Equality – Explained

The absence of any form of disadvantage or discrimination is what is meant by equality. All citizens of the nation are guaranteed equality of status and opportunity under the Preamble. All types of inequality, whether they were based on caste, gender, or the idea of rulers and ruled, were to be eliminated. When compared to the concepts uniformity, identity, and sameness, equality is used differently by political scientists. The pursuit of equality does not mean eradicating diversity. The Preamble's use of the word "equality" and its context are explained in this article, along with the constitutional provisions that can be used to guarantee equality. 

 

•    The concept of "equality" refers to both the lack of special privileges for any group in society and the accessibility of appropriate chances for everyone, regardless of background.

 

•    All citizens are guaranteed equality of position and opportunity under the Preamble. This clause includes the civic, political, and economic facets of equality.

 

•    The Fundamental Rights, which are written in the constitution, provide "equality before the law" and "equal protection of the laws."

 

•    The importance of equality can be summed up as the protection of one's "dignity."

 

•    Dignity includes both the respect one deserves from others for being a fellow human being and the respect one has for oneself.

 

•    Despite the fact that all Indian citizens have the right to equality, discrimination on the basis of caste, religion, origin, gender, or race still exists in many areas of the country. 

 

•    For this reason, the constitution's authors made it clear that everyone residing on Indian Territory has this right. 

 

•    Equal Protection under the Law, Article 14.

 

•    Article 15 forbids discrimination on the basis of race, caste, gender, or place of birth.

 

•    Equal Opportunity in Public Employment under Article 16.

 

•    Abolition of Untouchability, Article 17.

 

•    Titles are abolished in Article 18.

 

The Constitution contains two clauses that promote political equality:

1.    No one may be excluded from the voting rolls due to their religion, race, caste, or sex, according to Article 325.

 

2.    Article 326: Adult suffrage must be used to conduct elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

 

•    Article 39 guarantees that men and women have an equal right to a sufficient means of subsistence and equal pay for equivalent work.

 

•    The first stage in the quest of equality is equality before the law or political equality nevertheless, it must be complemented with equality of opportunities.

 

•    People from different groups and communities must compete fairly and equally for those commodities and opportunities in order to achieve equality.

 

•    All societal members can only be guaranteed a certain level of living by eliminating the effects of socioeconomic inequality.

 

•    In India, the problem is not just one of a lack of facilities or equal possibilities, but also a peculiar one focusing on some of the rituals that are practiced across the nation or among various tribes.

 

•    For instance, women may not have the same inheritance rights in some cultures.

 

•    Political equality is essential to removing any legal obstacles that keep people from participating in politics and gaining access to social services.

 

•    Equal citizenship becomes the focal point for a number of fundamental rights, including the right to vote, the freedom of expression, the freedom of travel and association, and the freedom of religion.

 

•    These are thought essential for citizens to develop and engage in governmental affairs.

 

•    When there are considerable differences in wealth, property, or income between people or classes in a society, economic equality exists.

 

•    Determining how much economic disparity there is.

 

•    Estimating the relative income gap between the wealthiest and poorest socioeconomic categories.

 

•    Calculating the percentage of people living in poverty.

 

•    With enough work, one can always improve their level of living in a certain society. However, despite equal chances, inequality may still exist.

 

Equality should be viewed as the guiding principle for national development, according to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Equality is viewed as the cornerstone of contemporary democratic theory. The founding fathers of the Constitution underlined the concept of equality in the Preamble. The Constitution of the nation seeks to realize equality on all three of these fronts. It is a fundamental and essential human right. But this perfect situation doesn't actually exist. Inequality takes many different shapes in India today.