About the BookAt the tenth SAARC Summit, it was agreed that an inter-governmental social charter for South Asia under the aegis of SAARC would be prepared. Following this, a non-governmental think tank, the South Asian Centre for Policy Studies (SACEPS), took the initiative of preparing a citizens? social charter for South Asia, based on the national citizens? social charters of the member countries. In India, the Council for Social Development formulated the citizens? social charter after two national-level consultations. The development of the social charter was an open, inclusive and participatory process, involving civil society, academic communities and research institutes?all with a strong commitment to the concerns of the deprived. A Social Charter for India: Citizens? Perspective of Basic Rights presents the charter that was born of these deliberations. This book, the only one of its kind, is divided into two parts. Part One contains 10 chapters, each written by an eminent scholar. Two of these chapters highlight the basic rights of Indian citizens based on the Constitution of India; Supreme Court judgments; and the international declarations, conventions and covenants that India is a signatory to. The remaining eight chapters contain a succinct summary of the current situation in India in areas of social development such as health, education, environment, women, children, other weaker sections of society, social integration and governance; and make suggestions on the rights and entitlements of the citizens of India in each of these areas. These papers, presented during the consultations, cover the rights of all citizens, across all sections of society. Part Two contains the text of the ?social charter?, developed on the basis of discussions on these papers during the consultations, and chapters on the right to development and on implementation and monitoring of the charter.ContentsPART ONE A Social Charter for India Conceptualising the India Social Charter Health Situation in India Education: A Right Consciously Betrayed Empowerment of Women Child Rights and the Protection of Children Towards a Social Charter for the Environment Socio-economic Empowerment of the Weaker Sections of the Society Social Integration: Role of the State and Civil Society Agenda for Governance in India PART TWO Right to Development Citizens? Social Charter for India Implementation and Monitoring of the Citizens? Social Charter About the EditorsMuchkund Dubey, President of the Council for Social Development, started his career as a lecturer in economics in Patna University and later joined the Indian Foreign Service. He served as High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva. He also worked for the UNDP for five years. He retired in November 1991 after serving as the Foreign Secretary to the Government of India. He then joined the School of International Studies, JNU, as Professor, where he taught for close to eight years. Professor Dubey has written a large number of articles, papers and chapters on international security and disarmament matters, international development cooperation, world-order issues, and social and economic development in India. He has edited three books, including Indian Society Today: Challenges of Equality, Integration and Empowerment; co-edited three books including Social Development in Independent India; and is the author of Unequal Treaty: World Trading Order after GATT. M. K. Jabbi is Director of the Council for Social Development. She obtained a master?s degree and Ph.D. in psychology from Ranchi University. She joined the Council for Social Development in 1980 as Associate Fellow, where she worked on almost two dozen projects on a wide range of subjects including literacy, education, health, population, and issues related to children, women and tribals. She has undertaken several evaluation studies in the field of literacy and has co-edited two books?Tribals in India: Development, Deprivation and Discontent and Status of Tribals in India: Health, Education and Deprivation. She was actively associated in the drafting of the Citizen?s Social Charter for India along with Professor Vina Mazumdar, C. P. Sujaya and Razia Sultan Ismail Abbasi.