To express opinions on a subject, we must first understand the concept of the same. What is the actual meaning of affirmative action? In short, affirmative action means taking positive steps to increase the representation of women and minorities in education, employment, and culture, which have historically been excluded. The concept of affirmative action was first proposed and signed by John F. Kennedy in 1961. Its main objective was to stop malicious acts of racism, which had segregated or broken up society into different opposition groups and fragments. The goal was to eliminate the concept of polarization with the help of constitutional authority and legitimacy. It basically aims to increase employment or educational opportunities considering an individual's caste, creed, race, religion, gender, or national origin, in order to increase opportunities for underrepresented parts of society. It can also be looked at as eliminating or bringing down discrimination against a particular set or group of people so that they can come to par with others.
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India has a long history of discriminatory practices. People are discriminated against on the basis of caste, race, class, religion, gender, etc. Castes continue to play a leading role in Indian soil. People belonging to lower castes face many problems. They face oppression from the dominant caste who consider themselves superior. They have no access to education or resources, which can help them improve their condition and move up the social ladder. Hence, they are unable to improve their status. As a result, these people are caught in a continuous cycle of poverty. Girls are still considered a burden. She is often deprived of basic rights and equal opportunities to lead a healthy childhood and adult life. According to the 2011 census, girls made up 48% of the total child population in India, many of whom were engaged in child labor, child trafficking, and child marriage. Patriarchal norms prevent many girls from striving for their dreams through quality education, and a general awareness of medical facilities and welfare. Coming to religion, there is a high chance that the majority might dominate the minority community.
This is where the concept of affirmative action comes into the scenario. Affirmative action as a protocol, aims to balance out the distance that everyone must cross to achieve their goals, in order to compensate for obstacles such as racism, sexism, and prejudice that might appear in any way or form. This is indisputably true. We can all agree that some groups of people or a section of society are prone to unfair disadvantages. Affirmation action can help these groups to improve their status and condition by providing them with equal opportunities. There are certain people who are of the opinion that the decline in equality is actually a decline in privileges, but in the real sense, it is a process of society moving closer to the ideal of equal opportunities.
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