In a society ridden with caste prejudices, illiteracy and a narrow sectarian outlook, social legislation can be introduced only in stages, Century-old customs, traditions and beliefs, howsoever primitive they may look to the modern eye, cannot be overthrown overnight. To mould Indian society consisting of several religious, faiths, linguistic and ethnic groups and sub-cultures into one compact unit is a herculean task by any standard. One can reform society through welfare measures, persuasion or by legislation. The first two measures failed to make any appreciable impact; they have failed to touch the downtrodden millions who needed it most. Even the legislative measures could not root out many evils in our society. A pioneering study on Social Legislation in India: Its role in social welfare, was published in 1956. Much change has taken place since. The present comprehensive study in two volumes updates the earlier study. The first volume contains the factual statement of the various social legislations at present in the statute book. The emphasis is necessarily on legislation dealing with personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and the like. Volume two is the work of specialists, who have discussed at length the various enactments, dealing with specific problems. They have pointed out the extent to which laws have tried to bring about social change or the new possibilities that legislation can open up.
