Social Legislation, Concept and Objecives.

Concept of Social Legislation

Legislation is an instrument to control, guide, and restrain the behavior of individuals and groups living in society. Individuals and groups left in absolute freedom may clash with each other in the pursuit of their self-interest at the cost of others. They cause grave harm to society leading to chaos.

Legislation is one of the many institutions which controls and directs individual action into desirable channels. Others being social customs, traditions, religious prescription, etc. Law is a vast subject having many branches. In a broad sense, all laws are social in character, in a narrow sense only those laws that are enacted for the purpose of social welfare are categorized as social legislation. There are several types of legislation such as taxation, corporate, civil, criminal, commercial, etc. 

The objective of Social Legislation

1.  Removal of discrimination on the grounds of sex, religion, caste, class etc. and promotion of equality to all.
2. Safeguard the rights of the weaker section such as women, children, elderly, widows, destitute, and the backward classes.
3. Eradication of traditional malpractices and social evils such as untouchability, dowry, child marriage, female infanticide etc
4. Provision of Social Security.

The legislation defines any law enacted for bringing social changes like mitigate evils beliefs, the welfare of the society, or bring an institutional change that is categorized in social legislation. Other aspects it signifies, the law is designed to improve and protect the social and economic position of the vulnerable groups in the society and it helps to strengthen them from discriminations. The social legislation basically lies in our constitutional documents.

Social problems like family problems, molestation, child marriage, immoral trafficking, juvenile delinquency, and many social issues are structured our legislation system. Social workers are the people who address these problems in depth. Social workers have knowledge and skills in which they can sustain the balance with those marginalized people who are dame care to get their accessibility. Social the legislation is needed for-

1. Ensure social justice.
2. Bringing desired change in social and economic aspects.
3. Eradicating on social problems, malpractices, mitigate evils, old outdated customs, discrimination, and social inequalities.
4. Bringing social reform.
5. Promoting social welfare.
6. Protecting and promoting of human rights to wreakers, voiceless, underprivileged groups.

Social legislation as a tool of social change

Some people says social legislation doesn’t bring itself social change, because social legislation to be implemented. Social legislation serves as a social change through people, social institutions, and by the efforts of many others including social work professionals. Social legislation may be in various natures.

For people’s wellbeing we have to change the people’s mindset, the situation there what social work come for connectivity between social work and social legislation directly.

Social legislation is an important area of the study for the social work profession where, they understand, study learned, and interacts with their situation. Social worker not necessarily is a lawyer to solve the social problem of their clients rather he/she needs to know certain principles to solve their problems.

Legislation related to Woman

1. Immoral Traffic Prevention act of 1956.
2. Dowry prohibition Act of 1961.
3. Indecent Representation of Women Act 1990.
4. The national commission for women act of 1990.
5. Protection of women from domestic violence Act of 2005.
6. The protection of Women against sexual harassment at the workplace Act 2013.

1. Juvenile Justice Act of 2000.
2. The child labor Prohibition and Regulation act of 1986.
3. The infant milk Substitutes, feeding bottles and infant foods Regulation, supply, and distribution act 1992.
4. The commissions for protection of child rights act in 2005.
5. The prohibition of child marriage act of 2007.
6. The right of children to free and compulsory Education act 2009.
7. Protect children from sexual offenses Act of 2012.
8. Pre-natal Diagnostic techniques Regulation and Prevention of misuse Act of 1994.

Legislation Related to Health

1.  Drugs and magic Objectionable advertisement act in 1954.
2. The Medical Termination of pregnancy Act, 1971.
3. Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic substances act 1985.
4. The Mental health Act of 1987.
5. The pre-conception and pre-natal diagnostic techniques Act of 1994.

Legislation related to Weaker Sections and minorities

1. The Protection of Civil rights act 1955.
2. The scheduled castes and the scheduled Tribes prevention of Atrocities act 1989.
3. The Prohibition of employment as Manual scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.

Legislation Related to Correctional Services

1. The Probation of offenders act in 1958.
2. The juvenile justice care and Protection of Children act 2000 
3. Prison Act.
4. Jail manual- parole, furlo, leave.
5. Criminal penal code.

Legislation Related to senior citizens, disabled

1.  Legislation related to senior citizens: The maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens act 2007.
2. Legislation related to Persons with Disabilities: Persons with disabilities. Equal opportunities, protection of Rights and Full Participation Act 1995.
3. The National trust for the welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities act in 1999.

 Some other important Legislation

1. Related to Human rights: The protection of Human rights Act 1993
2. Related to Environment: The Environment Protection Act 1986
3. Related to Good governance: The Right To Information Act 2005
4. Related to employment Security: The MNREG act 2005
5. Related to Food Security The National food Security act 2013

A healthy nation always needs a strong Legislation Policy for the better development of its society. A social worker needs to learn the legislation of that country to help the needy for getting their rights. The legislation is a vast topic that needs to be explained thoroughly. I will come up with many new topics where I will explain in detail of the act.