1. Introduction

Social problems arise out of social transformation and contradictions. Social problem pose an obstacle for the upliftment of the society and its economic progress. Through efforts made at micro-level by voluntary organizations, NGOs (Non-Government Organization), personal effort and efforts made at macro-level by government, social problems like atrocities against women in the form of sati, dowry etc. problem of unemployment and poverty, problem of untouchability and communalism etc. can be tackled. Defined in more detail, a social problem is:

1. A condition, real or imagined.

2. Judged undesirable by a considerable proportion of the members of a community.

3. Considered capable of improvement through com­munity action.

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4. About which there is major controversy over what new norms to be adopted.

2. Prostitution

Prostitution is the sale and purchase of sexual rela­tions. Prostitution is the practice of habitual or intermittent sexual union more or less promiscuous for mer­cenary inducement.

Prostitutes can be classified on the basis of their modus operandi for the purposes of prostitution which are as follows:

Brothel Prostitutes

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Their operations are carried on in a brothel or an organized ‘house of ill fame’ to which male customers come, and the brothel works under a ‘madam’.

Call Girl Prostitutes

Their place of operation is a hotel room or the apartment of the male customer. Generally she operates independently from her apartment or residence and is available on telephone.

Street or Public Prostitutes

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This type solicits customers on the streets and takes the customer to a place of assignation—a rooming house or hostel that charges a flat rate per assignation.

Unorganized Professional Prostitutes

The place of operation, amongst this category, is an apartment or a flat usually located in a decentralized area of the city which she either rents or lives in.

Other Types

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Clandestine forms of prostitution are also found in bars, massage parlours, amusement centres, dance clubs etc.- Some prostitutes work on a part-time basis as they are generally employed in other jobs.

According to feminists, prostitution is the by product of a male-dominated society.

Indication of the nature and forms of prostitution are available from the statistics relating to the implementation of the Suppression of Immoral Traffic in Women and Girls Act, 1956 as amended in 1978.

Measures to combat prostitution were undertaken in this country with the enactment of the Indian Penal Code of 1860. Sections 372 and 373 of the Code prevented induction of women under a certain age, against their wish into prostitution.

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In 1950, India signed the International Convention for the suppression of immoral traffic in women and girls. In pursuance of this, a Central Act known as the Suppression of Immoral Traffic in Women and Girls Act (1956) was passed by Parliament which replaced all the State and Special Acts.

Child Prostitution is a major social evil in our society. To contain the social evil of child prostitution, actions will be initiated under EX-Plan to make the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (as amended in 1986) more specific through amendments, to the problem of child prostitution and also make the punishment more stringent. The Central Advisory Committee on Child Prostitution, set up in 1994 at the instance of the Supreme Court, will be activated to review the situation from time to time and suggest effective steps in eradicating this social evil.

3. Dowry

The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, describes dowry as “any property or valuable security given or agreed to be given either directly or indirectly: (a) by one party to a marriage to the other party to the marriage, or (b) by the parents of either party to a marriage or by any other person, act or before or after the marriage, as consideration for the marriage.

This, however, excludes dower or ‘mahr’ in the case of person to whom the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) applies, and also wedding presents made at the time of a marriage to either party to the marriage in the form of cash, ornaments, clothes or other articles unless they are made as consideration for the marriage of said parties.”.

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Social tradition, performance of marriage rites and ceremonies, and above all the religious ideology of varadakshina (ritual gift-giving to the bridegroom) also dominate the average family, which feels that the custom of dowry cannot be bruished aside even under the pressures of modern society. Status consciousness and personal glo­rification, it is generally felt, are other major reasons for the preservation of the dowry ritual. Some families are able to establish it because they have unaccounted earnings and through huge dowry are also able to purchase a good match for their daughter.

Sometimes when parents of moderate means are unable to meet the abnormal demands of dowry, they marry their young daughter to an old man or to an unworthy person who does not ask for dowry. Such ill-assorted matches, or where the girl is constantly harassed for bringing less dowry, or has to remain a spinster because of dowry, lead to cases of mental breakdown, burning of brides, suicide or a continued unhappy married life, family tensions etc.

The Dowry Prohibiting (Amendment) Act, 1984 was passed to further plug some of the loopholes in the original Act which came into force with effect from 2nd of October, 1985.

4. Devadasis

The act of selling or donating one’s girl child as devadasi was prevalent in India at one point of time. But today except some minor incidents reported through news­papers, we don’t hear of devadasi-system existing.

The term ‘devadasi’ means the servant of God. It is also interpreted as the slave-servant of God, handmaiden of God, sacred slave girl, temple girl, temple dancer,- the harlot of the gods and temple courtesan. The term is also used in euphemistic sense to refer to women in the most ancient profession of the world, who claims to practice it under religious traditions and family custom. Hence, it was also known as ‘religious prostitution’.

The British Government took steps for the enactment of a law abolishing the system only after the World National Seminar was held during 1906-7, which had resolved to abolish prostitution in whatever form it existed.

In 1924, the Indian Penal Code was amended and Sections 372 and 373 declared the practice of dedicating girls to temples and objects of worship for the ultimate purpose of engaging them in prostitution as immoral. The Bombay Devadasi Protection Act, 1934, declared the performance of ceremo­nies for dedicating an unmarried woman to an idol or temple illegal and rendered the dedicator or abettor thereof liable to punishment-one year’s imprisonment or fine or both. In 1947, the Madras Province enacted the Devadasi (Prevention of Dedication) Act.

5. Beggary

Beggary is an old social problem having its origins in socio-religious values of societies. Giving alms to persons who had renounced the world was considered a noble act of religion.

Of late, the problem of begging by children has assumed an alarming proportion.

Causative factors behind begging:

(a) Economic Factors

Poverty arising from unemployment, indebtedness loss of source of livelihood; and destitution, arising from natural calamities like floods, earthquakes, cyclones etc.

(b) Religious factors

Religious sanction to beggary on special occasions; philanthropic attitude of the people; the general attitude towards life which inclines one to believe in destiny.

(c) Psychological factors

Unwillingness to work; preference for a life of drift; craving for easy means of livelihood; habit formation etc.

(d) Socio-cultural factors

Traditional and hereditary occupation; family disinte­gration and unwillingness of the extended family and the village community to provide help and support to needy; impairment of earning capacity of the breadwinner due to long illness, imprisonment or some other factor; desertion; abandonment; absence of welfare or community services to take care of the helpless, disabled, abandoned or destitute people; absence of social security.

(e) Physical factors

Impairment of capacity to work due to physical or mental handicap or ailment; old age etc.

(f) Other factors

Kidnapping or using children to beg or abetting and encouraging them to beg.

6. Legislation Against Beggary

The are certain sections in the Bombay Police Act, 1951, The Calcutta Police Act, 1866, the Calcutta Suburban Police Act, 1866, the Howrah Nuisances Act, 1866, and the Madras City Police Act, 1833, which provide for a fine or one month’s rigorous imprisonment or detention in a beggar’s home for persons found begging. There are several other Acts which prohibits begging like:

(a) Andhra Pradesh Prevention of Begging Act, 1977

(b) Assam Prevention of Begging Act, 1964

(c) Bihar Prevention of Beggary Act, 1951

(d) Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959

(e) Haryana Prevention of Beggary Act, 1959

(f) Himachal Pradesh and Prevention of Begging Act, 1979

(g) J and K Prevention of Beggary Act, 1960

(h) Karnataka Prohibition of Beggary Act, 1975

(i) Madhya Pradesh Bhiksha Vritti Nivaran Adhiniyam, 1973

(j) Punjab Prevention of Beggary Act, 1971

(k) Madras Prevention of Beggary Act, 1945

(1) Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Beggary Act, 1975

(m) Bengal Vagrancy Act, 1943

(n) Goa, Daman & Diu Prevention of Begging Act, 1972

The Government of India set up Committee in 1968 to study the problem of kidnapping of children and maiming them for purposes of begging.

The Committee suggested that stringent measures should be taken to deal with this problem by amending Section 363A(l) of the Indian Penal Code so that a minimum sentence of 3 years could be provided to make the law more effective and deterrent.

It was further emphasized that the definition of begging under Section 363 (4) (a) should be amended to make it more comprehensive in conformity with the anti-beggary legislation of some states and State Children Acts contain provisions in respect of begging, the Committee suggested that the relevant provisions of these acts should be examined in the context of Section 363 A of the Indian Penal Code.

7. Poverty and Unemployment

This is more of an economic problem which affects the social fabric as this may lead to burgeoning pressure on people affected by poverty and who are unemployed to indulge in crime, terrorism and other disruptive activities including drug-peddling, prostitution etc.

Both the problems can be reduced by the intervention of government.

The incidence of poverty expressed as percentage of people below the poverty line is observed to have declined from 56.4 per cent in 1973-74 to 37.3 per cent in 1993- 94 in rural areas and from 49 per cent in 1973-74 to 32.4 per cent in 1993-94 in urban areas.

For the country as a whole, the percentage of people below poverty line declined from 54.9 per cent in 1973-74 to 36 per cent, in 1993-94. However the number of poor in the country remained more or less stable at around 320 million due to rise in population. Poverty is related to inequality.

Under-employment is a prevalent problem in India, because of non-utilization of available resources. Of the annually employed persons, 6.1% seek additional work, of which 4.2% of the usually employed are looking for addi­tional work to supplement their income.

Employment increased at close to 2% per annum during the decade 1983 to 1993-94. In this period, incidence of Poverty, expressed at proportion of poor in population, reduced by 8.51%. Most of the states like West Bengal, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Gujarat, which have achieved reduction in poverty in one sense or the other have also, had a high level of productivity of male agricultural workers.

After Independence, the Central and state governments have adopted the following measures to reduce poverty : (i) Five Year Plans (2) Nationalization, (3) 20-point Programme and (4) IRDP,  NREP, Antyodaya and the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana programmes.

8. Untouchability

The existence of ‘Chaturvarna’ system in India since the Vedic Ages has led to exploitation of the Sudras by the Brahmins, Kshatryas and the Vaisyas. Untouchability is the outcome of such an orthodox and rudimentary system.

Religious and social reformers ‘like Buddha, Ramanand, Ramnuja, Chaitanya, Kabir, Nanak, Tukaram, Vivekananda and others made great efforts to eradicate it as far as possible. The Brahmo Samaj and the Arya Samaj, and other social organistions by propaganda, education and practical measures, did much to secure the social, religious political and cultural equality to them.

Dr. Ambedkar struggled to secure for them the social recognition and human and political rights. All India Harijan Sevak Sangh founded by Gandhiji in 1923 started numerous schools for the Harijans including residential vocational schools.

The Untouchability (Offences) Act 1955 was passed to enforce the law against untouchability.

Untouchability is a sin. It is a curse to our society. For the smooth progress of society, untouchability should be eradicated not only through policy measures of government but also by micro-level efforts of voluntary and cultural organizations.

9. Sati

In a patriarchal society like ours, the existence of woman is because of man. Woman can’t have- a separate existence. She is a slave who is an object of sex and pleasure. The hypocrisy of worshipping goddesses gets caught when we read the newspaper which reports of the death of women and girls because of atrocities done against them by men-folk.

A crusade against Sati system—a widow burning herself with the body of her dead husband, was launched by social reformers like Raja Rammohan Roy.

In 1829, Lord William Bentick, the then Governor-General of India had abolished it. Though the Widow Remarriage Act came into effect in 1856, social sanction for Widow Marriage took a long time to materialize because of the ingrained prejudices.

The story of self immolation of Roop Kanwar in 1987 raised hues from all over the world. The Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987 was passed by Parliament in December 1987, to provide for the more effective prevention of Sati and its glorification.

Other than all these problem, there is problem of corruption, crime etc. which can’t be discussed because of the vast specialities required to produce them.