GK Question

polity medium true_false

The Preamble's promise of 'equality of status and of opportunity' is operationalized through Fundamental Rights (Articles 14-18) and Directive Principles, requiring both formal equality (treating likes alike) and substantive equality (addressing historical disadvantages through affirmative action).

  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

Equality in Preamble and Constitution: (a) Equality of status: Legal equality before law (Article 14), abolition of untouchability (Article 17), abolition of titles (Article 18), (b) Equality of opportunity: (i) Article 16: Equality of opportunity in public employment, (ii) Reservation policies: Affirmative action for SC/ST/OBC to address historical disadvantage, (c) Formal vs. substantive equality: (i) Formal equality: Treating likes alike; prohibits arbitrary discrimination, (ii) Substantive equality: Recognizes that historical disadvantage requires differential treatment to achieve real equality; permits reasonable classification for affirmative action, (d) Applications: (i) Indra Sawhney (1992): Upheld OBC reservation with creamy layer exclusion as substantive equality, (ii) Davinder Singh (2024): Permitted sub-classification within SCs to ensure equitable benefit distribution, (e) Illustrates transformative equality: Preamble's equality promise not limited to formal neutrality but includes measures to remove structural inequalities; foundation for affirmative action, social justice policies.

Topic Preamble - Equality of Status and Opportunity
Exam Relevance Preamble equality concept frequently asked in UPSC and SSC exams