The United Nations General Assembly has been celebrating February 20 every year since 2009 as the World Day of Social Justice to recognize the importance of promoting solidarity, harmony, equal opportunities among societies, and eradicating poverty and unemployment. This year, World Day of Social Justice will be observed under the theme “Renewing Commitment to Social Development and Social Justice”. It emphasizes the shared global responsibility to advance social development, eradicate poverty, expand decent work, and strengthen social protection for all. Social justice issues are present in many countries.
Social justice issues arise from biases on the basis of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, education, mental or physical ability, etc. The reasons for the lack of social justice include colonialism, slavery, or support for oppressive governments, abuse of economic power, racism, economic inequality, and class discrimination. In many countries, high penalties and human rights violations further increase the need for social justice. By 2025, the top five countries with social justice are Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and New Zealand. The countries at the bottom are Venezuela, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Haiti, and Nicaragua.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s contribution to establishing social justice in India is immense. That is why we honor Ambedkar as the father of Indian social justice. The preamble of the Constitution of India contains a philosophy that contributes to social justice. The people of India have formed a sovereign, democratic republic as a socialist, secular state, as enshrined in the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution. There are three aspects to establishing social justice in India, one is to provide political, socio-economic rights in the form of fundamental rights and directive principles. It seeks to promote the principle of equal liberty, second is to adopt an equitable model between conflicting socio-economic goals in socio-economic development. It seeks to establish the principle of fair equality of opportunities. Third, to provide special protections and affirmative action to the backward sections of the Indian society. For this, many programs, schemes and laws are being formulated and implemented in the country from time to time.
Despite significant development progress, India faces a range of inequalities. Income inequality is still prominent. While consumption-based measures show some improvement, wide income inequalities persist, with the top 10% earning much more than the bottom 10%. Extreme poverty (less than $2.15 a day) fell from more than 16% to just 2.3% in 2022-23, lifting millions out of poverty. Rural and urban poverty gaps have narrowed, but urban incomes still outpace rural incomes, with monthly per capita consumption in urban areas 70% higher than in rural areas.
Regional disparities are evident. States like Bihar and Chhattisgarh lag far behind in literacy and consumption, compared to Lakshadweep, Kerala and Telangana. Educational inequality persists, with overall literacy at around 80.9%, but with significant gender and rural-urban gaps. Women’s labor force participation is much lower than men’s, and India’s rank in the Gender Inequality Index has improved to 102nd place, but inequalities in opportunities persist. General category households still spend more than Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), and the gaps are narrowing but not closing. Some backward class communities in some states show high levels of socio-economic backwardness. Health disparities are also evident, and despite improvements in human development, India’s ranking remains at 130 out of 193 countries.
Economic equality and social justice are closely related, as both aim to create a just, inclusive society. Economic equality ensures that individuals have equal access to income, resources, and opportunities, regardless of their background. When economic resources are more equitably distributed, social barriers and power imbalances are reduced. Greater economic equality strengthens social justice outcomes in education, healthcare, and employment. Without economic equality, social justice efforts are incomplete and symbolic. Similarly, without social justice, economic growth increases social divisions. Together, the two promote respect, participation, and equal rights for all members of society. Therefore, economic equality is also a foundational outcome of social justice.
Social justice at the fundamental level belongs to all people. The international community, especially the richest, must address these injustices. Developing countries, in particular, must strictly adhere to the principles of equal distribution of wealth, opportunities, and powers, voting rights, criminal justice/juvenile justice, environmental justice, immigration, and economic justice in order to establish social justice for the disadvantaged and marginalized populations. Cooperation between countries is crucial for social justice. It is crucial to fight injustice separately in each country, sometimes even village by village. Furthermore, it is important to determine economic policy and ensure its implementation, especially social and economic planning, fiscal and economic measures, and the use of public power. Let us hope to establish a socially just society by addressing historical injustices and providing resources to the underprivileged.
