Democratic Decentralizaton and Socio-Political Inclusion of Marginalized Communities: A Study of Musahar Community in Madhubani District of Bihar, India

2021 ◽  
pp. 2455328X2110424
Author(s):  
Ashish Jha

Democratic decentralization is the process of devolving the state’s roles and resources from the centre to the lower-level elected officials to encourage greater direct participation of people in governance. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act (1993), which gave the constitutional mandate to the Panchayati Raj Institutions in India, is considered as an opportunity for historically marginalized groups like women, Dalits (Scheduled Caste) and others to actively engage in the grassroot governance as members of local government institutions. Further, gram panchayats have been mandated for formulating their own annual development plan for economic development and social justice in their area. Although in these 25 years, since the enactment of the Act, various measures have been introduced through Panchayati Raj Institutions for increasing people’s participation and effective implementation of developmental programmes, but there is a little or no evidences—either the theoretical or the empirical, which can give a hint on its performance on social and political inclusion of marginalized communities. Against this backdrop, this empirical research paper attempts to explore the linkages between the democratic decentralization and socio-political inclusion of marginalized, by focussing on the Musahar community in Bihar state of India, using primary data collected from the field. The researchers argue that decentralization has ameliorated the social inclusion to some extent but shows very dismal rate of political inclusion of the Musahar Community.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 947-951
Author(s):  
L. Thirupathi ◽  

This article attempts to evaluate the Grassroots democracy and the problems which are associated with the ineffective functioning of Panchayati Raj Institutions. It argues that how constitutional provision has created a scope for accomplishing development with social justice, which is the mandate of the new Panchayat Raj system. The new system brings all those who are interested to have a voice in decision making through their participation in Panchayat Raj Institutions. How it becomes the Panchayati Raj system is the basis for the Social Justice and Empowerment of the weaker section on which the development initiative has to be built upon for achieving overall, human welfare of the society. My research paper also analyses the working status and various issues and challenges of PRIs for 26 years after the 73rd constitutional amendment establishment of panchayats and municipalities as elected local governments devolved a range of powers and responsibilities and made them accountable to the people for their implementation, very little and actual progress has been made in this direction. Local governments remain hamstrung and ineffective mere agents to do the bidding of higher-level governments. Democracy has not been enhanced despite about 32 lakh peoples representatives being elected to them every five years, with great expectation and fanfare. My study would explore the grey areas such as lack of adequate funds, domination of bureaucracy, untimely elections, lack of autonomy, the interference of area MPS and MLAs in the functioning of panchayats also adversely affected their performance.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 52-57
Author(s):  
Dr. Kavita A. Jain

Social audit can be used in the various sectors like health, water, financial institution, organizations, companies, public and private sectors. With the help of social audit, industries can measure their performance. The social audit got a legal statue after incorporation of the 73rd amendment to the Indian constitution regarding panchayati raj institutions. This amendment gave power to gramsabha to conduct social audits and it has with this historic amendment that the concept of social audit gained importance in our country. The gramasabha shall conduct regular social audit of all the projects under the scheme taken up with in gram panchayat. So this study analyzed the performance of PRIs through social audit practice. It is purely based on primary data which has used convenient method of sampling method. The result has contributed that, social audit practice through gramsabha has developed the rural area but still there is a need for effective implementation of social audit practice. So government should provide training to panchayat raj employees to effectively carry social audit apart from this other institutions such as NGOs need to support villagers to conduct social audit.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saad Akhtar

Social existence of marginalized communities is a well addressed issue in Pakistan. Marginalized communities attracted attention from different walks of life. Their social status and problems have been given voice by, both, academia and media. Most of the literature produced in this regard maintains a particular tone that presents the picture of ‘marginalized’ surrounded in the social difficulties, economics insignificance and political deprivation. This kind of treatment has kept the discussion in narrow binaries in which society, as a whole, has been held responsible for the plight of minorities and marginalized groups and communities. This narration, in which society is held responsible and culprit, has not been questioned and potentially challenged in Pakistan. Existing literatures not only contains reductionist point of views but also lacks a pure socio-cultural analysis. It is also because of the fact that academic treatment of any socio-cultural aspects requires something more than mere relying on the ethnographic details. It deserves a rigorous methodological treatment besides a sound theoretical understanding. Women, transgender, menials, linguistics and sectarian minorities etc. constitute ‘marginalized’ in Pakistan.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 393-398
Author(s):  
Andreas Ahrens ◽  
Olaf Bassus ◽  
Jeļena Zaščerinska

AbstractUniversity as a social enterprise has become the dominant response to the challenge of bringing up an engineer as a first-rate technical expert who acts as a social agent, rather than just a technician, with a “broad understanding of the social and philosophical context in which he will work” [3]. Aim of the research is to analyze student engineers' Enterprise 3.0 application in engineering curriculum. The meaning of the key concepts of university as a social enterprise, engineering curriculum and Enterprise 3.0 is studied. Explorative research has been used. The empirical study was conducted at Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia, in 2011. Descriptive statistics was implemented for primary data analysis. The findings of the research allow drawing the conclusions on the favourable context of Enterprise 3.0 application in engineering curriculum as the student engineers' knowledge and attitude towards Enterprise 3.0 application are positive. Direction of further research are proposed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-84
Author(s):  
Zdenka Šándorová

Abstract The theme of the paper is very topical in global and European context. It brings theoretical information on the concept of asocial model of early care in the Czech Republic and practical case studies and final reports related to the early care provision which demonstrate tangible activities within the system of the complex support and assistance to children with disability and their families. The author applies the theoretical-practical approach as she is of the opinion that „the practice without theory is as a blind person on the road and the theory without practice is as a cart without an axle”. The aim of the paper is to extend theoretical information on the topic in the Czech Republic by individual examples of final reports related to the provision of social prevention of the early care in the Czech Republic. The overall aim of the paper is to justify topicality and eligibility of early care in its broad reference framework, including its practical impact. The theoretical basis of the paper is elaborated with respect to the analysis and comparison of Czech and foreign literature, legislation, methodology document and other relevant written resources. The practical level is elaborated with respect to 3 cases and final reports of the provider of an early care of the social prevention. The early care in the Czech Republic represents a professional, modern and recognized system in European and global comparison and is legally anchored in the Act 108/2006 Coll. on social services. It aims on the minimization of child´s disability impact upon child´s development, especially the social inclusion of a child and a family and their capability to cope with limitating disability in natural environ, i.e. by the preservation of standard way of life. It represents a multi-dimensional model, overcoming limitation of sectoral division of the early care and facilitating complex assistance from a series of subject fields at the same time. Services for families with an endangered child in early age are the background for social, educational and pedagogical inclusion of a child and the re-socialisation and re-inclusion of a family. Early care is considered preventive, from the point of the prevention of the second disability (i.e. is effective), in the prevention of institutionalized and asylum care (i.e. is economical), in the prevention of segregation (i.e. is ethical).


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 1021-1026
Author(s):  
Rozalia Kuzmanova – Kartalova

An analysis of the social pedagogical work with difficult children is presented, outlining characteristics, specifics and approaches for prevention and social accompaniment. In order to highlight the specifics of this group of children, a comparison is made with two other groups of children in a situation of life difficulty - "socially disadvantaged children" and "children at risk". The analysis refers to the understanding that difficult children are children with impaired emotional development, difficulty in communicating with others and disrupted behavioral control, all of which can lead to consequences both on a personal and behavioral level. It is emphasized that difficult children turn into such in situations where adults cannot find an adequate approach to them, and most often these adults are members of the family, parents, or teachers. An overview of scientific positions on difficult children by English, American, Russian and Bulgarian researchers is offered. This is the basis for outlining the main spheres which affect children negatively and categorize them as "difficult children" - emotional-personal; learning-cognitive; behavioral; somatic. The reasons for children’s difficult behavior are examined, including: the family and the flaws in it; the lack of spiritual connection between parents and children; the asocial environment; participation in criminal groups; errors in the work of educational institutions; economic difficulties that have influenced all spheres of public life. The characteristics of problem children are presented that account for the formulation of the principles of social pedagogical work with them. It is emphasized that one of the important approaches in the work is the development of skills for social inclusion, social expression and self-assertion. The model for social pedagogical work with difficult children is developed in two aspects: preventive work and social accompaniment. Preventive work consists in constantly informing all stakeholders - teachers, educators, non-pedagogical staff in educational institutions and the family on the opportunities for preventing "difficult children" on the one hand, and ensuring interaction between the participants in the preventive activities as well as striving to attract more organizations and institutions, on the other. The social accompaniment as a social pedagogical work includes: identification of children with difficult behavior at the earliest stage of the disadaptation process, diagnosis of the factors of the difficult behavior and the reasons for the disadvantage, preparation of an individual road map for working with the child, implementation of the individual program for accompanying the child, measuring and analyzing the results of the child's work and his / her close circle.


2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Azeez. E.P

Social Capital is the most crucial asset which significantly influence the efficacy and resilience of any community. Social capital is a dependent variable that depends upon the competence and coherence of the individuals in the community and mode of social relationships, trust and networks they maintain. It is one of the most sustainable social resources that originate from human relations and results on the mutual support of people. Utilization of Social capital has a wide applicability in the process of social inclusion, especially in dealing with the vulnerable and disadvantaged sections in the community itself. Voluntary organizations are very keen to utilize the social capital for community/social services and community development in a sustainable manner. Community based de-institutionalized Palliative Care is one of the foremost among such organizations that made social capital in a strategic way for social inclusion and community well being. This paper analyses the extent to which different elements of social capital helps in initiating the sustainable community based palliative care movement by assessing the unique intervention strategies carried out by the palliative care. This paper explores conceptual questions of how social capital and voluntary community based services are correlated. A case study method was adopted for the study in which ten palliative care units were analyzed. The results show that a number of social capital elements are playing a vital role in the sustainability of community palliative care movement in Kerala.


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