Socio-Economic Justice: 75 Years of the Indian Constitution

Journal of Research and Development A Multidisciplinary International Level Referred and Double Blind Peer Reviewed, Open Access ISSN : 2230-9578 | Website: https://jrdrvb.org Volume-17, Issue-9(V)| September 2025 54 Socio-Economic Justice: 75 Years of the Indian Constitution Dr. Yashwant Dhanappa Hartale Assistant Professor Head, Department of Economics, S. M. Dr. Bapuji Salunkhe College, Miraj Email: [email protected] Manuscript ID: JRD -2025-170913 ISSN: 2230-9578 Volume 17 Issue 9 (V) Pp. 54-56 Sept. 2025 Submitted:15 Aug. 2025 Revised: 25 Aug. 2025 Accepted: 10 Sept. 2025 Published: 30 Sept. 2025 Abstract The Indian Constitution is considered as the world larger written document. It was born out of the challenges of colonial domination and a vigorous struggle for freedom. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was a visionary leader, who was a chairman of the drafting committee of the constitution. The drafting committee aimed to produce a document that encapsulated the rich cultural, linguistic, and religious diversity of India. On 26 November 1949, the constitution was adopted, marking a significant moment in the Indian history. This date is celebrated annually as ‘Constitution Day,’ highlighting the importance of this milestone in affirming India as a sovereign nation. The Constitution officially came into effect on 26 January 1950, a date now commemorated as ‘Republic Day,’ symbolising the transition from the British rule to self-government. The Constitution provides justice, liberty, and equality for the countrymen. This paper examines the theme of socio-economic justice within the Indian Constitution. As we are celebrating 75th anniversary of this foundational document, it is crucial to reflect on the extraordinary journey. The aim of the paper is to bring an overview of this document in the context of socio-economic justice. It is essential to reflect on the remarkable journey of this foundational document and the nation has shaped by it. Keywords: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, Justice and Constitution Introduction: The making of the Indian constitution was a transformative process that unfolded through a series of significant events, each contributing to the establishment of a robust democratic framework for the newly independent nation. The journey began with the government of India Act 1935, which introduced a federal structure and laid the groundwork for constitutional governance in India, providing a blueprint that would influence discussion on the Constitution. After receiving independence from the British administration on 15 August 1947, drafting committee formed to produce the legal document under the chairmanship of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. The Indian Constitution was adopted in 1949 and came into effect in 1950. It is not just a legal document but a transformative social monument, envisioned to reconstruct a historical society that had established on the Varnashram system into the parliamentary democracy. It is known as a unique in the world as contents and spirit. It laid the foundation for sovereign, socialists, secular and democratic republic. Among its core ideals is the pursuit of economic justice – a principle enshrined in the Preamble and elaborated through various principles of state policy. The Constitution conceptualizes socio-economic justice as a foundational mechanism for addressing and dismantling deeply rooted inequalities in status and opportunity. The Objective of the paper:  To understand the Indian constitutional and its provisions, judicial interpretations, legislative efforts and persistent challenges over 75 years.  To study the constitutional vision for an equitable society and assesses India’s strides towards minimizing economic disparities. Quick Response Code: Website: https://jrdrvb.org/ DOI: Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work noncommercially, as long as appropriate credit is given and the new creations ae licensed under the idential terms. Address for correspondence: Dr. Yashwant Dhanappa Hartale, Assistant Professor Head, Department of Economics, S. M. Dr. Bapuji Salunkhe College, Miraj How to cite this article: Yashwant Dhanappa Hartale (2025). Socio-Economic Justice: 75 Years of the Indian Constitution. Journal of Research & Development, 17(9), 54-56 Original Article Journal of Research and Development A Multidisciplinary International Level Referred and Double Blind Peer Reviewed, Open Access ISSN : 2230-9578 | Website: https://jrdrvb.org Volume-17, Issue-9(V)| September 2025 55 Research Methodology: The researcher used qualitative methods by using the secondary data, including texts and journals The Constitution of India is comprised of 395 articles and 8 appendices. Its primary objective is to ensure social, economic and political justice for all citizens. Each of these three aspects of justice is crucial for the development of India. The idea of socio-economic justice in the Indian Constitution is mostly found in the Directive Principles and in the Fundamental Rights. Article 14 Equality before law: the state shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India. Article 15. Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. 1) The state shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, and place of birth or any of them. 2) No citizen shall, no grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, places of birth or any of them, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to – (a) access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public entertainment; or (b) the use of wells tanks, bathing ghats, roads and places of public resort maintained wholly or partly out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the general public. Article 16. Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment - (1) there shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State. Article 17. Abolition of Untouchability – untochability is abolished and is practice in any form is forbidden. The enforcement of any disability arising out of untouchabiity shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law. Article 19. Protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech, etc – (1) All citizens shall have the right – (a) to freedom of speech and expression; (b) to assemble peaceably and without arms; (c) to form association or unions; (d) to move freely throughout the territory of India. The Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV, Article 36-51 are the main source of social justice. Article 38 – the State must work to reduce inequalities in income, status, and opportunities. Article 39 – Equal pay for equal work protection for workers fair distribution of wealth. Article 41 – Right to work, education, and help during unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement. Article 46 - Directive principles provide that the the responsibility of the State to promote the educational and economic conditions of weaker sections of society, especially the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes (ST). It also says that to protect them from social injustice and any kinds of exploitation. These directive principles show the Constitution’s dream of an ideal society where social and economic justice is key values. Social justice means removing all kinds of unfair difference between people that come from unequal wealth, limited opportunities, social status, race, religion, caste, titles or similar factors. It advocates for a just and equitable society where every individual is treated with dignity and afforded equal opportunities for growth and success, irrespective of their background. Economic justice means to the eradication of poverty by increasing national wealth and resources and distributing them fairly among all individuals who play a role in their production. In essence, economic justice aspires to establish both economic democracy and a welfare state. The right to economic justice is particularly significant for the SC and ST and other marginalized and weaker sections of society. It is closely associated to the Fundamental Rights enshrined in the Constitution. The ultimate goal of economic justice is to make equality of status. Social justice necessitates the presence of economic justice; without economic justice, the pursuit of political justice becomes questionable, akin to the interrelation of liberty, equality, fraternity and justice. Justice holds no significance without equality, which is essential for the establishment of both social and economic justice. Understanding this constitutional framework and recognising the deep social and economic inequalities in Indian society, the Indian parliament has made many important laws in the last 75 years. These include the Dowry Prohibition Act, the Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribes (Preventions of Atrocities) Act, the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act and Land and agrarian reform law, and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. India is known as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Its economy mainly depends on three important areas: services, industry and agriculture, and it have adopted a free market system to promote growth and development. Agriculture is considered the backbone of the Indian Economy as a significant portion of the population depends on it for their livelihood. Agriculture to contribute about 25 percent of national income and provides employment to around 65 percent of the total work force in the country. Since implementation of the Constitution, the launch of First Five Year Plan in 1951, agricultural development has been a central focus of national policy. This focus intensified with the introduction of the New Agricultural development Strategy in 1965-66, which aimed to achieve food self-sufficiency through modern farming techniques and increased investment in the sector. The Green Revolution marked a major turning point, as the use of high-yielding variety seeds, chemical fertilizers, irrigation and government support such as fertilizer subsides and agricultural extension services that led to significant increases in food grain production. As a result of these reform and innovations, India not only achieved selfsufficiency in food production but also made notable progress in reducing poverty. The proportion of the population living below the poverty line (BPL) decreased from to 21.9%, indicating a broader positive impact of agricultural growth on socio-economic development. Additionally, India’s Human Development Index (HDI which measures the quality of life (education, income and health) has shown consistent improvement. In 1990, the HDI value stood at 0.439, with India ranking 93rd out of 130 countries. By 2023, the HDI had increased to 0.685, placing Indian in the Journal of Research and Development A Multidisciplinary International Level Referred and Double Blind Peer Reviewed, Open Access ISSN : 2230-9578 | Website: https://jrdrvb.org Volume-17, Issue-9(V)| September 2025 56 medium human development category at 130th position, indicating substantial progress toward improved living standards and human well-being. It means that, since the implementation of the Indian Constitution, agricultural development has expanded in larger level – not only within the agricultural sector itself but also in its influence on the broader socio-economic structure of the country. However, several challenges continue to hinder progress. Issues such as low agricultural productivity, irregular monsoons and fragmented landholdings negatively affect farmers’ incomes; farmers’ suicides are a tragic indicator of suffering, linked to debt, crop failure, in adequate irrigation. At the same time, wealth inequality in India is growing rapidly, with the rich accumulating more resources while large sections of the population remain economically marginalized. Youth unemployment and unempolyability are also on the rise, posing a serious challenge to the county’s demographic dividend. In the social context, caste-based discrimination remains a persistent issue, despite constitutional protections provided under Article 15 and 17, which prohibit discriminatory practices and abolish untouchability. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have historically faced and, in many cases, continue to face systematically excluded from access to education, employment opportunities, and even basic participation in public life. Similarly, women continue to face inequality in several areas, including education, employment and political representation. Although the Constitutional promises equal rights, many women still suffer from violence both at home and in public, which prevents them from fully participating in social and economic life. Conclusion: The 75 - year of the Indian Constitution show the nation’s strong commitment to justice and democratic values. This anniversary is not just a time to celebrate but also a time to think carefully and take action. It is important for citizens, lawmakers and civil society to work together to protect the values of the Constitution and reduce the inequalities that still exist in society. The Constitution remains a living document – a continuing source of guidance and inspiration. However, with new challenges such as poverty, unemployment and social discrimination, there is an urgent need for Constitutional engagement and reform to effectively address these issues and to work towards building an equitable society. Reference: 1. Arun, K. Thiruvengadam (2018). The Constitution of India: A Contextual Analysis. Hart Publication. UK. 2. Baruah, Aparajita (2007). Preamble of the Constitution of India: An Insight and Comparison with Other Constitutions. Deep Publication, New Delhi. 3. Gupta, Cherry. (2025, May 20). UNDP Human Development Index (HDI) 2025. Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/undp-human-development-index-hdi-2025-top-10-highest-lowest-indiarank-9990114/ 4. Sengupta, Arghya and Omita Goya (Eds.). (2025). The Working of the Indian Constitution. Routledge, New York. 5. Singh, P. K. & Ratnesh, K., et.al. (2008). Encyclopaedia of Indian Economy. Deep & Deep Publications, New Delhi. 6. 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