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Equity

noun (uncountable)
/ˈekwɪti/
The principle of fairness that recognises individuals have unequal starting points and therefore require differentiated support to achieve genuinely equal outcomes, as distinct from mere formal equality. In development discourse, equity demands that policy interventions account for structural disadvantages of caste, gender, and geography. The 15th Finance Commission (2021–26) operationalised equity by allocating 12.5% of the vertical devolution pool on the basis of demographic performance and forest cover to address inter-state developmental disparities.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

The National Education Policy 2020 explicitly foregrounds equity as a guiding principle, mandating additional public investment in Aspirational Districts and emphasising foundational literacy for girls, tribal children, and children with disabilities.

Synonyms

fairnessimpartialityjusticeevenhandednessredressproportionality

Antonyms

inequitybiasdisparitydiscriminationinequality

🌱 Word Family

equitable (adjective), equitably (adverb), inequity (noun), inequitable (adjective)

🔡 Root

Latin aequitas = evenness, fairness, from aequus = equal, level; -itas = abstract noun suffix

📜 Etymology

From Latin aequitas (fairness, justice), through Old French equité into Middle English by the 14th century. In English legal tradition, equity referred to the body of law administered by Courts of Chancery that corrected the rigidities of common law; in modern social-policy usage, it shifted toward the sense of substantive fairness as opposed to mere formal equality.

🧠 Memory Hook

Equity ≠ Equality: picture two people of different heights trying to see over a fence — equality gives each the same-sized box; equity gives shorter people a taller box. The root aequus (level) means making the ground level, not the input.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Equity” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

⚖️ Social Justice 📖 Seen in: Dalit Rights & SC/ST Atrocities Act — ...

More Social Justice words

Affirmative actionAmeliorationAssimilationAtrocityCaste MobilityCreamy layerDalitDalit AssertionDe-notified TribesDeprivationDestitutionDiscrimination

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