This scholarly work unfolds the collective wisdom of legal luminaries on a subject of great topical interest.

The book focusses attention on the myriad problems of the weaker segments of the society. Broadly, the following areas have been covered:-

• Equal justice for weaker sections: Identification of Backward Classes, Reservation Policy, Protective Discrimination, Problem of Untouchability, etc.

• Justice in Litigation: Para Legal workers and justice to the poor, legal aid, Preventive Detention jurisprudence, prison justice, equity and Sales Tax in India, etc.

• Protection of Women: Women in the workforce, women in marriage, protection of the rights of women, exploitation of women, legal services for women, dowry, polygamy, female succession, right to maintenance, rape, population control, abortion, etc.

• Protection of Children: Vagrancy, beggary and status crimes, social policy for children, children's court system, probation, etc.

• Protection of Labour: Protection of the interests of labour, accidents in Industrial undertakings, bonded labour, child labour, etc.

A must book for anyone interested in the subject.

• All India Reporter: Since the book covers the deliberations of the seminars on topics of national interest, it will be greatly appreciated by the public at large, in general and by those interested in law, in particular. The Department of Law of Jammu University deserves much praise for bringing out such a scholarly work.
• Review Projector: Professor Saraf and his colleagues have done a commendable job in bringing out this excellent work which ought to find a place in every law library for the wealth of insight which it generates and for its luminous and learned presentation of the substantive aspects of the law in areas of social welfare legislation.
• Lex Et Juris: The book will make a useful reference volume for gleaning some facts and information.
• Academy Law Review: The editor has done a commendable work, as is evident from the papers included. The report of rapporteurs are given incorporating the questions posed and the suggestions made by the participants. This adds to the utility of the book making the reader well-informed about all the intricate aspects of the subject.
  The editor has rendered a public service of the highest order by editing the papers presented, so as to impart a general consciousness, which would imbue the readers with a new awareness of the social policy, the law and protection of the weaker sections in the society.
• Popular Jurist: The book is an impressive array of articles covering a wide range of subjects relating to the law and problems concerning the weaker sections of Indian Society. The reviewer happily recommends this book to the specialists and the laymen alike. It is heartening that the quality of scholarship revealed in the book is of high standard comparable to anywhere in the world.

FOREWORD

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS

SECTION I : SEMINAR PROCEEDINGS

Statement of Objectives -D.N. Saraf

Inaugural Address -Hon'ble Mr. Justice R.N. Misra

Valedictory Address -Hon'ble Mr. Justice V. Khalid

Reports of the Sessional Chairpersons

SECTION II : EQUAL JUSTICE FOR WEAKER SECTIONS

Identification of Backward Classes-Law and Social Policy -S.K. Agrawala

On Operationalising Backwardness -V.S. Rekhi

Backwardness in India-A Judicial Dilemma. -K. K. Arora

Dynamics of Reservation Policy under the Indian Constitution: A Working Paper. -T.N. Shalla

Protective Discrimination: Constitutional Prescription and Judicial Perception. -B. Errabbi

Problem of Untouchability and Former Untouchables. -P.T. Borale

SECTION III : JUSTICE IN LITIGATION

Para Legal Workers and Justice to the Poor. - N.R. Madhava Menon

Legal Aid in Criminal Proceedings - K.S. Chhabra

Equal Justice in Preventive Detention Jurisprudence Some Projection for Legislative Reform. -I.P. Massey

Prison Justice: The Judicial Ethos and Human Rights of the Prisoners-S.K. Sharma

Legal Aid Ethos and Mandamus : Some Observations. - P.S. Jaswal

Legal Aid and Legal Advice in Madhya Pradesh : A Protecting Arm of the State to the Weaker Sections of the Society. - G.P. Tripathi

Equity and Sales Tax in India with Special Reference to J & K State - R.K. Kotru

SECTION IV : PROTECTION OF WOMEN

Women in the Workforce, Their Legal Rights and Problems: Towards a Perspective. -T.K. Oommen

From Wife to Woman : From Patch-up to Break-Down. -Krishna Bahadur 274

The Protection of the Rights of Women in J & K State : A Historico-Socio-Politico and Constitutional Analysis. -Vidya Bhushan

Exploitation of Women : A Study of Social Norms -Rekha Chowdhary

Legal Services for Women -S.P. Sathe

An Evaluation of Dowry Prohibition Law. -Virendra Kumar

Dowry System in India : A Socio-Legal Analysis -S.K. Sharma

Polygamy-A Negation of Quran. -K. K. Arora

The Paradox of Female Succession in Customary Law in Kashmir: The Institution of Dukhtari-Khana-Nashin. -N.A. Ganai

Muslim Divorcee's Right to Maintenance: Recent Judicial Trends in India -Lalita Parihar

Trial Procedure for Rape: A Critical Appraisal. -Shyam Singh  

Measures of Population Control and Women's Rights -S.G. Singh

Emancipation of Women and Population Control. -B.P.S. Sehgal  

Morality, Law and Abortion: A Plea for Liberalisation. -V.K. Kapoor  

SECTION V : PROTECTION OF CHILDREN

Vagrancy, Beggary and Status Crimes. -B.B. Pande

Retrospective and Prospective Reflections on Social Policy for Children in Need of Care and Protection. -Ved Kumari

An Analysis of Children's Court System. -Usha Razdan

Problems and Perspectives of Probation in India. -Subash C. Raina

SECTION VI : PROTECTION OF LABOUR

Protection of the Interests of Labour. -P.G. Krishnan

Accidents in Industrial Undertakings-An Examination of Causes of Work-Related Accidents. -K.L. Bhatia

Bonded Labour in a Semi-Feudal and Semi-Capitalist Society -Jayaram Panda

Socio-Economic Aspects of Child Labour in India. -A.N. Sadhu and Amarjeet Singh

Role of Law Towards Prevention of Exploitation of Child Labour -Suresh C. Srivastava

Child Labour in Carpet Weaving Centres of Kashmir. -A.M. Matta