Consider the following statements: 1. The State cannot prevent any citizen from using public bathing ghats. 2. Article 15 does not prevent the State from making any special provisions for citizens of socially and educationally backward classes. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Explanation

Article 15 provides that no citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public entertainment; or the use of wells, tanks, bathing ghats, roads and places of public resort maintained wholly or partly out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the general public. However, if a person is suffering from a life-threatening infectious disease, the state can prevent that person from using public bathing ghats to ensure public safety. Therefore, statement 1 is not correct. But Article 15 does not prevent the state from making special provisions for socially and educationally backward classes. Thus, statement 2 is correct.