Government schemes aimed at uplifting vulnerable and backward communities by safeguarding essential social resources often walk a fine line between providing the necessary support and inadvertently fostering exclusion in urban economies. While these initiatives are well-intentioned, their implementation can inadvertently hinder the establishment of businesses within these communities. By prioritizing the protection of resources for these groups, such as land or financial aid, governments may inadvertently create barriers to entry for aspiring entrepreneurs from these communities. Strict regulations and bureaucratic procedures intended to ensure fair distribution of resources can often become cumbersome obstacles for individuals seeking to start businesses. Additionally, the focus on preserving social resources may lead to a lack of emphasis on providing the necessary infrastructural support and training programs crucial for fostering entrepreneurial growth. Consequently, while these schemes aim to empower vulnerable communities, they may inadvertently perpetuate their exclusion from the economic mainstream by limiting their ability to participate in urban business landscapes. Therefore, a nuanced approach that balances resource protection with facilitating entrepreneurial opportunities is essential to ensure the inclusive economic development of these communities.
Tag: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States.
Decoding the Question:
- In Introduction, try to define social exclusion and implementation of Affirmative actions, through positive discrimination policies in employment and education.
- In Body, elaborate how Government’s schemes for up-lifting vulnerable and backward communities lead to their exclusion:
- In Conclusion, try to conclude with Directive Principles of the State Policy further stress in Article 41.
Answer:
Social exclusion refers to ways in which groups/individuals may become cut off from full involvement in the wider society because of many social factors like caste, religion, , disability, gender. In India, the implementation of Affirmative actions through positive discrimination policies in employment and education received constitutional support for the vulnerable and backward communities, namely, Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and other backward communities. Government has mandated protections for various communities in the form of various schemes like MGNREGA, reservation for jobs and seats in educational institutions etc. However, even after various schemes, these communities suffer from poor representation in urban economies in the form of jobs in the private sector and in pursuing entrepreneurship.
Government’s schemes for up-lifting vulnerable and backward communities lead to their exclusion:
- Government jobs preference: Educational incentives like reservation and lower threshold of marks make academic professions and government jobs more attractive. Reservation in promotion in government jobs makes them more attractive for reserved communities.
- Impact on abilities: Protecting social resources for backward communities has kept them away from competition leading to less improvement in skills, literacy and other abilities required to come into business. For example, MGNREGA provides 100 days of work for the needy, but it doesn’t focus on their skill development.
- Social prejudices: Social prejudices hinder their entrepreneurial activities. The schemes have limited success in removing social prejudices against them and thus they face hurdles while setting up businesses. Schemes like reservation in government jobs are seen as discriminatory by well off sections of the society and thus they do not cooperate with vulnerable sections or effort made by them in business.
- Reduced entrepreneurial spirit: Guaranteed privileges through scheme also kills the hunger and opportunistic spirit among the vulnerable leading to complacency. They find no incentive or motivation to work and establish businesses. For example, these vulnerable sections like Dalit instead of going to set up businesses and start ups seek to get a job under reservation and find no motivation to take up business activities.
- No focus on structural discrimination: There is some structural discrimination faced by these vulnerable groups.These schemes focus only on providing privileges and not removing structural discrimination. In India, members of gender, caste, class, and ethnic identity experience structural discrimination that has adversely impacted on their ability to do business. Women also face dual discrimination being members of specific caste, class or cultural group apart from experiencing gendered susceptibilities.
The Directive Principles of the State Policy further stress in Article 41 the right to work, to educate and to public assistance in certain cases including disablement. In accordance with the constitutional provisions, several measures have been initiated by the Government to provide protection against discrimination in education, employment. As a result, according to an NSS study, over the last decade, the levels of education across all social groups have increased in urban India including vulnerable and backward communities. But still they are lacking in many aspects.
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