Dr. Ambedkar's idea of social justice leads to 'egalitarian justice' as compared to Rawls' 'justice as fairness 'which aims at the notion of 'pure procedural justice.' Comment.

Rawls in his work 'A Theory of Justice' (1971) mentioned that justice is the first virtue of social institutions just like truth is the first virtue of any system of thought. Justice is one of the central ideas of Political theory which has been dealt with by scholars from ancient times like Plato and Aristotle to contemporary times like Amartya Sen and Jean Dreze. There are two approaches to justice- procedural and substantive.While John Rawls supported the former, Dr Ambedkar supported the latter.

John Rawls theory is purely procedural in nature as it is based on development of overlapping consensus with regard to distribution of primary social goods in the society. Rawls gave the principles of distributive justice using a hypothetical thought experiment. He held that when people are made to stand behind a veil of ignorance where they have no knowledge about their attributes, class, social status or their own conceptions of good, they could arrive at certain principles to attain a just society.

Based on overlapping consensus rolls gave two principles of justice.

1. Greatest equal Liberty principle: each person is to have equal right to the most expansive Liberty compatible with Liberty for all.

2. social and economic inequalities are to satisfy two conditions:  (I) they are to be to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged members of the society(the difference principle). (II) they are to be attached to offices and positions open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity (equal opportunity principle)

Rawls theory of justice is based on fairness as by giving difference principle he makes it clear that inequalities are allowed only when they benefit the least advantaged. Hence according to Rawls, inequalities can actually be just as long as they benefit the least well off.

Rawls' difference principle is meant not to replace inequality with equality in income and wealth but to transform unfair or unjust degrees or kinds of economic inequalities into a fair or just kind or degree bybmaximizing the benefits of least advantaged.

However, contrary to Rawls purely procedural theory of justice, Dr Ambedkar gave the idea of social justice which leads to egalitarian justice. During a speech in constituent assembly Dr Ambedkar said, "We are entering an era of political equality but socially and economically we remain a deeply unequal society. Unless we resolve this contradiction, inequality will destroy our democracy."

He was a great social liberal. His vision was to produce a new social order based on the principles of justice, equality and fraternity. Social justice, according to Dr. Ambedkar, involves equality- both social and economic, and fraternity with a view to create such human conditions that ensure free and fair development of all human beings.

Due to widespread social inequalities, the concept of social justice requires preferential treatment for allertain sections of the population which have been deprived for ages, with a view to bring them on anequal footing with other sections of population. As a result, being the chairman of drafting committee of constitution of India, Dr Ambedkar championed preferential treatment for socially and educationally backward classes under article 15 and 16 of Indian constitution. Hence Dr. Ambedkar wanted social justicet o form the base of political democracy.

Findings of Oxfam report and continuation of discrimination on the basis of caste/race across the world reflects that social economic inequalities are still widely prevalent. Hence the idea of justice of both- Dr Ambedkar and John Rawls hold relevance. To do away with the vast social economic inequalities, multiple tools/methods like preferential treatment, government schemes for vulnerable sections, progressive taxation and corporate social responsibility should be effectively used.