Features of Article 16 Of The Indian Constitution
- Equality of opportunity: All citizens must be provided with equal employment opportunities.
- Prohibition of discrimination: Discrimination is prohibited by the State in terms of public employment based on caste, race, region, and residency.
- Exceptions to equality: The State may make any provisions for the reservation of appointments or postings in favor of any underprivileged class of citizens who are not sufficiently represented in the State’s services.
- Non-citizens: The citizens that are from other states or from another county may get subjected to various rules related to public services. Hence, Article 16 is not applicable to them.
- Power of Parliament: Parliament has the authority to enact laws in order to give the provisions of Article 16 legal force.
Article 16 of Indian Constitution
Article 16 of the Constitution of India, states that equality for all employment opportunities for the citizens of the country without making any discrimination based on their caste, religion, profession, and region of residence. Article 16 makes sure that citizens must be provided with government as well as private opportunities regardless of their economic background. Additionally, Article 16 gives the State the power to establish rules for the reserve of appointments or positions in favor of any underrepresented group of citizens. The clause permits the State to implement affirmative action in order to advance social justice and pull up the historically oppressed lower strata of society.
The key provisions of Article 16 are as follows:
- Equal employment opportunities must be provided for all citizens.
- No citizen must be discriminated against on the basis of sex, caste, region, or religion.
- The State may make provisions for the reservation of appointments or posts in favor of any backward class of citizens, which, in the opinion of the State, are not adequately represented in the services under the State.
- Nothing in this article shall prohibit the State from providing for the reservation of positions in favor of any economically underprivileged groups of persons.
Contact Us