Human Rights and Welfare in Practice - Case Studies.
Human Rights and Welfare in Practice
Case Studies
Case Studies: Human Rights and Welfare in Practice
Case Study 1: Right to Food and Public Distribution System (India)
India’s struggle with hunger and malnutrition led to one of the world’s largest rights-based welfare interventions: the Public Distribution System (PDS). Following sustained civil society activism and landmark Supreme Court judgments in the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) vs Union of India case, access to food was effectively linked to the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The enactment of the National Food Security Act (2013) converted welfare schemes into legal entitlements, guaranteeing subsidized food grains to nearly two-thirds of India’s population. This case illustrates how judicial intervention, constitutional rights, and welfare delivery can converge to address structural deprivation. While challenges like leakages and exclusion errors remain, the rights-based approach strengthened accountability and dignity in welfare provisioning.
Case Study 2: Right to Education Act (India)
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 operationalized Article 21A of the Indian Constitution, making education a fundamental right for children aged 6–14 years. This marked a shift from education as a policy goal to education as a legal entitlement.
The Act mandated minimum infrastructure standards, teacher qualifications, and inclusion of disadvantaged children in private schools through reservation quotas. Although implementation gaps persist, especially in learning outcomes, the RTE Act demonstrates how welfare policies anchored in human rights can expand access, reduce social exclusion, and promote intergenerational mobility.
Case Study 3: Manual Scavenging and Human Dignity (India)
The continued existence of manual scavenging exposed a severe violation of human dignity, equality, and the right to life. Despite legal prohibitions, marginalized communities—primarily from Dalit backgrounds—remained trapped in hazardous sanitation work.
The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, along with Supreme Court directives, emphasized rehabilitation, compensation, and alternative livelihoods as rights rather than charity. This case highlights how welfare without effective enforcement and social transformation can fail, underscoring the need for dignity-centered, rights-based welfare interventions.
Case Study 4: Universal Healthcare and the NHS (United Kingdom)
The National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom is a prominent global example of the right to health being realized through a universal welfare model. Established in 1948, the NHS provides healthcare services free at the point of delivery, funded through taxation.
The NHS reflects the principle that access to healthcare should depend on need rather than ability to pay. Despite financial pressures and systemic challenges, it remains a powerful demonstration of how welfare institutions can operationalize human rights at a national scale.
Case Study 5: Social Security and the Nordic Welfare Model (Global)
Nordic countries such as Sweden, Norway, and Denmark are often cited as exemplars of integrated human rights and welfare systems. These nations emphasize universal social security, gender equality, free education, comprehensive healthcare, and strong labor protections.
Their model shows that high levels of human development, economic competitiveness, and social trust can coexist with extensive welfare systems. Human rights principles of equality, non-discrimination, and dignity are embedded in governance and public policy.
Case Study 6: Apartheid and Human Rights Violations (South Africa)
Under apartheid, South Africa institutionalized racial discrimination, denying basic civil, political, and socio-economic rights to the majority population. The post-apartheid constitution (1996) is now considered one of the most progressive in the world, explicitly guaranteeing socio-economic rights such as housing, health, food, water, and social security.
The South African experience demonstrates how constitutional human rights, combined with welfare commitments, can be tools for historical redress, reconciliation, and inclusive nation-building, though inequalities still persist.
* More such case studies will be updated soon.
👉 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
👉 Human Rights and Welfare in the Indian & International Context and NGO's role, Challenges faced.
👉 Human Rights and Welfare in Practice - Case Studies.
👉 Emerging and Recent Challenges: AI, Surveillance, and Climate Justice
👉 Future Directions & conclusion of Human rights and human welfare
TALENTS INFINITE TALENTS (TIT).
“Be the change you want to see Universally,”
👉 YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/@TalentsInfiniteTalents
👉 EMAIL : talents.infinite.talents@gmail.com
👉 WHAT’S APP NUMBER: +91 8681095579
.png)
.jpeg)
.png)
.png)
Comments
Post a Comment