India is a country of diversity. It is a hub of different religions, castes and cultures. However, the Indian society is characterized by a highly entrenched system of social stratification. It is these social inequalities that created the barriers of denial of access to materials, cultural and educational resources to the disadvantaged groups of society. These disadvantaged groups are SCs, STs, women, OBC (non-creamy layer), minorities and physically challenged persons. It is clear from the demographic factors that a large section of population of our country is still disadvantaged and marginalized. Rigid compartmentalized caste system forced SCs to be socially deprived to render services without any claim on returns. The deprivation of dignity, identity and rights resulted in their dehumanization and humiliation. The toils and tears of STs were not very different from those of SCs. The STs were isolated, neglected and exploited. Both SCs and STs continue to suffer from social disabilities even today. Women, victims of the past traditions and customs of the Indian society, were considered to be unequal and inferior. Even today women are being oppressed. Since gender disparity is known to lead to serious social imbalance, it is essential to neutralize these distortions of the past. The minorities including Muslims, Sikhs,