Article 15(3) allows the State to make special provisions for:

Explanation

Article 15 lays down the general rule of non-discrimination, but clause (3) works as a clear enabling exception. It permits the State to make special provisions for women and children, so measures such as reservations or special laws for these groups are not treated as violating Article 15's equality rule. The key is the beneficiary group named in the clause: women and children. The other options belong either to different clauses of Article 15 or are not covered by this clause at all. For RAS, the trap is usually not the broad idea of equality, but matching the exact Article 15 sub-clause with the correct protected group.

Why the other options are wrong

• (B) Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes fall under Article 15(4), so this option mixes up a different enabling clause with Article 15(3).
• (C) Religious minorities are not named in Article 15(3), and the given Article 15 explanation does not create this special-provision category for them.
• (D) Economically weaker sections are linked to Article 15(6), added by the 103rd Amendment, not to Article 15(3).

Concept

This tests Fundamental Rights, especially equality and constitutionally permitted protective classification. It recurs in RAS because Article 15 questions often turn on the exact sub-clause and beneficiary group.

Source

• Ministry of Education, Government of India

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