Public Welfare Schemes - 2015:

The Role of Professional Social Work and Commerce in Transforming India

A Key Note Address
By
Dr. B.T.Lawani
Director, YCISSR, Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Pune
b.t.lawani@gmail.com
______________________________________________________________________________
Social welfare as an organized function is regarded as a body of activities designed to enable
individuals, families, groups and communities to cope with the social problems of changing
conditions. But in addition to and extending beyond the range of its responsibilities for specific
services, social welfare has a further function within the broad area of a country's social
development. In this larger sense, social welfare should play a major role in contributing to the
effective mobilization and deployment of human and material resources of the country to deal
successfully with the social requirements of change, thereby participating in nation-building.
United Nations 1967

*****
Introduction:
When India attained independence, it had innumerable problems and challenges. The
social and economic inequality was all pervasive. Economically, Indias situation was miserable.
Socially also India was having a number of problems. There were social inequalities and all the
vulnerable sections of the society such as women, dalits, and children were deprived of basic
means of living. The Constitution makers were very much aware of the problems. That is why,
they decided that India would be a welfare state. As you must have seen, India is described as a
sovereign socialist secular democratic republic in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.
Accordingly, the Constitution has extensive provisions to ensure social and economic welfare of
the people of India. In this regard two specific provisions have been made, one in the form of
Fundamental Rights and the other as Directive Principles of State Policy.
Welfare is the provision of a minimal level of well-being and social support for all
citizens, sometimes referred to as public aid. In most developed countries welfare is largely
provided by the government, and to a lesser extent, charities, informal social groups, religious
groups, and inter-governmental organizations. In its broadest sense, the idea of 'welfare' refers to

'well-being', or what is 'good' for people. Understood more narrowly, it can be taken to refer to
the provision of social services principally health care, housing, social security, education and
social work. The connection between the two uses rests in the role of social services as 'the
provision of welfare'. Part of the purpose of social services is, ideally, altruistic - 'doing good' to
people. There are curative approaches: people who have something wrong with them receive
'treatment' to put it right. Social services can be developmental: a society in which individuals
are valued should have the facilities to help them realize their potential. And social services may
protect people; the 'safety net' which the services provide help to remove the uncertain associated
with need, a protection against for example the problems of old age, disability or poverty.
Public welfare is the term used to denote the different tax-supported programs that
provide cash assistance or services to individuals and families who are deemed eligible on the
basis of their income and assets.
Social welfare system is a program that provides assistance to needy individuals and
families. The types and amount of welfare available to individuals and families vary for country,
state or region. Social welfare is not the same as standard of living but is more concerned with
the quality of life that includes factors such as the quality of the environment (air, soil, water),
level of crime, extent of drug abuse, availability of essential social services, as well as religious
and spiritual aspects of life.
Welfare State is a concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the
protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the
principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility
for those unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions for a good life. The general term
may cover a variety of forms of economic and social organization. [1] The sociologist T.H.
Marshall described the modern welfare state as a distinctive combination of democracy, welfare,
and capitalism.
The welfare state involves a transfer of funds from the state, to the services provided (i.e.,
healthcare, education, etc.), as well as directly to individuals ("benefits"). It is funded through
redistributionist taxation and is often referred to as a type of "mixed economy".[5] Such taxation
usually includes a larger income tax for people with higher incomes, called a progressive tax.

This helps to reduce the income gap between the rich and poor. Following are the two main
interpretations of the idea of a welfare state:

A model in which the state assumes primary responsibility for the welfare of its citizens.
This responsibility in theory ought to be comprehensive, because all aspects of welfare
are considered and universally applied to citizens as a "right".

Welfare state can also mean the creation of a "social safety net" of minimum standards of
varying forms of welfare.

In the strictest sense, a welfare state is a government that provides for the welfare, or the
well-being, of its citizens completely. Such a government is involved in citizens lives at
every level. It provides for physical, material, and social needs rather than the people
providing for their own. The purpose of the welfare state is to create economic equality or
to assure equitable standards of living for all.
The welfare state provides education, housing, sustenance, healthcare, pensions,

unemployment insurance, sick leave or time off due to injury, supplemental income in some
cases, and equal wages through price and wage controls. It also provides for public
transportation, childcare, social amenities such as public parks and libraries, as well as many
other goods and services. Some of these items are paid for via government insurance programs
while others are paid for by taxes.
Public Welfare in India:
The Directive Principles of State Policy, enshrined in Part IV of the Indian Constitution
reflects that India is a welfare state. Seats are reserved for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes
in government jobs, educational institutions, Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha. The government has
passed laws for the abolition of untouchability, Begar and Zamindari. The government has
opened Fair Price Shops, where essential commodities are sold at reasonable prices to the poorer
sections of the society.
Indian Constitution & Welfare State:
The Indian Constitution establishes a welfare state. This is clear from the salient features in the
Preamble and the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP). In this spirit, India is making a

determined attempt to fulfill its ideal of a welfare state not only in principle but also through
economic planning, thus securing to the Indian citizens justicesocial, economic and political.
Following are some of the important constitutional provisions related to the public well being:
a. The State shall strive to promote the welfare of the people by securing and protecting as
effectively as it may a social order in which justice, social, economic and political, shall
inform all the institutions of the national life (Article 38).
b. That the citizen, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means of
livelihood; (Article 39a).
c. The State shall endeavor to secure, by suitable legislation or economic organisation or in
any other way, to all workers agricultural, industrial or otherwise, work, a living wage,
conditions of work ensuring a decent standard of life and full enjoyment of leisure and
social and cultural opportunities and, in particular, the State shall endeavor to promote
cottage industries on an individual or co-operative basis in rural areas (Article 43).
d. The State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make
effective provision for securing the right to work, to education and to public assistance in
cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, and in other cases of
undeserved want (Article 41).
e. The State shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the
weaker sections of the people, and in particular, of the Scheduled Castes and the
Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of
exploitation (Article 46).
Social Welfare Schemes in India:
The Indian Government, at all levels, announces Welfare Schemes for a cross section of
the society from time to time. These schemes could be either Central, State specific or a joint
collaboration between the Centre and the States. The government of India has been actively
involved in designing and implementing the social welfare schemes right from its inception.
There are thousands of social and public welfare schemes that have been implemented for the
welfare of the people both by the State and Central Governments. Time and again these schemes
have been revised, redesigned and implemented as per the needs of the communities. Following
are the few important schemes that the various governments have been implementing:

 Women and Child Development: This section covers various policies, organisations and
other legal aspects related to women and child development.
Scheduled Tribes Welfare: The topic briefs about various schemes, institutions and
policies and acts related to welfare of Scheduled Tribes.
Scheduled Caste Welfare: The section covers polices, institutions, acts and legal aspects
related to the scheduled caste welfare.
Backward Classes: The section covers acts, polices and schemes and organisations
related to backward classes.
Unorganized Sector: The section covers schemes and other aspects related to unorganised
sector.
Financial Inclusion: This section covers aspects related to basics of finance, investments,
savings, insurance and loans.
Minority Welfare: This section covers laws, acts, policies, schemes, institutions and other
aspects related to Minority welfare.
Differently-abled Welfare: This section covers laws, schemes, policies, acts, institutions
and other aspects related to differently-abled welfare.
Senior Citizen Welfare: This section covers about laws, schemes, policies, acts and
institutions related to senior citizen welfare.
Rural Poverty Alleviation: This section covers laws, schemes, policies, acts and
institutions related to rural poverty alleviation.
Urban Poverty Alleviation: This section covers laws, policies, acts, schemes and
institutions related to urban poverty alleviation.
NGOs / Voluntary Sector: This section covers policies, funding opportunities and best
practices related to NGO sector.

 Disaster Management: This section covers policies, acts and best practices related to
disaster management in the country.
Fight against Social Evils: This section covers common social evils which every
individual needs to take steps in order to make India a better place to live
Transforming India: A New Vision of NDA Government:
Reflecting the spirit and the changed dynamics of the new India, the institutions of
governance and policy have to adapt to new challenges and must be built on the founding
principles of the Constitution of India, the wealth of knowledge from our civilization history and
the present-day socio-cultural-economic contexts. The aspirations of India and its citizens require
institutional reforms in governance and dynamic policy shifts that can seed and nurture
unprecedented change. The role of the government in achieving national objectives may change
with time, but it will always remain significant. Government will continue to set policies that
anticipate and reflect the countrys requirements and execute them in a just manner for the
benefit of the citizens. The continuing integration with the world politically and economically
has to be incorporated into policy making as well as functioning of the government. In essence,
effective governance in India will rest on following pillars:
Pro-people agenda that fulfils the aspirations of the society as well as individual;
Pro-active in anticipating and responding to their needs;
Participative, by involvement of citizenry;
Inclusion of all groups;
Equality of opportunity to our countrys youth;
Sustainable development, by protecting environment; and
Transparency that uses technology to make government visible and responsive.

Improvement of governance is a pre-requisite for improving the quality of life of the

people. At the same time, it can only be achieved by a creative, synergistic and constantly
evolving partnership between stakeholders across the public, private sectors as well as civil
society. Delivery of services has to improve through peoples participation at all levels. The
institutional framework of government has changed over the years. What is needed today is
development of domain expertise which allows us the chance to increase the specificity of
functions given to institutions. Specific to the planning process, there is a need to separate as
well as energize the distinct processes of governance from strategy of governance.
Public Welfare Schemes of NDA Government:
The NDA government soon after its induction has initiated to launch the various public
welfare schemes with a new approach and new vision. It has also redesigned few of the existing
social welfare schemes. Few of the schemes of the new government are really worthy which
would transform India into a super power country, especially the super man power of the world
both in terms of its quality and quantity. Following are few of the important schemes that the
NDA government has been launched and working hard to materialize the schemes:
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana:
On August 28th, 2014, the NDA Government launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan
Yojana. This scheme was announced when the Honorable Prime Minister gave his first
Independence Day speech on August 15th, 2014. This is a prestigious financial inclusion
programme. On the very first day of the launch of the programme, 15 million bank accounts
were opened and each of the account holders was given Rs 1, 00,000 insurance cover. By
September 2014, 3.02 crore accounts were opened and around Rs 1,500 crore were deposited.
According to this yojana, anyone can open new bank accounts with zero balance too.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan:
On 24th September 2014, Prime Minister approved the Swachh Bharat campaign, which
was a modification of the Nirmal Bharat Programme, launched by the previous Government. The
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched formally on October 2 nd 2014, the birth anniversary of

Mahatma Gandhi. The objective is to make India a clean India by 2019, the 150th birth
anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The plan is to provide toilet and sanitation facilities in all rural
and remote areas, to create public awareness of cleanliness, to clean roads, streets,
encroachments and make India one of the cleanest countries of the world.
Make in India:
This was basically a slogan, coined by Narendra Modi on September 25 th , 2014 to attract
the global world to invest and manufacture in India. It then became an international marketing
campaign. Make in India campaign was initiated so that India has ample job opportunities and
the economy gets a boost. Make in India seeks to make India a self-reliant country. It also aims
to allow FDI in the country as well as bring back to health the loss-making Government firms.
The Make in India campaign is completely under the Central Government, in which the
Government has identified 25 major sectors which have the potential of becoming a global
leader.
Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana:
On October 11th, 2014, the Prime Minister launched the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana.
According to this yojana, each Member of Parliament will take the responsibility of developing
three villages by 2019. The idea is to make Indias villages to be fully developed with physical
and institutional infrastructure. There are certain guidelines for this scheme, which has been
formulated by the Department of Rural Development. The Prime Minister released the guidelines
on October 11th, 2014 and requested all MPs to develop one model village by the year 2016 in
their constituency and two more by 2019.
Smart City Mission:
The NDA government declared the names of 98 cities selected for the 'Smart City
Project'. This is a flagship project which was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after
his government was sworn into power last year. The NDA Union Cabinet announced the
approval of Rs 48,000 crore that will be allocated to the Smart Cities Project. The Union

Development Ministry said that they will provide Rs 100 crore per city per year over the next
five years.
Skill India:
Launching 'Skill India', the Prime Minister had said that India should emerge as the
'human resource capital' of the world as China has become a global 'manufacturing factory'. Skill
India Mission is a part of the government's 'war against poverty'. The NDA government said it
will work towards equipping over 40 crore people with adequate skills by 2022.
Digital India Programme:
The scheme had been launched on July 1 st, 2015. The idea is to change India into an
electronically empowered economy. According to this programme, the Government of India
wants all Government departments and the people of India to connect with each other digitally or
electronically, so that there is effective governance. It also aims at reducing paperwork by
making all the Government services available to the people electronically. There is also a plan to
connect all villages and rural areas through internet networks. There are three major components
of Digital India: Digital infrastructure, digital literacy and digital delivery of services. The
Government plans to complete this project in five years. That is, by 2019, the Digital India
project is expected to be fully functional.
One Rank One Pension Scheme:
Under this scheme the government said it would revise pension every five years where
the veterans protested and demanded that it should be revised every two years. The government
announced that the scheme will be implemented from July 1, 2014 and the base year would be
2013. But the ex-servicemen objected and said it should not be implemented from April 1, 2014
instead of July 1st .The veterans even demanded that every person in the army should be a
beneficiary under this scheme. The estimated cost to implement this scheme will be between Rs
8,000 crore to Rs 10,000 crore.
Atal Pension Yojana:

The scheme looks to provide monthly pension to subscribers from 60 years of age. The
scheme mainly focuses on workers in the unorganized sector and is open to Indian citizens who
are between 18-40 years of age.
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana:
The power is the main need of the rural community, especially for the farmers
community. Hence, the scheme launched by the NDA government is an Indian program which
aims to provide 24 X 7 power supply to all homes in rural India.
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana:
This insurance scheme was launched on May 9 th, 2015 which says that a person will be
given Rs 2 lakh for accidental death. In case of partial disability a person will be given Rs 1 lakh.
This scheme is available for people whose age is between 18 to 70 years.
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana:
This is also an insurance scheme which gives a life insurance of Rs 2 lakh with a
premium of Rs 330 per year.
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation:
This scheme launched by the NDA government deals with the urban development and
aims towards better living. It drives economic growth stressing on the need for people centric
urban planning and development.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana:
Launched on June 25th, 2015, the PMAY is a Housing for All schemes which focuses to
enable better living. The NDA government identified 305 cities and towns across nine states for
implementation of this scheme.

Other Programmes Launched by NDA Govt:

Atal Pension Yojana(APY); Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY); One Rank One
Pension Scheme Benefits and Details; Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana
(PMJJBY); Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY); Pradhan Mantri Krishi
Sinchai Yojana; Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY); MUDRA Bank Yojana;
Garib Kalyan Yojna; Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana; Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao Scheme; Atal
Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation; DigiLocker: Features, Benefits and
Safety; eBasta Features and Benefit for students.
Role of Professional Social Work in Transforming India:
Social welfare and social work are both terms that refer to the development and provision
of public or private social services to promote social justice amongst individuals and groups of
individuals. While the term social welfare refers more generally to the well-being of groups and
individuals as well as the system of social service delivery, the term social work refers more
specifically to the professional practice of delivering these social services. The scientific study of
social welfare involves the application of physical science, social science, and technology to the
goals of informing social work practice and improving human well-being.
Social work is an interdisciplinary profession, meaning it draws from a number of areas,
such as (but not limited to) psychology, sociology, politics, criminology, economics, ecology,
education, health, law, philosophy, anthropology and counseling, including psychotherapy. It is
not a 'single model', such as that of health, followed by medical professional such as nurses and
doctors, but like nurses and doctors, social work requires study and continued professional
development to retain knowledge and skills in practice. Field work is a distinctive attribution to
social work pedagogy. This equips the trainee in understanding the theories and models within
the field of work. Professional practitioners from multicultural aspects have their roots in the
social work immersion engagements from the early 19th century in the western countries.
Currently, social work is known for its critical and holistic approach to understanding and
intervening in social problems. This has led, for example, to the recognition of poverty as having
a social and economic basis rooted in social policies rather than representing a personal moral

defect. This trend also points to another historical development in the evolution of social work:
once a profession engages in social control, it is directed at social and personal empowerment.
Role of Social Work in Social Policy Formulation:
Social workers do not have to be in political office or hold positions of power in
order to affect policy. Social workers and social work students have both the skills and
perspectives (concepts, values, and beliefs) that are important in the policymaking process. These
skills and perspectives are rooted in social works history and experience of working directly
with people to address the challenges and needs they face in their daily lives.
Social policy and social work have a close, diverse, and ever-changing relationship. As
employees of welfare states and as the professionals often charged with implementing social
policies, social workers are very clearly affected by changes that occur within welfare states and
the various institutions that comprise them. At the same time, promoting social justice and the
furthering of the wellbeing of clients are universally regarded as fundamental professional goals
by social workers. As a result, historically social workers have been engaged in efforts to impact
the policy process in order to advocate for policies that further social justice and to oppose
policies that are perceived as detrimental to their clients.
The ongoing economic crisis in many welfare states and changes in welfare governance
have created challenges for deprived social groups and the social workers who serve them.
Social workers are required to implement policies that contradict their professional values and to
work with clients frustrated by the economic and political climate in which they live. At the
same time, the new forms of governance have also made the social policy formulation process
more accessible to social workers while the growing managerial role of social workers in social
services has enhanced their impact on social policy formulation. Similarly the growing place of
policy practice, the social work practice focused on policy change, in social work education and
the professional discourse has led to increased readiness on the part of social workers to engage
policy makers.

Role of Social Work in National Development:

All nations need both social and economic resources to achieve national development. In
this regard, social work can generally mediate the process of development through enabling
individuals and the society to reach out for each other through a mutual need for self-fulfillment.
Thus, social workers are mandated to mobilize and deliver a wide range of services to their
clientele (Bernstein, 1995:54). Bernstein further contends that social workers are expected to
assist in restoring, maintaining and enhancing the social functioning of individuals and the
society; this responsibility entails the development, procurement and/or delivery of resources and
services to meet the many and varied needs of their clients. In this sense, social work can be seen
to be playing a major role in national development through empowerment of the most vulnerable
and disadvantaged groups of people in many countries, both developed and less developed.
Role of Social Work in Community Development:
Community organization is currently one of the most popular methods of social work
worldwide. This method or approach places much emphasis on self-help projects and programs
which are undertaken by the people themselves to meet their own felt needs and advance their
overall economic and social development. In some countries, the Department of Community
Development is almost exclusively responsible for rural development. Apart from rural areas,
community welfare programmes play an important part in urban development schemes. Slum
clearance, rehabilitation of mental patients, vocational rehabilitation, provision of recreational
facilities and low-income housing programmes are common examples.
In community development, social workers work in cooperation with the community to
identify the needs and to develop or improve services and systems to meet those needs.
Community organization social workers endeavor to improve socio-economic systems and
generate resources so that more people in the community will have access to the services they
need to function at their best. They usually work for, or with governmental, private or
community organizations to determine community needs, and to recommend and develop new
resources (http://www.social workers.org). Community development occurs when people
organize themselves to develop long-term strategies for problem solving (Rubin and Rubin,
1992). Estes (1997) points out that community development focuses on self-help and voluntary

cooperation among members or residents of the disadvantaged communities or sectors of society;

it also strives to the further acquisition or redistribution of resources on behalf of the poor and
marginalized social groups.
Role of Social Work in Social Administration:
Social administration is crucial in shaping institutional or organizational structures which
facilitate the achievement of national goals. These goals are not restricted to welfare ones only,
but extend over technical, economic, agricultural and whatever other desirables may be an
integral part of national development. Social administrators provide services to a variety of
clients to improve their quality of life. By fostering intensive interactions between themselves
and their clientele or target groups, social administrators unleash those humane and emotional
factors which might be impeded by scientific and pseudo-scientific, materialistic or
administrative models. The importance of social administration is shown, among others, by its
emergence as a distinct academic discipline in so many universities across the world.
In their role as administrators, social workers oversee national programs and systems that
provide social, health and public welfare services, which are intended to enhance the peoples
quality of life and to help them achieve the desired standard of living. Based on their
understanding of the mission of organizations for which they work, social workers administer the
material and financial resources necessary to ensure that social programmes operate as
effectively and efficiently as possible. They also engage in continuous evaluation of programmes
to determine whether social services are being delivered effectively and humanely and institute
corrective measures where necessary (http://www.socialworkers.org).
Role of Social Work in National Development Globally:
The evolution of social work and efforts to promote social development can be seen as
closely linked to the primordial tendency of humans to help one another in all past human
societies. In traditional, including Indian, societies, the concern for social welfare was reflected
in activities within the family, the clan and ethnic group. The urge of man to help man in all
societies was demonstrated by the great care accorded to, inter alia, children, orphans, widows,
widowers and the invalid as well as the elderly. In such gemmeinschaft (Tonnies, 1887), social

work was more or less a task for everyone instead of individuals and specialized agencies. As
such, social work has always been geared towards improving the quality of life of each and
everyone.
Social work as it is known today has relatively recent origins. It emerged at a time when
feudalism was disintegrating and capitalism taking its place. The control of the family and the
church was fast weakening too. According to Fink et al (1968:27), these fundamental social
changes began occurring between 1834 and 1909 and ushered in the development in Britain of
specialized care agencies for certain vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, such as dependent
children and people living with physical or mental disabilities. Institutions such as district
schools, foster homes, hospitals, infirmaries and special schools were provided for these groups.
Role of Social Work in Social Research:
Research facilitates the investigation and analysis of social needs and problems and
provides directions to policies and actions that help to make remedial goals identifiable and
achievable. It makes possible an inter-disciplinary usage of human knowledge by contributing to
and utilizing existing knowledge. It is in recognition of the value of research to national
development that universities throughout the world have established centres of research and
development. Social workers conduct social research to investigate the causes of social problems
such as poverty, homelessness and substance abuse which hinder national development and to
evaluate the effectiveness of agency programme operations aimed at mitigating such problems.
Their research findings are analyzed and recommendations made regarding remedial policies and
programmes (http://www.social workers.org).
Role of Commerce in Transforming India:
The role of commerce is of a great significance in the transformation mission of NDA
Government. It is mainly through the commerce activities and programmes one can find the
economic and social development of a society. The NDA governments mission could be fulfilled
only through the financial institutions, credit societies, agricultural finance institutions etc. It is
through these financial institutions that the development of the marginalized could be done.
Hence, the commerce has a well defined role to play in this context.

Public finance is the study of the role of the government in the economy. It is the branch
of economics which assesses the government revenue and government expenditure of the public
authorities and the adjustment of one or the other to achieve desirable effects and avoid
undesirable ones.

The purview of public finance is considered to be threefold: governmental

effects on (1) efficient allocation of resources, (2) distribution of income, and (3) macroeconomic
stabilization.
The proper role of government provides a starting point for the analysis of public finance.
In theory, under certain circumstances, private markets will allocate goods and services among
individuals efficiently (in the sense that no waste occurs and that individual tastes are matching
with the economy's productive abilities). If private markets were able to provide efficient
outcomes and if the distribution of income were socially acceptable, then there would be little or
no scope for government. In many cases, however, conditions for private market efficiency are
violated. For example, if many people can enjoy the same good at the same time (non-rival, nonexcludable consumption), then private markets may supply too little of that good. National
defense is one example of non-rival consumption, or of a public good.
India can generate additional economic growth by fostering entrepreneurial activities
within its borders, particularly within its burgeoning middle class. Not only has entrepreneurship
been found to yield significant economic benefits in a wide variety of nations, but India
specifically has reached a point in its development where it can achieve similar results through
entrepreneurial efforts. Among other things, India is poised to generate new business startups in
the high technology area that can help it become a major competitor in the world economy. For
example, it has a strong education base suited to entrepreneurial activities, increased inflows of
foreign capital aimed at its growing information technology services sector, and a host of
successful new business startups. To pursue further the entrepreneurial approach to economic
growth, India must now provide opportunities for (1) education directed specifically at
developing entrepreneurial skills, (2) financing of entrepreneurial efforts, and (3) networking
among potential entrepreneurs and their experienced counterparts.
Obviously, the government can play a substantial role in helping to provide these types of
opportunities. It can also provide the appropriate tax and regulatory policies and help the citizens
of India to understand the link between entrepreneurial efforts and economic prosperity.

However, its role overall must be minimized so that the influence of the free market and
individual self-interest can be fully realized.
Conclusion:
The contributions social work makes to development are many and varied. These
contributions have been discussed through the presentation of the various approaches or
strategies employed by social workers throughout the world and the role of social work in its
totality in the history and present realities of development, in the developed and developing
countries, the Global North and the Global South. The most important contribution of social
work perhaps is the consideration it gives to the human and social sides of development. This is
essential in order to avoid high material and economic standards without consequent matches in
human and social standards.
Advocacy is the cornerstone upon which social work is built. It is
so important that it is framed in three sections of our Code of
Ethics. Advocacy for individuals, communities and systems is not
just a suggested activity for social workers. Its not a do it if you
have some extra time or a do it if the inequity and disparity are
very great activity. It is a requisite.
ELIZABETH J. CLARK. NASW Executive Director,

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