CHAPTER – 10 LAW AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Table of Contents

CHAPTER – 10 LAW AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Answer the following questions:

Q.No.1) What is Minimum Wages Act?

Answer –

The Minimum Wages Act specifies that the wages of workers should not be below a specified minimum.

Q.No.2) Why is the Minimum Wages Act necessary?

Answer –

Many workers are denied fair wages by their employers. As they badly need work, workers have no bargaining power and are paid low wages. So, in order to protect the interests of workers, the Minimum Wages Act is necessary.

Q.No.3) Whose interest does the Minimum Wages Act protect?

Answer –

This law is meant to protect the interests of all workers, particularly, farm labourers, construction workers, factory workers, domestic workers, etc.

Q.No.4) What is the law against child labour in workplaces?

Answer –

The Constitution lays down “no child below the age of 14 years shall be employed to work in any factory or mines or engaged in any other hazardous employment”.

Q.No.5) What is the purpose of the online portal ‘PENCIL’?

Answer –

The platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour (PENCIL) is an online portal which is meant for filing complaints, child tracking, implementation and monitoring of the National Child Labour Project (NCLP).

Q.No.6) When did the Bhopal Gas Tragedy take place?

Answer –

The Bhopal Gas Tragedy took place at midnight on 2nd December 1984.

Q.No.7) Which gas was released in the Bhopal Gas Tragedy?

Answer –

Methyl-isocyanate (MIC)

Q.No.8) Why do foreign companies choose to set up their manufacturing unit in India?

Answer –

Foreign companies prefer to set up their manufacturing units in India due to the following reasons –

  1. for cheap labour.
  2. For lower pay, companies can get long hours of work.
  3. Additional expenses such as housing facilities for workers are also fewer.
  4. They do not need to maintain safer working facilities as they need to maintain in their own countries.

Thus, in this way, companies can save costs and earn higher profits.

Q.No.9) What is the role of the Government regarding social justice?

Answer –

The government is the lawmaker and enforcer regarding social justice.

The government is supposed to ensure that –

  1. safety laws are properly implemented.
  2. the Right to Life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution is not violated.

Q.No.10) What do we mean by law enforcement? Who is responsible for enforcement? Why is enforcement so important?

Answer –

Law enforcement means the implementation of laws.

Government is responsible for the enforcement of laws.

To maintain social justice and to protect the weaker section from the stronger ones, the enforcement of the law becomes a necessity.

Q.No.11) ‘A clean environment is a public facility’. Explain.

Answer –

Public facilities are the facilities that are meant to be provided to all. Education for all, proper healthcare facilities, proper sanitation, electricity, etc are some of the public facilities. Like all other facilities, everyone has the right to live in a cleaner environment.

The Right to Life is a Fundamental Right under Article 21 of the Constitution and it includes the right to the enjoyment of pollution-free water and air for the full enjoyment of life. As it is a fundamental right, so it becomes necessary for the government to provide a clean environment to all. Thus, a clean environment becomes a public facility.

Q.No.12) Why are companies and contractors able to violate environmental laws?

Answer –

Companies and contractors are able to violate environmental laws because –

  1. The safety laws are weak in India.
  2. Even these weaker laws are not enforced properly.
  3. Some Government inspectors do not work honestly and strictly.

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