SOCIAL WELFARE
The social structure in India has shown strength in endurance, and a unity of basic outlook in the midst of change and vicissitude. This strength has now to be demonstrated in productive and creative endeavour ; and the unity of the people has to be deepened and harnessed for economic development and cultural achievement.
2. The objector social welfare is the attainment of social health which implies the realisation of such objectives as adequate living standards, the assurance of social justice, opportunities for cultural development through individual and group self-expressions, and re-adjustment of human relations leading to social harmony. A comprehensive concept of living standards wilt include the satisfaction of basic needs like food, clothing and shelter as well as normal satisfactions of family life, enjoyment of physical and mental health, opportunities for the expression of skills and recreational abilities, and active and pleasurable social participation. The achievement of social justice demands co-operative and concerted effort on the part of the State and the people. These objectives are to be achieved mainly by revitalising the nation's life by creating well-organised and active regional communities in rural and urban areas to work co-operatively for national development. Such decentralised community groups will release national energy, extend the scope for leadership, and help to create initiative and organisation extensively in the remotest parts of the country.
3. The aim of social service in the past was essentially curative, and efforts were directed towards relief for the handicapped and the uplift of the under-privileged sections of society. It is now essential to maintain vigilance over weaknesses and strains in the social structure and to provide against them by organising social services. The aim of all social work now has to be the gradual rehabilitation of all weak, handicapped and anti-social elements in society.
4. Some of the important social problems like poverty, ignorance, over-population and rural backwardness are of a general nature and, in varying degree, they are influenced by factors like squalor and bad housing, malnutrition and physical and mental ill- health, neglected childhood, family disorganisation and a low standard of living. For a long time, society has remained apathetic to these conditions ; but with the awakening of political consciousness and the enthusiasm of organisations and workers to improve social conditions, there is a possibility of developing programmes which could gradually remedy the present situation. The economic programmes of the Five Year Plan will mitigate these problems to some extent, but the gains of economic development have to be maintained and consolidated by well-conceived and organised social welfare programmes spread over the entire country. In this chapter it is proposed to consider some of the more important problems of social welfare which need the special attention of both State and private welfare agencies.
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5. The principal social welfare problems relate to women, children, youth, the family, under-privileged groups and social vice. The social health of any community will depend a great deal upon the status, functions and responsibilities of the woman in the family and in the community. Social conditions should give to the woman opportunities for creative selfexpression, so that she can make her full contribution towards the economic and social life of the community. Problems relating to health, maternity and child welfare, education, employment, and conditions of work are dealt with elsewhere in this report. Some problems of women have to be dealt through social legislation, but other problems pertaining to health, social education., vocational training, increased participation in social and cultural life, provision of shelter, and assistance to the handicapped or maladjusted call for programmes at the community level. As women have to fulfil heavy domestic and economic responsibilities, adequate attention has to be paid to the need for relaxation and recreation both in the homes as well as in the community. The welfare agencies have catered to some extent to the needs of the widow and the destitute woman, but the quality of the service rendered by them and the nature of their work needs to be surveyed.
6. Considering the numbers involved, the needs of children should receive much greater consideration than is commonly given to them. There is a growing demand for child health services and educational facilities. The standard of child welfare services in the country can be improved if the rate of increase in population is reduced. Problems relating to family planning, children's health, infant mortality, education, training and development have been discussed elsewhere in this report. Malnutrition is perhaps the major cause of ill-health and lack of proper growth of the child. The feeding of the child in the early years is the responsibility of the family, and is dependent upon economic conditions and traditional food habits. The nature and extent of malnutrition has to be determined, and resources have to be found to supplement and improve the diet of children through schools and community and child welfare agencies. The problem of children's recreation and development outside educational institutions has received some attention during recent years, but play activities of children are considerably restricted in urban areas on account of the environmental conditions, lack of adequate space, and, to some extent, neglect of this vital need of the child by the family and the community. Not enough is known about the work of private agencies for the welfare of destitute and homeless children.
7. The juvenile courts and children's aid societies have so far touched a fringe of the problem of children's welfare. Certain special aspects may be briefly mentioned. The existing facilities for handicapped and deficient children are far from adequate and suitable agencies have to be created. Hospitals provide treatment for polio, congenital deformities, fractures, bone disorders and other diseases, but there is a need to extend existing services and provide special institutions and care for disabled and crippled children. At present deficient children attend educational institutions together with normal children and seldom receive treatment and special training to enable them to overcome their handicaps. The subject needs to be studied carefully. The problem of juvenile delinquency has already received considerable attention and many of the States have special legislation. juvenile delinquency may often be the result of poverty and many offences may be traced to the connivance or support of adults.
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8. The youth constitute the most vital section of the community. In recent years, young people have had to fact and have been increasingly conscious of problems such as inadequate educational facilities, unemployment, and lack of apportunity for social development, national service and leadership. The problems of health, education and employment of youth have been considered a aspects of national problems in these fields. Social welfare is primarily concerned with the improvement of services provided for the benefit of youth by welfare agencies with the object of promoting development of character and training for citizenship and for physical, interllectual and moral fitness. It is necessary to encourage initiative among youth so that though their own organisations, they can develop programmes of youth welfare and national service. Ways must also be found to give opportunities to youth for active participation in constructive activity. Such training and experience will equip them for shouldering the responsibilities of leadership in different spheres of national life.
9. Traditionally, the family has been left largely to its own resources to deal with most of its problems, although in some cases it may be assisted by the larger community groups (such as caste) to which a family may belong. General problems relating to health, education and employment have been considered in the relevant sections of this report. Questions relating to status and rights, property, inheritance, etc., are the subject of social legislation. The gradual break-up of the joint family and the emergence of the small family has increased its economic problems and burdens. Family responsibilities have now to be borne at a comparatively younger age by the head of the small family than happended in the joint family. This creasing complexity of the social situation and handicaps arising from physical disability, ailment or unemployment render it more difficult for the family to8 provide a sense of security to its members. This fact suggests a number of problems which, along with other problems studied carefully if welfare agencies are to develop suitable methods of treatment for guiding and assisting those in need.
10. There are number of under-privileged communities such as the scheduled tribes, scheduled castes and other backward classes including criminal tribes. The problems of poverty, ill-health, and lack of opportunities for development affect them to a larger extent than many other sections of the society. The subject is considered in a separate chapter.
11. Every community has its share of those who are physically handicapped such as the blind, the deaf and dumb, and those who are crippled and infirm. Reliable statistics are not available about the extent of the population which suffers from such handicaps. A certain number of welfare agencies are already working in this field, but little information about their resources and their ability to deal with the problem is at present available.
12. The main problems to be considered under the description of social vice are prostitution, crime and delinquency, alcoholism, gambling and beggary. These problems have existed for a long period, although necessarily their nature and extent vary according to the prevailing social and economic conditions. Some of them have to be dealt with largely by
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local communities, and the approach and treatment have to be varied from place to place. The character, and magnitude of these problems of social defence have to be determined carefully before the value and efficacy of the existing agencies and programmes could be assessed. Social legislation deals with many, of the social evils with a view to controlling and even eradicating them, but its actual implementation- needs to be watched. Among the practical problems to be resolved are the demarcation of the relative roles of State and private agencies, determination of the machinery of enforcement, estimation of the resources required, examination of methods, development of correct programmes, and creation of public opinion in favour of an objective and dispassionate approach to the problems of social vice.
AGENCIES 13. As the social structure becomes more complex, the State is called upon to play an increasing role in providing services for the welfare of the people. The Central Government, the various State Governments and local self-governing bodies, each in its own sphere, have to ensure that they have at least the minimum administrative machinery for dealing with social problems. What form this machinery takes will depend on their particular circumstances find requirements, but it is certain that without the necessary machinery they will not be able to pursue their programmes.
14. The functions of the social welfare machinery of the Central and State Governments may, for instance, be :-
(1) to study the need for and the efficacy of social legislation,
(2) to execute programmes of social welfare,
(3) to assist, both directly and through other agencies, the development of social services, the study of social problems, and the creation of trained personnel for social administration,
(4) to assist specialised and private agencies through guidance, and financially, and to protect the interest of society by a measure of regulation and control,
(5) to initiate pilot projects, or help field organisations to develop such projects, in order to demonstrate the efficacy of programmes, methods, leadership and organisation,
(6) to promote initiative in and improvement of social services by supplying information, materials, publications, audio-visual aids, etc., and
(7) to take over social services of vital importance initiated and organised by private agencies when these develop beyond their ability to manage.
15. Local self-governing bodies can do much to co-ordinate welfare activities in their areas and promote co-operation between their departments and the work of private agencies. Local committees or councils of social service agencies could undertake activities such as the following depending upon the resources which are available or can be raised
(a) taking effective measures to alleviate suffering, especially by providing emergency relief
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(b) organising and assisting community centres
(c) improving housing conditions, clearing slums and providing welfare services and special amenities for communities residing in slum areas;
(d) promoting child welfare activities
(e) providing parks, playgrounds and other amenities for physical recreation and welfare
(f) supporting private social service agencies and institutions for social education, women's welfare, youth welfare, aid welfare of handicapped persons and underprivileged communities ; and
(g) creating public opinion and assisting the vigilance authorities in the control of social vice and beggary.
16. The interrelationship between the various activities has to be emphasised and the necessary co-ordination assured both in the Central Government and in the States. One aspect of this coordination would be to secure that legislation relating to social problems follows broadly similar principles. In cases where grants-in-aid are given by a State authority to a private agency, it is desirable to lay down general directions for improving the content of the programmes and their administration. A measure of supervision and inspection should also be provided in order to maintain standards of efficiency.
17. A major responsibility for organising activities in different fields of social welfare, like the welfare of women and children, social education, community organisation, etc., falls naturally on private voluntary agencies. These private agencies have for long been working in their own humble way and without adequate State aid for the achievement of their objectives; with their own leadership, Organisation and resources. Any plan for the social and economic regeneration of the country should take into account the service rendered by these private agencies and the State should give them the maximum co-operation in strengthening their efforts. Public co-operation, through these voluntary social service organisations, is capable of yielding valuable results in canalising private effort for the promotion of social welfare. One of the most important tasks of the State is to conduct a Survey of the nature, quality and extent of service rendered by voluntary agencies in different parts of the country, to assess the extent of financial and other aid that they are in need of in order to develop their programmes of work, and to coordinate their activities. A SUM of Rs. 4 crores has been provided as grants-in-aid to voluntary social service organisations for strengthening, improving and extending the existing activities in the field of social welfare and for developing new programmes and carrying out pilot projects. It is envisaged that this fund of Rs. 4 crores should be administered by a board to be set up by the Central Government to which a great deal of administrative authority will be devolved, The board Should be predominently composed of non-officials who have actual experience of field work in promoting voluntary welfare activities.
18. It is necessary to co-ordinate the programmes of various agencies so as to guide them into broad streams and bring added strength and intensity of purpose to welfare activities. Such co- ordination calls for a common approach and a co-operative outlook on the part of
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the organisers of voluntary social work. Further, it will be necessary to induce agencies to agree to subordinate their individual interests to some extent and thus make collective effort possible not merely in the execution of programmes, but also in the economic and rational use of personnel. Such co-operation could also lead to joint effort in obtaining resources. Co-ordination need not involve on the part of the co-operating organisations loss of individuality or of freedom to organise and to carry out programmes. Co-ordination will have to be of two types-. In the first place, there may be functional co-ordination on the part of national organisations striving to achieve specific objectives like physical fitness, child welfare, youth welfare, social education, community Organisation, etc. Secondly, there may be effective co-ordination of effort on the part of agencies functioning in the same regional area or community, so that the various agencies may serve each area through a common pool of activities.
TRAINING FOR SOCIAL WORK 19. The contribution which social services make will depend to a considerable extent upon personnel and leadership. A general understanding of the philosophy and history of social work, the structure and functions of society, the nature and extent of social problems, the methods and techniques of social work, and of the details of the programmes and how best their results may be assessed, will help improve the quality and efficacy of all services organised by State and private agencies. The training of social workers should of course include knowledge of conditions prevailing in fields in which they are to work, and social workers must possess the spirit of service and the character and energy to execute programmes despite handicaps and limitations and with such resources as may be readily available.
20. There are several schools of social work in India and the setting up of some other institutions on similar lines is being contemplated in some of the States. There are important problems involved in these institutions which require specially qualified and experienced personnel, careful selection of candidates for training., special training for fields in which there is scope for employment, and adequate opportunities for field-work experience. Trained social workers are needed in large numbers for rural areas. It should be possible for the existing schools of social work to draw students from rural areas and to arrange for their training in the field in selected centres organised by rural welfare agencies. Universities and colleges in or near rural areas could also develop training programmes for rural welfare. Agricultural colleges ,could introduce intensive social welfare courses and field-work programmes as part of their curricula. Similar institutions with greater emphasis on social anthropology could be created in tribal, areas.