Maharashtra SSC Social Service Grade key terms

Six groups of rights guaranteed by Part III of the Indian Constitution, including equality, freedom, and protection from exploitation, which courts can enforce against the State.

Guidelines in Part IV of the Constitution directing the State towards welfare goals such as adequate livelihood, education, and assistance to the aged, sick, and disabled; not directly enforceable in court.

Constitutional guarantee that no person shall be deprived of life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law; courts have read into it the right to dignity, livelihood, health, and shelter.

Directive Principle requiring the State to promote the educational and economic interests of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and weaker sections, and to protect them from social injustice and exploitation.

Policy of giving special treatment to historically disadvantaged groups so that formal equality becomes real equality; the basis for reservations in education, employment, and welfare schemes.

Statutory allotment of a share of seats or posts to identified backward categories, implemented in Maharashtra through rules for SC, ST, VJNT, OBC, and related groups in education and public employment.

Criterion excluding better-off members of a backward class from reservation benefits, applied to OBCs and some other categories, based on income, property, and status tests.

Official document issued by the competent authority confirming a person's membership of a listed caste or tribe, required to claim reservation, scholarships, and other benefits under welfare schemes.

Certificate issued by the scrutiny committee after verifying a caste claim, giving final legal confirmation of caste status, especially for employment, education, and election candidature.

Formal application to a High Court or the Supreme Court seeking a direction to protect fundamental rights, filed under Articles 32 or 226 of the Constitution.

Court case brought by any public-spirited person or organisation on behalf of people unable to approach the court themselves, used widely to enforce the rights of the poor and marginalised.

Free legal advice, representation, and assistance provided to poor or disadvantaged persons under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, through district and state legal services authorities.

People's court that settles disputes by conciliation and compromise, with its award treated as a decree of a civil court; used for small, family, and welfare-related matters.

Fair distribution of rights, opportunities, and resources across groups, aiming to remove inequalities arising from caste, class, gender, disability, and region.

Principle of treating people according to their differing needs so that outcomes become fair, rather than applying identical treatment to everyone regardless of disadvantage.

Process by which certain groups are pushed to the margins of society and denied full access to services, decision-making, and dignity, often on the basis of caste, gender, or disability.

Process of enabling individuals and communities to gain confidence, skills, information, and control over decisions that affect their lives, rather than merely receiving benefits passively.

Social work method in which a worker helps an individual or family, through a professional relationship, to understand and resolve personal or social difficulties.

Social work method using planned group activities and interaction so that members support one another and develop skills, confidence, and social functioning.

Social work method of bringing residents together to identify shared problems, plan collective action, and build local organisations that can press for services and rights.

Organised effort by a group or community to change unjust policies or practices, often through mobilisation, advocacy, and negotiation with authorities.

Speaking up with or on behalf of a person or group to secure entitlements, influence policy, or challenge decisions, while respecting the client's own wishes and choices.

Way of working in which beneficiaries take part in planning, implementing, and reviewing programmes instead of being treated as passive recipients of services.

Framework treating welfare as enforceable entitlements of citizens, with duty holders obliged to deliver them, rather than as charity or discretionary help.

Initial stage of social work intervention in which the worker gathers information about the client's situation and needs, decides whether the agency can help, and plans further action.

Public review of a programme's records and performance by the community it serves, used to check whether entitlements were actually delivered and to demand correction.

Model of government that accepts responsibility for the basic well-being of citizens through laws, services, and income support, including care for the poor, aged, and disabled.

Organised services and provisions meant to meet the basic needs of vulnerable groups such as children, women, the aged, the disabled, and persons in distress.

Sections at greater risk of poverty, neglect, or discrimination, including children, women in distress, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and marginalised communities.

Residential service in which a welfare institution provides shelter, food, protection, and rehabilitation to persons who cannot be supported within their own families.

Support provided to a person while they remain in their own family or community, such as foster care, sponsorship, day care, or home-based assistance.

Written plan prepared for each resident of a welfare institution, setting out goals, services, and review dates for that person's care and rehabilitation.

Official periodic visit and examination of a welfare institution's records, living conditions, and services to check compliance with standards and to recommend corrections.

Principle that government decisions, rules, and spending should be open to public scrutiny, supported by disclosure, records, and the Right to Information.

Obligation of public officials and institutions to answer for their decisions and use of resources, and to accept correction when performance falls short of duty.

Statutory right under the Right to Information Act, 2005, allowing any citizen to seek information from public authorities within fixed time limits, with limited exemptions.

Three-tier system of elected local government at village, block, and district levels, created by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, with reserved seats for SC, ST, and women.

Body of all registered voters in a village, empowered to approve plans, scrutinise spending, and select beneficiaries under several welfare schemes.

Transfer of powers, functions, and funds from state-level departments to local bodies so that decisions are taken closer to the people affected.

Scheme giving monthly financial assistance to a family or institution so that a child can continue education and care while living in the community.