The Constituent Assembly took two years, eleven months and seven days to complete its historic task of drafting the Constitution of independent India. The Constituent Assembly consisted of 299 members. All the prominent leaders of the freedom movement were members of the Assembly. Some of the major ones were Dr Rajendra Prasad, Jawaharlal Nehru, K.M. Munshi and Sardar Patel.

Caste division is a special characteristic in India. It has not completely disappeared from India. Despite Constitutional prohibitions, untouchability is still continuing in India. The lower caste people are still backward in education as well as in their economic conditions. In modern India, like in the pre-independence period, the poor are mostly the low castes and the rich are the higher castes. All these show that inequalities are still continuing inspite of the vast development that India has achieved.

Groups of people, who may speak a certain language, follow a particular religion, live in specific region, etc. may be discriminated on the basis of their customs or languages and may be seen as inferior. Another difference is visible through their economic backgrounds, which further adds to their inequality. People who are poor do not have the resources or money to meet their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. They experience discrimination in offices, hospitals, schools, etc.

Mahars were the poor people who owned no land. They lived in the outskirts of villages and were not allowed to enter into villages. Mahars were the largest untouchable caste in Maharashtra, comprising 9 per cent of that area's population. Ambedkar, the first individual from a traditionally untouchable caste to receive a university education, encouraged Mahars to leave Hinduism in protest of their caste status.

Yes, the National Human Rights Commission of India is one such Commission that works for the protection of human rights. The commission enquires into a petition presented to it by a victim or any person on his behalf into complaint of violation of human rights or negligence in the prevention of such violation by a public servant.

Dalits are not permitted to drink water from public wells, attend temple prayers, wear shoes in front of an upper caste or drink from the same cups in tea stalls. They have to face various sorts of discrimination and atrocities from the upper castes.

Fundamental Rights are important for the development of an individual. They assure him of his physical, mental and moral development. Without these rights, we cannot make our life happy and prosperous. They provide a check on the government. They generate a feeling of security amongst the minorities in the country.

Dalits status has often been associated with occupation. Their occupation is regarded as impure. They involve in activities like butchering, removal of rubbish and waste. They are also involved in cleaning streets, latrines and sewers. Engaging in these activities was considered to be polluting the individual and as a result, they are segregated and banned from full participation in the Hindu society.

The drafters of our Constitution were aware of the discrimination which had been practised in our society and how people had struggled against this. They also said that respect for diversity was a significant element in ensuring equality. They felt that people must have the freedom to their religion, languages, etc and to express themselves freely. They said that the government must treat all religions equally so that all people of India were considered equal.

Mahar caste suffered the following kinds of privation:
(i) Mahars were very poor, they owned no land.
(ii) Children born to them also had to do the work their parents did.
(iii) Mahar caste had to be settled outside of the villages. They were not allowed into the village.

Some people may experience both kinds of discrimination. They are poor and they belong to groups whose culture is not valued. Tribals, some religious groups and even particular regions, are discriminated against for one or more of these reasons.

Economic discrimination can be seen when people who are poor do not have the resources or the money to meet their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. They experience discrimination in offices, hospitals, schools, etc where they are treated badly because they are poor.

The stereotype that girls are a burden on their parents affects the life of daughters in the following ways:
(i) They are not given nutritious food.
(ii) They are not allowed to attend schools.
(iii) They are not properly cared for.
(iv) They are thrown in child marriage and household work.
(v) They are not preferred for higher education.

A person who is discriminated against might feel the following things:
(I) inferior to upper classes.
(ii) dignity will be hurt.
(iii] insulted by others.
(iv) they might revolt against society.

Differences between discrimination and stereotypes are as follow: