List of Current Social Issues in India [Latest]

Last Updated : 09 Oct, 2023

Social Issues in India: The Social Issues in India or any other nation are undesirable events or circumstances that the entire community or a certain sector of the population opposes. Social issues, social conflict, and social evil are other names for issues related to society in India that constantly challenge the principles of social justice and economic justice established by the Constitution of India. Achieving the Constitution’s ideal goal of ensuring justice and equality for all citizens remains an essential objective in resolving these important societal concerns in India in 2023. The founding fathers of India were willing to address the Social Issues of India by framing the constitution consequently.

In this article we are going to discuss

The social issues in India include the complex blending of various cultures, people, faiths, and languages that may have originated anywhere but are now a part of one large country. Due to its depth and diversity, Indian society gives off a distinct sense of a prospering and varied cultural nation. But along with such complexity comes a complicated environment of societal issues and challenges.

Additionally, every culture in the world deals with particular socioeconomic issues. This is also true in Indian society as social Issues of India. A variety of social issues in India must be adequately addressed if social and economic fairness is to be ensured for all citizens. The founders of India wanted to address the socioeconomic issues facing the nation through the constitution.

India is a developing nation with religious roots that is also impacted by Westernization. The following difficulties that modern India has to deal with are among the top ten social issues in India.

Here is the List of Top 10 Social Issues In India In Curren ear.

Healthcare
Pollution
Overpopulation
Safety of Women
Illiteracy
Basic education
Poor Sanitation facilities
Poor Infrastructure
High unemployment
Corruption

The list below provides a general classification of the principal social issues in India:

Gender Issues in India
Poverty Issues in India
Caste Issues in India
Migration
Health Issues in India
Education Issues in India
Other Issues

Let’s understand the major social issues in India in detail using data from the government and facts and numbers.

1. Gender Issues in India

In India gender issues, discrimination against women is nothing new. Women have been mistreated like slaves and denied fundamental civic rights ever since the country’s independence was declared. Recently, the Indian government has taken a number of steps to improve the plight of women, especially in the rural and underprivileged areas of society, as a country cannot operate at 100% efficiency while only 50% of its workforce, i.e., males, are employed. Some of the gender-related issues are:

The Gap in Gender Parity

India dips 28 ranks to 140th in the recently issued WEF Global Gender Gap Index for 2021.
The Economic Survey 2017–18 study states that there are 63 million missing women in India. Women who are missing are those who have died as a result of infanticide or feticide.
The pandemic has reportedly affected women more severely than men. Policies are required in fields like artificial intelligence and blockchain as well as in developing ones like healthcare, information technology, education, and agriculture, all of which have significant female participation.

Unpaid Work by Women

Several political parties recently pledged to pay women for unpaid household tasks in their election manifestos. Women make up 75% of the whole unpaid population, per a McKinsey analysis. Less than half of the global average, or 17% of the GDP, in India is contributed by women.
By advancing infrastructure and technology, bringing some unpaid labor into the mainstream economy, and providing women with basic amenities, it has the ability to lessen the constraints that women face.
By giving men various incentives and disincentives, it might also redistribute labor between men and women. These actions will provide women with additional opportunities and more free time.
Older women (60 years and older) receiving pension income may receive better compensation for their unpaid work.

Muslim Women’s Right to File for Divorce/Triple Talaq

The authority of Muslim women to file for divorce was clarified in a recent judgment by a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court. The conditions issue in a Khula divorce that the wife initiated was being heard by a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court.
The legal question before the court was a Muslim wife’s entitlement to an uncontested, extrajudicial divorce against her husband if she decides to leave the marriage for reasons she believes are acceptable.
Triple talaq is prohibited in several nations with majorities of Muslims.
The Triple Talaq Bill, which the Indian government passed in an effort to give women equality and justice, declares that all talaq declarations, whether made orally or in writing, are now void.

Sexual Harassment at Workplace

The Sexual Harassment at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act was passed by the government in 2013 with the goal of defending the rights of women in all occupations.

2. Poverty Issues in India

The issues associated with poverty are described in detail below:

Although the economy has clearly shown evidence of growth over the past 20 years, this growth has not been uniforming across all industries or regions. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have slower growth rates than Gujarat and Delhi.
Nearly half of the population lacks access to adequate sanitation facilities, adequate roads, and a secondary school in their villages. Communities also lack a reliable water source.
The government-designated organizations do not even maintain a list of the poor in some societal segments, like as Dalits. They belong to socially and economically disadvantaged groups.
The system of government subsidies, which has leaks in the distribution network, exacerbates and further complicates the issue.

Examples of Poverty Challenges in Indian Society:

Only 73 million people, as of May 2018, were ranked among the lowest of the poor, according to a World Bank Brookings Institute estimate.
The study found that every minute, 44 people in India are pulled out of poverty.
If the current growth rate is maintained, 50 million people will be able to transcend poverty in 2022.

3. Caste Issues in India

The Social Issues in India associated with caste are described in detail below:

Lynchings

The bulk of lynchings were committed because of problems involving cattle.
Attacks are typically based on rumors.
To avoid harm being done to societal cohesion, this must be halted.
The Ministry of Electronics and IT has warned WhatsApp to take action to curb the spread of bogus messages and is holding the network accountable.

Census Based on Caste

A census is a methodical process used to collect and record information on the caste-based breakdown of India’s population.
To strengthen the planning and targeting of welfare programs and to defend the continuation of caste-based affirmative action initiatives should be taken and in order to support the current levels of quota required by the Supreme Court for groups like the OBC with verifiable facts.
If some groups develop to dominate in certain regions, to favor political parties, measures should be taken against issues like the disproportionate benefits that some people within each category receive from reservations.

Inequality within Intermediate Castes

The Supreme Court recently struck down a Maharashtra law that gave the Maratha minority preference in government hiring and admissions.
The Marathas should not be considered a socially and educationally disadvantaged community, the court said. Recognizing the increasing socioeconomic segregation within the dominant castes in this situation is crucial.
In terms of wealth and political influence, the Marathas belonged to a dominant caste.

Broadcasting and Information Advisory

In accordance with the orders of the Bombay High Court and the Madhya Pradesh High Courts, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has issued a warning that the word “Dalit” may no longer be used. This is due to the fact that neither the Indian Constitution nor any laws contain any use of the word.
Another instruction to only use the phrase “Scheduled Castes” came from the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry.

4. Migration

Migration is another major social issue in India. It is described in detail below:

Changing Patterns of Migration

Frequent migration from rural to urban areas of India for greater work opportunities is a major social issue.
This changing pattern of migration is leading to overpopulation and poor living conditions in urban areas.
Also, as a result of climatic causes people are forced to cross borders or move inside their own countries. Climate-induced migration is also growing frequently.

Situation of Migrants

Low-paying jobs with little job security is a major issue for migrant workers.
Many migrant workers live in overcrowded, poor-quality housing in urban slums, on construction sites without access to basic necessities like clean water and sanitary facilities.
In urban areas, discrimination and violence against migrants make it difficult for them to adjust socially and culturally.
Their vulnerability was highlighted by the COVID-19 epidemic when lockdowns left many migrant workers stranded without employment, housing, or food.

5. Health Issues in India

The availability of healthy human resources is essential for a nation’s long-term progress. The state of India’s health is becoming one of the country’s greatest societal challenges as a result of an unhealthy lifestyle and a failing environment.

The Effects of Air Pollution

India State-Level Illness Burden Initiative published a report where it stated that air pollution is a major factor responsible for premature deaths and illness burden of 26% population of the world.
Air pollution also leads to 1 in 8 deaths in India.
Poor air quality also causes cardio-pulmonary issues.

Drug and Substance Abuse

The community is frequently negatively impacted by drug usage. Drug misuse affects the economy, and education, and causes violence, financial hardships, housing problems, homelessness, and vagrancy. It also has an adverse effect on society as a whole.
On the other hand, medical professionals classify excessive alcohol use or alcoholism as a disease that is bad for the health of the user. Depression and inappropriate behavior can both be brought on by alcoholism.

Declining Fertility Rates in India

Data from the recently released National Family Health Survey 2019-20 (NFHS-5 empirical) show a sharp decline in fertility rates in States and UTs.
With the exception of Bihar, Manipur, and Meghalaya, fertility rates have decreased below the replacement norm of 2.1 children per woman.
In Lakshadweep and J&K, the TFR has significantly declined to 1.4 children per woman, substantially below the replacement threshold.
All seven northeastern states—aside from Manipur (2.2) and Meghalaya—have fertility rates that range from 1.1 in Sikkim to 1.9 in Assam (2.9).
The TFR in West Bengal, one of the states with the highest population, has dropped to 1.6 children.
Only 1.7 each are found in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh.
In Telangana and Kerala, the fertility rate stabilizes at 1.8 children per woman.
Even in Bihar, where the TFR is 3 compared to 3.4 in NFHS-4 (2015–16), there has been a proportional decline in fertility.

6. Education Issues in India

The Social issues in india associated with education are described in more detail below:

Higher Education in Regional Languages

The National Education Policy (NEP) gave regional language instruction a high priority in both elementary and higher education.
For the following academic year, it led 14 engineering colleges to start offering technical courses in five Indian languages.
Demand for educational materials in vernacular languages has increased on platforms like YouTube.
Numerous edtech companies are also making inroads into this market.

Foreign Language Learning in Government Schools

The chief minister of Punjab, Amarinder Singh, has directed the department of education to look into all possibilities for giving foreign languages to students as electives in public schools.
Senior secondary courses in public schools will have access to Mandarin Chinese instruction, according to an earlier statement by Amarinder.
Because “China was emerging as the most significant neighbor” at the time, it was crucial to learn their language.
The Education Department started looking for qualified instructors, but the project never got off the ground.

Performance Grading Index

The Education Ministry’s Performance Grading Index (PGI) was most recently revised.
The Education Ministry published the first PGI in 2019 for the reference year 2017–18 to evaluate how well each state is doing with regards to educating children.
The objective is to help the states prioritize areas for intervention in school education.
To avoid the practice of one state improving substantially at the expense of another and labeling some as underperformers, states are only appraised, not rated.

7. Other Social Issues

Youth Suicide

According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, 26,476 students in India committed suicide between 2014 and 2016. Around 7,500 of them took their own lives as a result of failing various tests.
The education system in India is primarily to blame.
There aren’t enough jobs being created by the educational system.

FAQs on Social Issues in India

1. What are some social issues and problems?

Social issues involve elements like hunger, malnutrition, racism, unemployment, and unequal opportunities. Subpar living conditions, employment discrimination, and child abuse and neglect are also unacceptable. Social issues include factors like crime and drug addiction.

2. What are social issues?

Social issues, social conflict, or social evil are other names for issues related to society. It is an unfavorable social condition that is often unpleasant and whose persistence is harmful to society.

3. Why is poverty a social issue?

The lack of resources and income necessary to support sustainable livelihoods is only one aspect of poverty. It shows up as starvation and malnutrition, restricted access to healthcare and other necessities, social isolation and prejudice, and a lack of involvement in decision-making.

4. Is mental health a social issue?

Environmental factors turn mental health issues into a social problem because these diseases frequently result from:

abuse or neglect

being a victim of or witness to violence

lack of stability or assistance during childhood.

5. How are social issues caused?

Social difficulties or issues have more environmental and social causes than physiological ones. However, some behaviors of people or groups are so obvious that they are clearly linked to the causes of social issues.

6. What are the top 10 current social issues in India?

Here is the list of top 10 current social issues in India.

Corruption

High Unemployment

Pollution

Illiteracy

Poverty

Poor Sanitation

Safety of Women

Misinformation in Media

Gender Issues

Health Issues.

Suggest improvement

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