Social Justice
Congress has been the most vocal and active champion of the progress of the backward and oppressed classes and castes over the last seven decades. However, caste discrimination is still a reality. The people belonging to the SC, ST and OBC communities have not yet been able to catch up with the rest and are still left behind. While OBC, SC and ST constitute nearly 70 per cent of India’s population, their representation in high-ranking professions, services and businesses is disproportionately low. No progressive modern society should tolerate such inequality or discrimination based on ancestry and the consequent denial of equal opportunity. Congress will bridge historical inequities by implementing the following programme.
1.Congress will conduct a nation-wide Socio-Economic and Caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions. Based on the data, we will strengthen the agenda for affirmative action.
2. The Congress guarantees that it will pass a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SC, ST and OBC.
3. The reservation of 10 per cent in jobs and educational institutions for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) will be implemented for all castes and communities without discrimination.
4. We will fill all the backlog vacancies in posts reserved for SC, ST and OBC within a period of one year.
5. Congress will abolish the contractualisation of regular jobs in the government and public sector enterprises and ensure regularisation of such appointments.
6. We will enhance institutional credit to SC and ST for home-building, starting businesses and purchasing assets.
7. Congress will establish an authority to monitor the distribution to the poor of government land and surplus land under the land ceiling Acts.
8. The scope of the Public Procurement Policy will be expanded to award more public works contracts to contractors belonging to the SC and ST communities.
9. Funds for scholarships for OBC, SC and ST students will be doubled, especially for higher education. We will aid SC and ST students to study abroad; and will double the number of scholarships for them to pursue a Ph.D.
10. Congress will establish a network of residential schools for the poor, especially SC and ST students, and extend them to every block.
11. We will include in the curriculum of schools the life and work of social reformers to spread the message of social justice.
12. We will establish Ambedkar Bhavans-cum-Libraries in every district to promote the habit of reading and discussion.
13. We will enact a law with reference to Article 15(5) of the Constitution to provide for reservation in private educational institutions for SC, ST and OBC.
14. We will pass a law authorising allocation of resources for the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan and Tribal Sub Plan within the annual budget and monitoring the execution of the plans.
15. Congress will end the evil of manual scavenging. Every manual scavenger will be rehabilitated, re-skilled, provided a job and assured a life of dignity and safety. The Prohibition of Manual Scavenging Act, 2013, will be strictly implemented and any person employing anyone for manual scavenging shall be punished. We will provide compensation of 30 lakh to families of sanitation workers (safai karamcharis) deceased while at work. We will allocate sufficient funds to enable the procurement of machines that will clean sewers and septic tanks, and remove human waste. Free insurance will be provided to all sanitation workers.
16. The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 will be enforced diligently. A helpline will be established in every State’s capital and legal aid and paralegal support will be provided to the victims of such atrocities.
17. Congress is committed to notify as ‘Scheduled Area’ all habitations or groups of habitations where ST are the largest social group outside the present Scheduled Areas in all States and Union Territories.
18. A national mission will be set up for effective implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 through a dedicated FRA division, a separate budget and action plans.
19. The Congress will ensure settlement of all pending FRA claims within 1 year and establish a process for review of all rejected claims within 6 months.
20. Congress is committed to ensure that states enact laws in conformity with the framework of the central Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) to establish 'Village Council’ and 'Autonomous District Council’ as envisaged in PESA.
21. We will enact the Rohith Vemula Act to address discrimination faced by students belonging to the backward and oppressed communities in educational institutions.
22. We will implement the recommendations of the Renke Commission. We will provide free education for children belonging to the Nomadic Tribes and De-notified Tribes.
23. Congress will establish a Diversity Commission that will measure, monitor and promote diversity in public and private employment and education.
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2024 Lok Sabha - Parliament Election - Congress Party Manifesto
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Contents - Index to Each Topic in Congress Party 2024 Lok Sabha Election Manifesto
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