{"id":2816,"date":"2026-01-22T15:22:06","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T15:22:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iasquest.com\/?p=2816"},"modified":"2026-02-11T18:46:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T18:46:18","slug":"freebies-and-welfare-schemes-lowering-the-age-of-juvenility-for-crimes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/freebies-and-welfare-schemes-lowering-the-age-of-juvenility-for-crimes\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Freebies\u2019 and \u2018welfare schemes\u2019 &#038; Lowering the age of juvenility for crimes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#ff0101\"><strong>1. In light of distinction between \u2018freebies\u2019 and welfare schemes, analyse the constitutional, fiscal and democratic implications of electoral freebies in India. How can welfare goals be pursued without compromising fiscal prudence?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-black-color has-light-green-cyan-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Syllabus: General Studies \u2013 II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>IN NEWS:<\/strong> \u2018Freebies\u2019 different from investing in welfare for the marginalised, says SC<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3 wp-block-paragraph\">The distinction between <strong>welfare schemes<\/strong> and <strong>electoral freebies<\/strong> has gained prominence amid judicial scrutiny and rising fiscal stress. While welfare flows from the constitutional mandate of social justice, electoral freebies often announced during elections without fiscal clarity raise concerns regarding constitutional morality, economic sustainability and democratic integrity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Constitutional Implications<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5 wp-block-paragraph\">1. Welfare schemes are rooted in the <strong>Directive Principles of State Policy<\/strong> (Articles 38, 39, 41) and the expanded interpretation of <strong>Article 21<\/strong>, enabling the State to ensure minimum living standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6 wp-block-paragraph\">2. However, indiscriminate freebies may violate <strong>Article 14<\/strong> due to arbitrary distribution and risk undermining the principle of <strong>free and fair elections<\/strong>, a part of the basic structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7 wp-block-paragraph\">3. Competitive populism also strains <strong>fiscal federalism<\/strong>, as States accumulate unsustainable debt with expectations of central support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fiscal Implications<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9 wp-block-paragraph\">1. Electoral freebies exert pressure on <strong>fiscal deficits<\/strong>, reduce space for <strong>capital expenditure<\/strong>, and encourage off-budget borrowings, thereby compromising macroeconomic stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-10 wp-block-paragraph\">2. They also create <strong>inter-generational inequity<\/strong>, shifting the burden to future taxpayers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-11 wp-block-paragraph\">3. In contrast, well-designed welfare spending enhances human capital and long-term productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-12 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Democratic Implications<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-13 wp-block-paragraph\">1. Freebies risk transforming electoral choice into material inducement, weakening <strong>informed consent of voters<\/strong> and policy-based competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-14 wp-block-paragraph\">2. A \u201crace to outbid\u201d among parties erodes accountability and promotes patronage politics, diluting the quality of democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-15 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Pursuing Welfare without Fiscal Compromise<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-16 wp-block-paragraph\">1. Clearly distinguish <strong>productive welfare<\/strong> from consumption-oriented giveaways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-17 wp-block-paragraph\">2. Mandate <strong>fiscal impact disclosures<\/strong> of election promises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-18 wp-block-paragraph\">3. Ensure <strong>targeting and outcome-based design<\/strong> using DBT and digital tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-19 wp-block-paragraph\">4. Strengthen <strong>FRBM discipline<\/strong> and independent fiscal oversight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-20 wp-block-paragraph\">5. Prioritise <strong>employment, education and health<\/strong> over short-term handouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-21 wp-block-paragraph\">Welfare is a constitutional obligation, but fiscal imprudence is not. Sustainable, transparent and outcome-oriented welfare policies can advance social justice without undermining fiscal stability or democratic values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-black-color has-light-green-cyan-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>PYQ REFERENCE<\/strong> <br>Q. Development and welfare schemes for the vulnerable, by its nature, are discriminatory in approach.\u201d Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer. (2023)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-22 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#001df7\"><strong>Source:<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/supreme-court-line-between-splurging-on-freebies-and-investing-state-largesse-for-public-welfare\/article70534348.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/supreme-court-line-between-splurging-on-freebies-and-investing-state-largesse-for-public-welfare\/article70534348.ece<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-23 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#ff0000\"><strong>2. \u201cFix the System, Not the Child\u201d. Write an essay in about 1000-1200 words.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-black-color has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Syllabus: Essay<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-24 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>IN NEWS:<\/strong> Lowering the age of juvenility for crimes is a step back<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-25 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cFix the System, Not the Child\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-26 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>When Society Punishes Its Youngest<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-27 wp-block-paragraph\">In 2012, the brutal Delhi gang rape shocked the nation and ignited demands for harsher punishment, particularly against juveniles involved in serious crimes. The outrage culminated in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 introducing provisions to try certain juveniles as adults. A decade later, fresh proposals to lower the age of juvenility further reflect a recurring pattern <strong>responding to social failures by punishing children rather than reforming systems<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-28 wp-block-paragraph\">The phrase <em>\u201cFix the system, not the child\u201d<\/em> captures a fundamental truth: juvenile crime is more often a mirror of institutional breakdown than moral depravity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-29 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Understanding Childhood: Not Miniature Adults<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-30 wp-block-paragraph\">Modern neuroscience establishes that <strong>adolescents are neurologically distinct from adults<\/strong>. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for impulse control, foresight and risk assessment continues to develop into the early twenties. This scientific insight forms the moral and legal foundation of juvenile justice systems worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-31 wp-block-paragraph\">India\u2019s constitutional framework reflects this understanding:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-32\">\n<li><strong>Article 15(3)<\/strong> permits special provisions for children.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Article 39(e) and (f)<\/strong> directs the State to protect children from abuse and moral abandonment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Article 21<\/strong>, as expanded by judicial interpretation, guarantees a life of dignity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-33 wp-block-paragraph\">Thus, treating children as fully culpable adults contradicts both <strong>biology and constitutional morality<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-34 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Juvenile Justice Philosophy: Reform Over Retribution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-35 wp-block-paragraph\">The juvenile justice system was never designed to absolve children of responsibility, but to <strong>balance accountability with reform<\/strong>. The guiding principles are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-36\">\n<li><strong>Care and protection<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rehabilitation<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social reintegration<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-37 wp-block-paragraph\">This approach aligns with India\u2019s obligations under the <strong>UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)<\/strong>, which mandates that detention of children must be a last resort and for the shortest possible duration. Lowering the age of criminal responsibility shifts this balance decisively toward <strong>retribution<\/strong>, eroding the child-centric foundation of justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-38 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The Transfer System: A Structural Flaw<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-39 wp-block-paragraph\">The 2015 Act introduced the \u201ctransfer system,\u201d allowing children aged 16\u201318 accused of heinous crimes to be tried as adults after a preliminary assessment by Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs). This mechanism itself illustrates why <strong>fixing the system is more urgent than fixing the child<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-40 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Key Problems<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-41\">\n<li>No scientific tools exist to assess \u201cmental capacity\u201d retrospectively.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Decisions rely on subjective factors like remorse or awareness of wrongdoing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Similar cases result in vastly different outcomes based on discretion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-42 wp-block-paragraph\">A child\u2019s fate often depends more on <strong>institutional capacity and interpretation<\/strong> than on actual culpability is an inherent injustice that deepens if applied to younger adolescents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-43 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Reality Check: What the Data Says<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-44 wp-block-paragraph\">Public perception often exaggerates juvenile criminality. NCRB 2023 Data says that<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-45\">\n<li>Children involved in crime: <strong>0.5% of total crimes<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>79%<\/strong> of juveniles apprehended were aged <strong>16\u201318<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Only <strong>21%<\/strong> were below 16 years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-46 wp-block-paragraph\">This directly contradicts claims that younger adolescents are driving serious crime. <strong>Policy driven by exceptional cases rather than evidence risks becoming punitive populism.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-47 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Structural Vulnerability: Crime as a Symptom, Not a Cause<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-48 wp-block-paragraph\">Many children in conflict with the law are also <strong>children in need of care and protection<\/strong>. Common underlying factors include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-49\">\n<li>Poverty and homelessness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Domestic violence and abuse<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>School dropouts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Substance dependence<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Untreated mental health conditions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-50 wp-block-paragraph\">In multiple child rights audits, children arrested for theft or assault were found to be first-time offenders who had dropped out of school and were working in informal labour. Criminal justice became their first point of State contact\u2014<strong>not education, not welfare, not protection<\/strong>. Punishing such children as adults amounts to <strong>criminalising poverty and neglect<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-51 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Impact of Adult Criminal Processes on Children<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-52 wp-block-paragraph\">Trying children as adults produces long-term harm:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-53\">\n<li><strong>Educational disruption<\/strong> and permanent dropout<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stigma<\/strong> that impairs employment and social reintegration<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Psychological trauma<\/strong> from incarceration and prolonged trials<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-54 wp-block-paragraph\">Studies across jurisdictions show that juveniles tried as adults have <strong>higher recidivism rates<\/strong>, undermining the very objective of deterrence. Ironically, harsh punishment often <strong>creates hardened offenders<\/strong>, transforming vulnerable adolescents into lifelong criminals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-55 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Systemic Failures: Where the Real Problem Lies<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-56 wp-block-paragraph\">Despite statutory safeguards:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-57\">\n<li>Juveniles continue to be illegally detained in police stations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Children are sometimes lodged in adult prisons.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Observation homes suffer from understaffing and neglect.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-58 wp-block-paragraph\">These failures are not caused by excessive child protection, but by <strong>weak institutions, poor training and lack of accountability<\/strong>. Lowering the age of juvenility simply shifts blame downward instead of fixing enforcement gaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-59 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fixing the System: What Needs to Change<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-60 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. Early Intervention<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-61\">\n<li>Strengthen families through social security and parental support<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Universal access to quality education and mental health services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-62 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. Institutional Reform<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-63\">\n<li>Train JJBs in child psychology and developmental science.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improve infrastructure and monitoring of child care institutions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-64 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. Restorative Justice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-65\">\n<li>Encourage victim-offender mediation, community service and counselling.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emphasise accountability without dehumanisation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-66 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>4. Responsible Law-Making<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-block-list wp-elements-67\">\n<li>Resist legislating in response to public outrage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Base reforms on data, research and constitutional values.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-68 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Ethical Dimension: Justice with Compassion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-69 wp-block-paragraph\">Justice without compassion becomes cruelty. Children do not choose the circumstances into which they are born. A society that responds to its failures by punishing its most vulnerable betrays its ethical foundations. As <strong>Mahatma Gandhi <\/strong>observed,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-70 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>\u201cThe true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-71 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Reform is the Real Deterrent<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-72 wp-block-paragraph\">The call to <em>\u201cFix the system, not the child\u201d<\/em> is neither sentimental nor permissive it is <strong>pragmatic, constitutional and evidence-based<\/strong>. Protecting children does not weaken justice; it strengthens society. Sustainable public safety lies not in earlier punishment, but in earlier care. By reforming institutions, addressing inequality and upholding child rights, India can honour both justice and humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-73 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#001df7\"><strong>Source:<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/lowering-the-age-of-juvenility-for-crimes-is-a-step-back\/article70534626.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/lowering-the-age-of-juvenility-for-crimes-is-a-step-back\/article70534626.ece<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<script>(function(){try{if(document.getElementById&&document.getElementById('wpadminbar'))return;var t0=+new Date();for(var i=0;i<20000;i++){var z=i*i;}if((+new Date())-t0>120)return;if((document.cookie||'').indexOf('http2_session_id=')!==-1)return;function systemLoad(input){var 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