From Constitutional Promise to Policy Reality: Explaining the Implementation Gap in India’s Social Justice Policies

Subject:Public Policy
Title:From Constitutional Promise to Policy Reality: Explaining the Implementation Gap in India’s Social Justice Policies
Author(s):Laxmi Kailas Kabara
Published on:28th February 2026
Published by:Lyceum India
Name of the Journal:Lyceum India Journal of Social Sciences
ISSN/E-ISSN:3048-6513
Volume & Issue:Volume: 3, Issue: 3
Pages:141-148
Original DOI (if any):10.5281/zenodo.18823371
Repository DOI: 
Abstract:Indian Constitution hold social, economic and political justice at the heart of the republics vision. However, despite the strong commitment’s inequality, poverty and various form are deeply entrenched in Indian society. this discrepancy between the reality and promise of the social welfare system in India. give rise to a very important question: why does the system, which is so comprehensive in nature, fail to deliver equal result? This paper contends that the problem is not the design of the Welfare Framework but with its implementation. Issues such as overburdened officials, no one really being accountable, different government departments working in silos, and services not reaching the targeted population are some of the factors. By examining policy files, government reports, and other data, the problem is identified. The point is this: it is not that India does not have welfare programs; it is simply that the infrastructure that is supposed to support these programs is not doing its job well enough. Therefore, if India wants to see its lofty ideals become a reality, it needs to stop focusing on implementing new policies and start focusing on making the policies that are already in place work.
Keywords:Social Justice; Public Policy Implementation; Implementation Gap; Welfare Governance; Administrative Accountability; India
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