CLASS 8
LAW AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Question 1
What are the advantages to foreign companies in
setting up production in India?
Solution:
India provides cheap labour compared to some other
countries. Wages paid to workers in foreign countries
are much higher than in India. For lower pay, foreign
companies can get long hours of work. Additional
expenses such as housing facilities for workers are also
fewer in India. Thus, foreign companies can save costs
and earn higher profits.
Question 2
Do you think the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy got
justice? Discuss.
Solution:
The victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy did not get
justice. The disaster was caused due to gross neglect of
safety measures by the management of the factory.
The government of India represented the people to
legally claim compensation for the affected people.
Question 3
What do we mean when we speak of law enforcement?
Who is responsible for enforcement? Why is
enforcement so important?
Solution:
1. When we speak of law enforcement, we mean
that the provisions of the law must be applied
to all and sundry without discrimination.
2. Government is responsible for law
enforcement.
3. Rights of workers and citizens to be protected.
With more industries being set up by
both Indians and foreign businesses,
there is a greater need for stronger
laws.
It is all the more important to
safeguard our environment.
Question 4.
How can laws ensure that markets work in a manner
that is fair? Give two examples to support your answer.
Solution:
Law can ensure that markets work in a manner that is
fair by ensuring the enforcement of the law in letter
and spirit.
Law against hoarding and black marketing
must be enforced in such a way that stringent
punishment is given to the violators of the law
and the hoarded goods must be forfeited.
Anti Child Labour Act must be enforced, not a
single child must be allowed to work in shops,
tea stalls, and restaurants.
Question 5
Write a paragraph on the various roles of the
government that you have read about in this unit.
Solution:
The common man is exploited in most societies. When
this happens it is the duty of the government to ensure
that social justice prevails and all the citizens can
establish their rights.
The government has passed many laws to guarantee
that workers are not exploited by unscrupulous
employers. Payment of Wages Act, 1936; Minimum
Wages Act, 1948; Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 is some
of the Acts that ensure that workers are not underpaid
and exploited.
The government has passed the Factories Act, 1948.
This Act regulates health, safety, welfare, and other
working conditions of workers in factories. It is
enforced by the State Governments through their
factory inspectorates.
The Consumer Protection Act ensures that the
consumer is not put to risk by the poor quality of
products such as electrical appliances, food, and
medicines. The Bureau of Indian Standards is a
government organization that oversees the quality of
products sold.
The government has also passed laws that ensure that
essential products such as food grains, sugar, and
kerosene are not highly-priced.
The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, was passed to
protect the environment and avert health hazards to
human beings.
Prohibition of Employment of Young Children protects
children from being exploited. No child who has not
completed his fourteenth year shall be required or
allowed to work in any factory.
The Trade Unions Act, 1926 provides for registration of
trade unions with a view to render lawful organisation
of labour to enable collective bargaining.
Question 6
How was the environment treated earlier? What has
been the change in perception?
Solution:
In 1984, there were very few laws to protect the
environment in India. These few laws were not
enforced strictly by the government. Industries
discharged their waste into water bodies and made it
unfit for consumption. The air was polluted with smoke
that bellowed from the factories.
This pollution proved to be a health hazard for the
people. The Bhopal disaster brought the issue of
environmental pollution into focus.
The existing laws did not protect the common man
from industrial disasters. Environmental activists
insisted on new laws which will protect all the citizens
from hazardous pollution of the environment. In
response to the demand by the activists and the public,
the government introduced new laws on environmental
safety.
According to the new laws imposed by the government
the polluter will be held accountable for the damage
done to the environment.
The Right to Life is a Fundamental Right under Article
21 of the Constitution and it includes the right to the
enjoyment of pollution-free water and air for full
enjoyment of life.
Question 7
What do you think the famous cartoonist R.K. Laxman
is trying to convey in this cartoon? How does it relate
to the 2006 law that you read about on page 125?
Solution:
The cartoon shows a young under privileged boy
carrying the books of a well-to-do boy who is off to
school. This reveals that the boy who is less than 14
years of age has been employed by the woman seen in
the picture.
The cartoon emphasizes that young children are being
exploited at workplaces. They are made to work for
long hours for very little wages. These children are
being denied basic education which is very essential for
them.
This is a violation of the Child Labour Prevention Act
that was passed by the government in 2006. No child
who has not completed his fourteenth year shall be
required or allowed to work in any factory. The
government has passed certain laws that will protect
these children from being exploited.
