In the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, "relief of the disabled and unemployable" is included in which list?

Introduction / Context:

The Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India distributes legislative subjects between the Union and the States through the Union List, State List, and Concurrent List. Social welfare topics, such as relief of the disabled and unemployable, have to be assigned to one of these lists. Understanding where such subjects are placed helps in knowing which level of government has primary responsibility for laws and schemes related to vulnerable groups. This question specifically asks about the list in which relief of the disabled and unemployable is included.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The subject is relief of the disabled and unemployable.
• We must determine in which list of the Seventh Schedule this subject appears.
• Options include Union, State, Global, Concurrent, and Residuary list.
• We assume the standard constitutional scheme of division of powers.

Concept / Approach:

The State List contains subjects related to public order, public health, and local welfare, as these are best handled by state governments who are closer to local needs. Relief of the disabled and unemployable is typically a welfare function that involves local level implementation and variation according to regional requirements. Therefore, it is listed in the State List. The Union List is reserved for national importance issues like defence and foreign affairs, while the Concurrent List involves shared subjects like criminal law or marriage. Thus, logic and constitutional design both point to the State List as the correct answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

A quick verification method is to recall that entries related to public health, sanitation, hospitals, and social assistance for the disabled and unemployed are often grouped in the State List to allow tailored policy. Certain broader aspects of labour and social security may also appear in the Concurrent List, but specific relief measures for disabled and unemployable persons are clearly situated in the State List. This pattern of welfare subjects being largely under state jurisdiction confirms your choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

The Union List focuses on subjects of national and international significance and does not include this highly localised welfare subject. Global is not a category recognised in the Constitution and is only a distractor. The Concurrent List is used for subjects that require uniformity and joint responsibility, such as criminal law and marriage, whereas relief of the disabled and unemployable is not a typical concurrent area. The residuary list is not a separate schedule but refers to unspecified subjects; however, in this case the subject is specifically enumerated, so it cannot be residuary.

Common Pitfalls:

A common error is to assume that anything related to welfare or disability might be in the Concurrent List, because social security sometimes involves both Union and State governments. However, the Constitution carefully distinguishes between broad labour and social security matters and specific welfare functions like relief of the disabled and unemployable. Reading the entries of the State List in a good polity text helps prevent such confusion. Another pitfall is to be misled by the term residuary without checking whether the subject is actually named in any list.

Final Answer:

The subject relief of the disabled and unemployable is included in the State List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.