Origin of Welfare state

The term ''welfare state'' has its origin in the term ''WHQL FARR STAAT (Welfare State). It probably looks back to ''welfare budget of 1909'' and owes something to German ’Whol Fahr Staat'' of the same period. American conservatives in United States used welfare measures in Roosevelt regime in ''New Deal'' and brought into operational welfare measures like National Assurance, National Insurance, and National Health Service etc.

According to Robson the origin of welfare state is from these sources:

1. From French Revolution came the ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity;
2. From Utilitarianism came the ideas of the greatest happiness of the greatest number;
3. From Bismark and Beveridge came the ideas of social insurance and social security;
4. From Fabian socialists came the ideas of public ownership and basic industries and essential services;
5. From John Maynard Keynes came the doctrines controlling trade cycles and avoiding mass employment;
6. From Sydney Bestrico Webb came the ideas banishing poverty, and introducing the industrial democratic role of Trade Unions and cleaning base of society.
7. From Titmus and Hobhouse and Leonard came various other ideas.

Against the background of various social problems and conditions Great Britain became the foremost pioneer of welfare state measures in its efforts to solve its practical problems. It is for this reason Maurice Bryce says ''Welfare State is a practical answer to the British problems of industrial development and mass society.

The primary functions of a welfare state are :

1. i) To afford equality of opportunity;
2. ii) To afford basic standards of living; in keeping with human dignity to all;

The concept of Welfare State reached its maturity in the Twentieth Century; the State now takes care of the welfare of all the people.

Western .vs. Gandhian concept of welfare state

1. Gandhi''s concept of social welfare was ''Sarvodaya'' based on a healthy give and take between the individual and society; each contributing to the other''s moral, spiritual, economic arid social progress, prosperity and happiness, based on the firm foundation of truth and non-violence. Examined from all angles, this concept enveloped the field of social welfare in its entirety, unlike the modem western concept.
2. In the western concept of social welfare there lies a sense of giver and receiver even in today''s institutional and citizen-right concept. This may be due to the fact that the present concept has developed from the initial residual concept of charity. In the Gandhian concept there is no giving or receiving. As said earlier, it is a total perspective, not divided into areas, i.e. the total individual or society has to "reform and thus build up the. society on a moral concept of happiness which covers all other aspects. The individual contributes to the society and the society helps the individual.
3. The modem concept of social welfare developed in the West with the onset of industrialization and hence into that of citizen- right. The Gandhian concept has been built up in India, where social welfare was woven in the fabric of its society since time immemorial. Help to the needy was enjoined by ''dharma'' for the joint families, communities and kings. Gandhi went a step further and for him, rights and duties Went hand-in-hand. Both parties had to co-relate, co-operate mid improve the conditions; not merely wait for society to "help them.
4. In the modern concept, the welfare services consist of help in one form or another and the emphasis is on help in the form of money or material or services obtained through them. In the Gandhian concept the emphasis is on the human aspect and the dependence to contribute to social welfare is not on money or materials alone. This being a total perspective, the reform or the reconstruction had to start at the grass-root levele. the village level, gradually reaching the seat of the government.