Constitutional Morality as Public Economics: Ambedkar’s Blueprint for the Indian Welfare State

Abstract

B. R. Ambedkar envisioned a new India working on the intersection of a new constitution, economic ideas focused on social justice, and equality. This paper attempts to build on the work of Ambedkar by examining how he conceived of constitutional morality to guide public economics and the welfare framework for the nation. The analysis is grounded in a qualitative, analytical framework where Ambedkar’s works, constitutional debates, and contemporary policy documents influence the study in significant ways. The Constitution, especially the Directive Principles of State Policy, provides the contours of a welfare state, and the framework of the Constitution provides the moral imperatives for the state. The analysis shows that India has institutionalized a significant part of Ambedkar’s vision through social action, however, enduring inequality, exclusion, and a negative balance in the country’s public finances diminishes this embrace. The analysis shows that the constitutional morality porously hovered with the neglect of constitutive policies, redistributive action, and exploitative economics on the periphery, resulting in the erosion of social democracy. The study argues the revival of Ambedkar’s moral economics framework which calls for policy integration on the triad of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. The morality of the constitution must be bolstered for Ambedkar’s vision of India to be actualized.