{"id":34749,"date":"2025-01-03T18:29:42","date_gmt":"2025-01-03T12:59:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=34749"},"modified":"2025-01-03T18:29:43","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T12:59:43","slug":"centre-amends-prison-manual-caste-inequality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/03-01-2025\/centre-amends-prison-manual-caste-inequality","title":{"rendered":"Centre Amends Prison Manual To Address Caste-Based Inequality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Polity and Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recently, the Union Home Ministry has amended the <strong>Model Prison Manual (2016) and the Model Prisons and Correctional Services Act (2023)<\/strong> to address and eliminate caste-based discrimination within prisons across the country.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Earlier, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/04-10-2024\/caste-bias-and-segregation-in-prisons\">Supreme Court of India<\/a> highlighted the pervasive issue of caste-based discrimination along with overcrowding, inadequate prison staff, and poor treatment of prisoners among prisoners.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Prison Manual in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>&#8216;Prisons&#8217; is a State subject<\/strong> under the <strong>State List of the Seventh Schedule<\/strong> to the Constitution of India.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The management and administration of Prisons falls <strong>exclusively in the domain of the State Governments<\/strong>, and is governed by the <strong>Prisons Act, 1894<\/strong> and the <strong>Prison Manuals of the respective State Governments.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Model Prison Manual,<\/strong> prepared by the <strong><em>Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&amp;D)<\/em><\/strong> under the <strong>Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)<\/strong>, serves as a comprehensive guide for the superintendence and management of prisons in India.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It ensures uniformity in the basic principles governing prisons across states and union territories.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Additionally, the <strong>Model Prisons and Correctional Services Act, 2023,<\/strong> was introduced to address all relevant issues relating to prison administration comprehensively.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Current Scenario<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>National Crime Records Bureau&#8217;s Prison Statistics of India 2022<\/strong> revealed that <strong>Scheduled Castes account for 22.4%<\/strong> of the prison population, while <strong>Scheduled Tribes make up 11%,<\/strong> despite representing only about 8.6% of the general population.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It highlights the deep-rooted caste-based disparities that extend into the criminal justice system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Issues such as the division of <em>manual labor, segregation of barracks, and discriminatory provisions<\/em> against <strong>denotified tribes and \u2018habitual offenders\u2019<\/strong> have been brought to light.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Judicial Interventions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>Supreme Court of India<\/strong> declared several provisions in state prison manuals <strong>unconstitutional <\/strong>for <strong><em>violating Articles 14, 15, 17, 21, and 23<\/em><\/strong> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/04-10-2024\/caste-bias-and-segregation-in-prisons\">Constitution of India.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The judgment directed all states and union territories to revise their prison manuals to eliminate discriminatory practices within three months.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Features of the Model Prison Manual (2016)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Institutional Framework:<\/strong> The manual outlines the organizational structure of prisons, including the roles and responsibilities of prison staff.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It emphasizes the need for a well-defined hierarchy to ensure efficient management.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Custodial Management:<\/strong> It focuses on the procedures for the admission, classification, and transfer of prisoners.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It includes guidelines for maintaining discipline and security within the prison.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Medical Care:<\/strong> The manual provides detailed instructions on the medical examination and treatment of prisoners.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It highlights the importance of regular health check-ups and the provision of adequate medical facilities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rehabilitation and Welfare:<\/strong> One of the key objectives of the manual is the reformation and rehabilitation of prisoners.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It includes provisions for vocational training, education, and after-care programs to help prisoners reintegrate into society.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Special Categories of Prisoners:<\/strong> The manual addresses the needs of specific groups such as women prisoners, young offenders, and high-security prisoners.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It includes guidelines for their treatment and management.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Provisions of the Recent Amendment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Prohibition of Caste-Based Discrimination:<\/strong> The new rules explicitly prohibit any form of discrimination, classification, or segregation of prisoners based on their caste.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It includes the allocation of duties and work within the prison.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Implementation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013:<\/strong> The provisions of this Act are now binding within prisons and correctional institutions.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It means that manual scavenging or hazardous cleaning of sewers or septic tanks inside prisons is strictly prohibited.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Definition of Habitual Offenders:<\/strong> The amendments address the definition of habitual offenders, ensuring that it aligns with the <strong>Supreme Court\u2019s directives<\/strong> and the existing legislation in various states.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Impact and Significance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Promoting Equality<\/strong>: Recent amendments are a crucial step towards creating a more equitable and humane prison system in India.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>By implementing these reforms, the government is taking concrete steps to address systemic inequalities and ensure that the principles of equality and non-discrimination are upheld within the prison system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Human Rights &amp; Social Justice:<\/strong> The changes reflect a broader commitment to upholding human rights and promoting social justice within the criminal justice system.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>By addressing caste-based discrimination, the government aims to ensure that all prisoners are treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their social background.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/centre-amends-prison-manual-to-address-caste-based-inequality-9755414\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: IE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Recently, the Union Home Ministry has amended the Model Prison Manual (2016) and the Model Prisons and Correctional Services Act (2023) to address and eliminate caste-based discrimination within prisons across the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34749"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34750,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34749\/revisions\/34750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}