Labour Welfare Measures in India up to 1947 A Critical Historical Analysis

Abstract : During the early 20th century, Hindu society, especially that of the Madras Presidency, was greatly affected by the caste-based discrimination that targeted the Depressed Classes (now called Scheduled Castes). To alleviate their long-time suppression and enhance their socio-economic status, the Depressed Classes Elevation Society of South India was instituted in 1908. A milestone improvement came in 1920 with the creation of the Labour Department of the Madras Presidency. Led by G.F. Paddison, who was appointed the first "Protector of the Depressed Classes", the department introduced several welfare schemes aimed at education, mid-day meals, hostel facilities, and scholarships. The establishment of Labour Schools and the implementation of the Government Order of 1935 institutionalised further anti-caste educational discrimination efforts. These policies helped immensely in the improvement of the Depressed Classes under colonial India, paving the way for their social development in post-Independence India.