New Delhi, February 4 (IANS). Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur said at the 64th edition of the United Nations Commission on Social Development (CSOCD) in New York, USA that social justice is central to India’s developed India goals.
Savitri Thakur led the Indian delegation during the discussions at the UN and emphasized on rights-based, inclusive and people-centric development approaches. “Social justice remains central to India’s national vision of ‘Develop India 2047’,” he said.
The Copenhagen Declaration placed people at the center of development and the Doha Political Declaration reaffirmed this commitment amid emerging global challenges. Referring to this, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur said that India’s governance philosophy of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ reflects the vision of the entire government and the entire society to ensure respect, equality and opportunity for all.
Highlighting India’s massive social protection and inclusive measures, Thakur said more than 800 million people are covered under food security programmes. More than 550 million citizens access free health care through a large network of health and wellness centres.
Apart from this, affordable medicines and medical devices are also provided through 16,000 Jan Arogya Kendras. More than 1.45 million elected women representatives serve in local governance, demonstrating India’s commitment to grassroots democracy.
Major initiatives like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana are strengthening girls’ education and financial security. Labor reforms are promoting equal pay, safe workplace and women’s participation in the workforce in the country. Additionally, large-scale unsecured loans have helped millions of women, entrepreneurs and street vendors enter the formal economy.
Targeted schemes like Smile are helping in the rehabilitation and inclusion of transgender people and other vulnerable groups. “India’s growth journey integrates digital public infrastructure, direct benefit transfer and citizen engagement, ensuring transparency and last-mile delivery,” Thakur said.
Reiterating India’s civilizational philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the world is one family’, Savitri Thakur expressed India’s readiness to share its development experience and strengthen global partnerships to advance social justice across the world.
–IANS
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