Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (India)
Encyclopedia
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is an Indian government
ministry
. It is responsible for welfare
, social justice
, and empowerment
of disadvantaged and marginalised sections of society, including scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (SC/ST), Other Backward Class
es (OBC), the disabled
, and the elderly.
The Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment holds cabinet
rank as a member of the Council of Ministers. The current minister is Mukul Wasnik
, who is assisted by a Minister of State
, Napoleon.
and the Wakf
Division of the Ministry of Law
left those ministries to form the new Ministry of Welfare.
The Ministry of Welfare adopted the name Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in May 1998. In October 1999, the Tribal Development Division left the ministry to become its own ministry, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
. In January 2007, the Minorities Division and the Wakf Unit were moved out of the ministry to form the Ministry of Minority Affairs
and the Child Development Division left the ministry to form the Ministry of Women and Child Development. To propagate the ideologies and philosophy of Babu Jagjivan Ram, the 'Babu Jagjivan Ram National Foundation', has been set up by the Ministry.
, each headed by a Joint Secretary: Scheduled Castes Development Bureau; Backward Classes Bureau Coordination, Media, Administration; Disability Bureau; Social Defense (SD) Bureau; and Project, Research, Evaluation and Monitoring Bureau.
Composite Regional Centre , Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
ministry
Ministry (government department)
A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...
. It is responsible for welfare
Welfare
Welfare refers to a broad discourse which may hold certain implications regarding the provision of a minimal level of wellbeing and social support for all citizens without the stigma of charity. This is termed "social solidarity"...
, social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
, and empowerment
Empowerment
Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social, racial, educational, gender or economic strength of individuals and communities...
of disadvantaged and marginalised sections of society, including scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (SC/ST), Other Backward Class
Other Backward Class
The Central Government of India classifies some of its citizens based on their social and economic condition as Scheduled Caste , Scheduled Tribe , and Other Backward Class . The OBC list presented by the commission is dynamic and will change from time to time depending on social, educational and...
es (OBC), the disabled
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
, and the elderly.
The Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment holds cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
rank as a member of the Council of Ministers. The current minister is Mukul Wasnik
Mukul Wasnik
Mukul Balkrishna Wasnik is the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. He represents the Ramtek constituency of Maharashtra and is a member of the Indian National Congress political party...
, who is assisted by a Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
, Napoleon.
History
In the 1985-1986, the former Ministry of Welfare was divided into the Department of Women and Child Development and the Department of Welfare. At the same time, the Scheduled Castes Development Division, Tribal Development Division and the Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Division of the Ministry of Home AffairsMinistry of Home Affairs (India)
Ministry of Home Affairs , known as the Home Ministry or MHA, is an Indian government ministry. It is an interior ministry mainly responsible for the maintenance of Internal security and domestic policy.-Ministerial Team:...
and the Wakf
Waqf
A waqf also spelled wakf formally known as wakf-alal-aulad is an inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law, typically denoting a building or plot of land for Muslim religious or charitable purposes. The donated assets are held by a charitable trust...
Division of the Ministry of Law
Ministry of Law and Justice (India)
The Ministry of Law and Justice is a prominent Ministry of Government of India. Under the , the Ministry is vested with the responsibility of administration of legal affairs, justice, and legislative affairs in India....
left those ministries to form the new Ministry of Welfare.
The Ministry of Welfare adopted the name Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in May 1998. In October 1999, the Tribal Development Division left the ministry to become its own ministry, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
Ministry of Tribal Affairs
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, a branch of Government of India, looks after the affairs of the tribal communities in India. As of May 2008, the ministry is headed by Kantilal Bhuria, a Union Cabinet Minister...
. In January 2007, the Minorities Division and the Wakf Unit were moved out of the ministry to form the Ministry of Minority Affairs
Ministry of Minority Affairs
The Ministry of Minority Affairs, a ministry of the Government of India established in 2006. It is the apex body for the central government's regulatory and developmental programmes for the minority communities in India, which include Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists and Zoroastrians ...
and the Child Development Division left the ministry to form the Ministry of Women and Child Development. To propagate the ideologies and philosophy of Babu Jagjivan Ram, the 'Babu Jagjivan Ram National Foundation', has been set up by the Ministry.
Organization
The ministry has five bureausGovernment agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
, each headed by a Joint Secretary: Scheduled Castes Development Bureau; Backward Classes Bureau Coordination, Media, Administration; Disability Bureau; Social Defense (SD) Bureau; and Project, Research, Evaluation and Monitoring Bureau.
- National institutes for persons with disabilities
- Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped, MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
(AYJNIHH) - Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute for the Physically HandicappedDeendayal Upadhyaya Institute for the Physically HandicappedPandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute for the Physically Handicapped is an autonomous organisation under the administrative and financial control of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt...
, New DelhiNew DelhiNew Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
(formerly Institute for the Physically Handicapped (IPH)) - National Institute for Orthopaedically Handicapped, KolkataKolkataKolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
- National Institute of Mentally Handicapped, SecunderabadSecunderabadSecunderabad popularly known as the twin city of Hyderabad is located in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh north of Hyderabad. Named after Sikandar Jah, the third Nizam of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, Secunderabad was founded in 1806 AD as a British cantonment...
(NIMH) - National Institute of Social Defence (NISD)
- National Institute of Visually Handicapped (NIVH)
- Swami Vivekanand National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and ResearchNational Institute of Rehabilitation Training and ResearchSwami Vivekanand National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research is an autonomous Institute functioning under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment of India. It is located in Olatpur, 30 km from Cuttack...
, Olatpur, CuttackCuttackCuttack is the former capital of the state of Orissa, India. It is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 20 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. The name of the city is an anglicised form of Kataka that literally means The Fort, a reference to the...
and OrissaOrissaOrissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
(NIRTAR)
- Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped, Mumbai
- Public sector undertakings
- National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC)
- Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of IndiaArtificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of IndiaThe Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India is a Public Sector Undertaking of the Government of India. Established in 1956, ALIMCO manufactures artificial limbs and rehabilitation aids...
(ALIMCO), Kanpur
- Other associated organizations
- Chief Commissioner for Disabilities
- Dr. Ambedkar Foundation
- Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee National Institute for Orthopaedically Handicapped (formerly National Institute for the Orthopaedically Handicapped (NIOH))
- National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation (NBCFDC)
- National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC)
- National Commission for Safai Karamcharis
- National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)
- National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC)
- National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC)
- National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation
- National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities
Composite Regional Centre , Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir
-
- Officer of the Chief Commissioner for Disabilities
- Rehabilitation Council of IndiaRehabilitation Council of IndiaThe Rehabilitation Council of India is the apex government body, set up under an Act of Parliament, to regulate training programmes and courses targeted at disabled, disadvantaged, and special education requirement communities...
(RCI) - Swami Vivekanand National Institute of Rehabilitation, Training and Research (SVNIRTAR)