Why in the News?

On October 3, the Supreme Court in Sukanya Shantha v. Union of India (2024) struck down caste-based segregation in prisons, deeming it discriminatory and a violation of prisoners’ fundamental rights to equality.

What are the key findings regarding caste-based discrimination in Indian prisons?

• Prevalence of Caste-based Roles: The recent Supreme Court decision in Sukanya Shantha v. Union of India (2024) highlighted discriminatory practices based on caste within Indian prisons.
  • Specifically, prisoners from marginalized castes were relegated to menial labour like cleaning, while other prisoners were assigned tasks such as cooking. This segregation was rooted in prison manuals that cited traditional caste roles.
• Violation of Fundamental Rights: The Supreme Court ruled that such caste-based segregation violates Articles 14 (Right to Equality) and 15 (Prohibition of Discrimination) of the Indian Constitution. The Court noted that assigning prison labour based solely on caste perpetuates harmful caste hierarchies and obstructs prisoners’ equal rights to reform and rehabilitation.
• Historical Precedents: Previous cases like Prem Shankar Shukla v. Delhi Administration (1980) and Inacio Manuel Miranda v. State (1988) also struck down irrational classifications within prison rules that discriminated based on economic or social status, reiterating that discrimination in any form within prisons is unconstitutional.

What actions has the Supreme Court mandated to combat this discrimination?

• Abolition of Caste-based Job Assignments: The Supreme Court directed that prison rules segregating labour assignments based on caste be abolished. It ordered that job assignments within prisons must reflect prisoners’ individual abilities and should not perpetuate caste stereotypes.
• Amendment of State Prison Rules: The Court instructed state governments to review and amend existing prison rules that institutionalize caste-based roles, ensuring that prisons become more inclusive and non-discriminatory spaces.

What challenges remain in implementing these reforms effectively?

• Resistance to Cultural Change: Prison administrations may resist or be slow in adapting to changes in labour assignments and other reforms, given the deeply ingrained social norms and bureaucratic rigidity.
• Lack of Resources and Training: Ensuring non-discriminatory job assignments will require retraining prison staff to implement reforms sensitively. Resource limitations and an undertrained workforce can impede effective reform.
• Need for Comprehensive Prison Reforms: While the Court’s decision targets caste-based discrimination, broader systemic reforms are needed, such as improving prison conditions, expanding prisoner rights to amenities, and aligning all states with the Model Prison Manual 2016 for consistent standards across India.

Way forward: 

• Comprehensive Training and Monitoring: Implement mandatory training for prison staff on anti-discrimination practices, coupled with regular monitoring to ensure caste-neutral job assignments and adherence to reformed rules.
• Standardized Prison Reform Across States: Uniformly adopt the Model Prison Manual 2016 nationwide, with added emphasis on equality and dignity for all prisoners, ensuring consistent and humane treatment across all states.

Mains PYQ:

Q “Caste system is assuming new identities and associational forms. Hence, caste system cannot be eradicated in India.” Comment. (UPSC IAS/2018)

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