Abstract

Human rights and social justice occupy a central position in the discourse of contemporary India. Between 2018 and 2025 India witnessed significant debates policy initiatives and social movements concerning civil liberties equality gender rights environmental justice and the rights of marginalized communities. The constitutional promise of justice liberty equality and fraternity was tested by challenges such as caste-based discrimination communal tensions gender-based violence environmental degradation and restrictions on freedom of expression. Simultaneously reforms and interventions—ranging from new laws for women’s safety to policies promoting inclusivity reservation expansions and welfare programs—illustrated the state’s attempts to address systemic inequalities. This paper critically examines the landscape of human rights and social justice in India during this period exploring both progress and persistent gaps. It argues that while constitutional institutions civil society and gr