On Tuesday, the Supreme Court mandated a two-week deadline for all states and Union Territories to submit compliance reports concerning the eradication of discriminatory practices based on caste, gender, or disability in their prison systems. The directive is part of an ongoing effort to reform jail conditions and align them with constitutional values of equality.
Justice JB Pardiwala, leading the bench, issued the order during a hearing of a suo motu case initiated by the court to address internal jail discrimination. This follows a landmark ruling from October last year, which demanded the removal of any discriminatory provisions from jail manuals and the equitable allocation of responsibilities and activities within the facilities.
During the proceedings, Senior Advocate S Muralidhar, serving as amicus curiae, noted that while many states and Union Territories have already submitted their reports, several—including Telangana, Haryana, Punjab, Manipur, Assam, Chhattisgarh, and the National Capital Territory of Delhi—have yet to comply. Representatives for most of these states claimed that their reports were submitted, though they were not reflected in the court’s records.
Justice Pardiwala, along with Justice R Mahadevan, scheduled the next hearing for March 4, emphasizing that this would be the final opportunity for any pending submissions. The case was initially sparked by a petition from journalist Sukanya Shantha, who highlighted ingrained caste biases in several state prison manuals. In response, the Supreme Court had previously ordered an overhaul of both the Model Prison Manual 2016 and the Model Prison Consolidation of Services Act, 2013.
Furthermore, the court reiterated the importance of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in compiling comprehensive prisoner data without interference, ensuring that necessary demographic details continue to inform broader criminal justice policies.
