The advisory was sent to the Principal Secretary (Home) and Director General/Inspector General of Prisons in all states and UTs. The MHA emphasized its continuous efforts to support prison authorities across the country, providing financial aid for technology-driven projects and sharing best practices and guidelines for efficient prison administration.
The advisory highlighted concerns about some states' jail manuals permitting the segregation of prisoners based on caste and religion, leading to caste-based assignment of duties in prisons. It underscored that the Constitution of India strictly prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, or place of birth.
Referring to the Model Prison Manual, 2016, circulated to all states and UTs, the advisory pointed out that it explicitly prohibits caste and religion-based discrimination in the management of kitchens or cooking. It further stressed that any special treatment to a specific caste or religious group is strictly prohibited.
The MHA clarified that no classification of prisoners based on socio-economic status, caste, or class would be allowed. States and UTs were urged to review and amend their prison manuals or acts if any discriminatory provisions exist.
The advisory reiterated the prohibition of caste-based assignment of duties in prisons and emphasized the importance of medical care for prisoners. It advised states and UTs to conduct regular health check-ups, annual check-ups, and specific screenings for infectious diseases, mental well-being, and special health check-ups for women and transgender prisoners.
The MHA highlighted the e-prisons project, an initiative for IT solutions and automation of prison operations. States and UTs were requested to update the prisoner database on the e-prisons platform regularly for efficient prison management. The advisory emphasized the need to enter complete information and encouraged authorities to pay serious attention to the regular updating of entries in the e-prisons portal.
(Inputs from ANI)
