Religion and Cultural and

Educational Rights, Distinct Cultural and religious groups like Muslims and Parsis

have the right to be guardians of their culture. Thus the Constitution ensures that
cultural justice is maintained. This is done so that they are not dominated by the

majority groups and their culture is not wiped out.

Laws for the Marginalised -:
Promoting Social Justice

 The State government and Central government have created specific schemes

for implementation in Tribal areas or in areas that have Dalit Population.
 The government is providing free or subsidized hostels for student Dalit and

Adivasis communities, so that they can avail education facilities which are not

available in their localities.
 New laws have been passed to end inequality. One such law is the reservation

policy. The law reserves seats in education and government employment for Dalit

and Adivasis.
 Students applying to educational institutions and those applying for posts in

government are expected to furnish proof of their Caste or Tribe status in the
form of Caste Certificate and Tribe Certificate.

 For admission to collages especially Medical and Engineering collages, the

government defines a set of cut–off marks. This means that those who have done
reasonably well qualify for admission.

The government also offers special scholarships for these students.