NCERT Solutions For Class 11 Political Science Chapter 8 Social Justice

(d) Ensuring a basic facilities and a minimum standard of living to all is recognition of our shared humanity and a human right.

Different principles have been put forward in the idea of equal importance to all people.

• Principle of treating equals equally: Refers to equal rights and equal treatment to individuals who share certain characteristics as a human being, i.e. civil rights including right to life, liberty and property and political rights including right to vote, to enable rights to individuals to participate in political processes, etc.
• Principle not to treat any individual on the basis of discrimination on the grounds of caste, race, religion, colour, language, etc. the individuals should be judged on the basis of their capabilities they perform, i.e. male teachers get higher salary than female teachers, the persons performing the same tasks but getting different amount due to case in unjust.
• Equal treatment is not the only principle of justice because some circumstances may appear to be unjust if equal treatment is given, i.e. some marks to be awarded to all the students of a class if they have appeared in an examination in a uniform manner in place to award the marks on the basis of performance. This principle measuring people in proportion to the scale of equality of their efforts.

To give each person his/her due assure the well being of the people or equal importance should be given to all people. Just as a doctor is concerned with the well being of her/his patients; similarly the just rules or just government ensures the well being of citizens also.

1. The ideas of justice has been continued to be an integral part of the present day understanding and has changed from the ancient times .
2. Today, the debates have also been taken place of what is due to each person as a human being.
3. Human beings get the opportunities to develop one’s own potential as well as to pursue their chosen goals.
4. Justice requires giving due and equal considerations to all individuals.

1. To promote social justice, principles of special needs are recognized. And people are required to be treated equally without any discrimination to reward proportionality.
2. The principle of taking account of special needs of people does not contradict with the principle of equal treatment because the people, who are not equal in certain important respect, may be treated differently to promote justice.
3. People with special needs may deserve special assistance and particular respect but it is difficult to recognize the people who require special assistance.
4. Some physical disabilities, age, lack of good education or healthcare facilities are considered of special treatment.
5. In India, lack of good education, healthcare, amenities, etc are generally combined with social discrimination on the basis of caste.
6. Constitution of India made the provisions for reservation in government jobs and quotas in educational institutions for the people who are deprived in the society.

Hence, it can be considered that it is necessary to recognize the people who need the special considerations and if it is mandate for justice, it cannot contradict with the principle of equal treatment for all.

1. A just society should ensure basic minimum requirements of people for living healthy and secure lives and provide equal opportunities to pursue their chosen goals.
2. A democratic government is responsible for a basic amount of nourishment to keep citizens healthy, education opportunities to pursue their chosen goals.
3. But, to provide all these basic requirements put a heavy burden on government especially in the countries where poor people are in large number.
4. If all of us agree that it is the responsibility of state, the conflicts may arise on choosing the methods to achieve these goals.
5. The various debates have taken place on adopting the methods to ensure well-off of disadvantaged sections either by promoting open competition or should be taken the responsibility by state or by a redistribution of resources.
6. In India, different approaches are being suggested by different political groups who debate the relative merits to help marginalized sections of peoples.

1. John Rawls argue that the only way we can arrive at a fair and just rule is to imagine ourselves to be in a situation in which we have to make decisions about how society should be organized despite we do not know the position to be occupied by ourselves in society. That is, we don’t know what type of family we would be born either in upper caste or lower caste, rich or poor, privileged or disadvantaged.
2. Rawls argue that if we don’t know who we will be and what options would be available to us in future society. We would support to those rules and organization of future society to be fair for all members.
3. Rawls under the concept of ‘veil of ignorance’ expects situation of complete ignorance, each person would decide in terms of their own interests only.
4. But since no one know who would be and what is going to benefit him, each will envisage the future society from the point of view of the worst off, it will be dear to a person who can reason and think for himself that those who are born privileged will enjoy certain privileges.
5. If some people are born in a disadvantage section, they will make sense to ensure reasonable opportunities to the weaker sections
6. The efforts would be made to make important resources available (education, health, shelter) to all persons.
7. It is not easy to erase our identities and to imagine oneself about veil of ignorance. But then it is equally difficult to be self-sacrificing and to share good fortune with strangers.
8. Hence, given these human failings and limitations it would  be better to think of a framework that does not need extraordinary actions.
9. Veil of ignorance expect the people to think for themselves and select what they considered to be in their interest.