Consider the following statements:
Statement-I:
Justice as mentioned in the Indian constitution means well-being of all people.
Statement-II:
Equal treatment is not the only principle of justice.
Statement-III:
Equal treatment needs to be balanced with the principle of proportionality

Which of the below is correct in respect of the above statements:
(a) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them Explain Statement-I
(b) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them Explain Statement-I
(c) Only One of the statements II and III are correct and that explains statement I
(d) Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct.

Question

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I:
Justice as mentioned in the Indian constitution means well-being of all people.
Statement-II:
Equal treatment is not the only principle of justice.
Statement-III:
Equal treatment needs to be balanced with the principle of proportionality

Which of the below is correct in respect of the above statements:
(a) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them Explain Statement-I
(b) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them Explain Statement-I
(c) Only One of the statements II and III are correct and that explains statement I
(d) Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct.

ONLiNE UPSC · Accepted Answer

Statement-I: This can be interpreted broadly to mean that justice in India aims for social, economic, and political well-being, ensuring a fair and just society for all its citizens. The Constitution guarantees justice through its Preamble and provisions like social justice, economic justice, and political justice.

Statement-II: This is correct because justice in the Indian context also includes distributive justice, corrective justice, and retributive justice, beyond just equal treatment. The Constitution's provisions such as affirmative action, reservation policies, and special treatment for marginalized groups (like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes) acknowledge that equal treatment alone might not be enough to achieve true justice, as historical inequalities exist.

Statement-III: This statement is also correct. In certain cases, the principle of proportionality is important to ensure justice. For example, the law should recognize that different groups may have different needs or face different challenges. Proportionality allows for measures that compensate for unequal starting points (e.g., reservations in education and jobs). It is used to ensure that affirmative actions or policies are fair and do not violate the principle of justice.
Statement-II and Statement-III both help explain Statement-I by providing a broader context for what justice means in India. Justice is not just about equal treatment (Statement-II), but also involves balancing that equality with proportional treatment to account for historical disadvantages (Statement-III). Hence, these two statements support and clarify the idea of well-being of all people in Statement-I.

Indian Constitution

Justice and Principles

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M Question 1	⏱ 0
Consider the following statements: Statement-I: Justice as mentioned in the Indian constitution means well-being of all people. Statement-II: Equal treatment is not the only principle of justice. Statement-III: Equal treatment needs to be balanced with the principle of proportionality Which of the below is correct in respect of the above statements: (a) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them Explain Statement-I (b) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them Explain Statement-I (c) Only One of the statements II and III are correct and that explains statement I (d) Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct.