Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE)
In the year 1985-86, the erstwhile Ministry of Welfare was bifurcated into the Department of Women and Child Development and the Department of Welfare. Simultaneously, the Scheduled Castes Development Division, Tribal Development Division and the Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Division were moved from the Ministry of Home Affairs and also the Wakf Division from the Ministry of Law to form the then Ministry of Welfare. Subsequently, the name of the Ministry was changed to the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in May, 1998.
Mandate of Department of Social Justice & Empowerment and Constitutional Commitment
- The Department draws its mandate from the constitution and is committed to the realization of the constitutional vision for the socially, politically, and economically vulnerable in the country. The Constitution lays out the scope of the Department beyond that of mere service delivery, making it responsible for “minimizing inequalities in income, and endeavor to eliminate inequalities in status, facilities, and opportunities, not only amongst individuals but also amongst groups of people”.
- The Department is committed to the constitutionally recognized Social Justice Principles of equity, protecting the dignity of the individual, while seeking the greater common good for all.
- The Department will refer to primary stakeholders as rights-holders instead of beneficiaries to convey their active participation in accessing their entitlements.
- The Department is committed to the realization of full citizenship for these groups and to protecting and promoting their.
- The Department oversees the implementation of various laws such as the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 and Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955.
- The Department recognizes that within this large group, there are intersectionalities such as gender and caste, and hierarchies of vulnerabilities such as scheduled caste migrants recognized in one state but not in another. Support will be extended in the proportion of vulnerability. The Department therefore subscribes to the Antyodaya principle which will keep the interests of the most marginalized at the heart of all that it does.
- The Department takes an expansive view of its mandate and recognizes that its scope of work extends beyond the schemes it directly implements. Its commitment to social justice and empowerment necessarily extends to other ministries and programs with a shared vision. In its role as a nodal Department, it seeks to build stronger alliances at the centre and in states.
- The Department recognizes that there is a need to engage with those outside government institutions such as civil society groups, social institutions and market actors, in order to best deal with those issues where progress cannot be made by the government acting on its own. While non-state actors will be included in planning, implementation and oversight where possible to support the work of the Department, the primacy of state responsibility in addressing vulnerabilities of marginalized groups is recognized and emphasized.
Information-Monitoring Evaluation and Social Audit (I-MESA)
The I-MESA is a Central Sector Scheme, formulated with the objectives of ensuring that the implementation of the scheme at the ground level shall be examined intensely. It outlines the scope of social audit of DoSJE schemes detailing five key initiatives of the Ministry (either in-house or outsourced) each of which fulfils a separate objective. The scheme has the following components.
- Information Dissemination Cell: The cell will handle the media and public relations requirements of the Ministry. It will include content writers, social media strategists, and digital marketing specialists. Networking with GIA institutions, educational institutions, scholarship holders, and state governments will be among its responsibilities.
- Project Monitoring Unit (PMU): The PMU will operate from NISD and will monitor scheme outputs and outcomes. It will conduct regular physical inspections of institutions through which the DSJE schemes are being implemented, such as NGOs in the case of GIA schemes, institutions providing free coaching, schools, etc.
- Central Smart Surveillance Unit: This unit will establish a network of CCTVs in grant-in-aid institutions, training & coaching centers. The installation and maintenance of CCTV cameras will be outsourced to an agency operating under the guidance of the Ministry.
- Evaluation Studies: Evaluation studies will be carried out by an independent organization or university.
- Social Audit: Social Audit is a process of examination and assessment of a programme/scheme conducted with the active involvement of people and comparing official records with actual ground realities.
