Concept of Adequate Means of Livelihood in the Indian Constitution

Introduction

Every human has a basic right to have access to basic human amenities and necessities. They are the basics that the government has to provide to its citizens. The welfare of society depends on this basic necessity. Food to eat, clothes to wear, and a house or shelter to live in, along with education for children in modern times, is the most important necessity for a citizen of a country. The citizens are always provided legal consultation by various Legal aid services of the government too.  

• Every government must incorporate these necessities in their welfare policy; the same has been incorporated in the Indian constitution under the directive principles of the state policy. 
• An adequate means of livelihood has also been given as one of the duties which has to be fulfilled by the state while making public policies.  
  

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Adequate means of livelihood in the Indian constitution under Article 39 

The constitution of India talks about the duties of the state, which should be followed or to be taken into consideration while forming policies for the welfare of the citizens. In article 39, there are various guidelines mentioned; among them, one is also the responsibility of the government to provide adequate means of livelihood to the citizens. 

• Article 39a talks about the right of every citizen in the country to have adequate means of livelihood, irrespective of their gender. In this article, the constitution has talked about the importance of adequate means of livelihood and necessities for the welfare of the state. The government has the responsibility to provide these adequate means of livelihood. 
• Article 39b talks about the socialist use of all the resources which are within the country in such a way that they can fulfill the common goal of the society. The state has the responsibility to use the resources in such a manner that it is utilized in the most effective way to provide adequate means of livelihood. 
• Article 39c says that the government should make the policy in such a way that the distribution of the wealth within the society of the state should not be in such a way that all the wealth or the major portion of it is under the control of one part of the society. The state should have the responsibility to maintain the equal distribution of wealth among the citizens and to provide adequate means of livelihood. 
• Article 39d talks about gender neutrality in terms of working and payment. The government should ensure that in the state, equal payment is given to the equal amount of work done by individuals. No discrimination in the payment of work based on gender, age, caste, and religion, to provide adequate means of livelihood. 
• Article 39e talks about the exploitation which is done by the employers of the employee at the workplace; in this article, it is given that the government has the responsibility of ensuring that there should be no exploitation of the worker, especially in the cases of children and women by the employers be it mentally or physically, this has been incorporated to provide adequate means of livelihood to the citizens. 
  

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Various Schemes by the Government to provide Adequate means of Livelihood to the Citizens of the Country

The Government of India, after taking the consideration of the directive principle of the state policy given in article 39 of the Indian Constitution, has tried to uplift the marginalized people in the society.

To provide adequate means of livelihood by launching various schemes to fulfill the idea of making the welfare state as per the constitutional values.

Some of the important schemes which provide adequate means of livelihood, which we will discuss here

• Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Man Dhan Yojana– this scheme is for providing adequate means of livelihood to the rickshaw pullers, taxi drivers, roadside vendors, and the daily wages who are involved in day-to-day and seasonal businesses. They mostly migrated people from villages to cities in search of work and employment. 
• Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana– this scheme is for the upliftment of the people who are unskilled or not able to get employment due to lack of education or other in this scheme the government tries to bring them under one roof and tries to skill them to give them an adequate means of livelihood. 
• Aam Aadami Bima Yojana– to provide every person a better health care insurance and facility which comes under the provision of adequate means of livelihood the government has brought this scheme to give health insurance to the poor and the needy citizens of the country. 
• Atal Beemit Viyakti Kalyan Yojana– to provide adequate means of livelihood to the people who were earlier employed but due to some issues become unemployed for example during the times of the Covid lockdown. So to protect the welfare of these people the government has brought this scheme. 
• Centre Sector Scheme For Rehabilitation Of Bonded Laborers– to provide the educational means of livelihood to the laborers who are bound in their employment, the government has broadened the scheme for their rehabilitation.  
• Grant In Aid Scheme For The Welfare Of women To NGOs– to provide adequate means of livelihood to the women of the country the government has brought the grant in the scheme for the NGOs to work in the welfare and empowerment of the female community.
• Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana– the National health insurance scheme by the government of India is an example of providing adequate means of livelihood to the citizens. 
  

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Conclusion

In the constitution of India the directive principles of the state policy act as guidelines for the state which they have to consider while making policies for the welfare of the state. Article 39 talks about one such directive principle of the state policy: adequate means of livelihood. 

The government also provides free legal consultation to people in need. 

• Also, the government has the responsibility to provide basic amenities and employment to the citizens of the country.
• It means the government has the responsibility only to provide food, shelter, and clothing to every citizen of the country.