Supreme Court Strikes Down Caste-Based Segregation and Labor in Indian Prisons

In a landmark judgment aimed at upholding constitutional morality within the criminal justice system, the Supreme Court of India has prohibited caste-based discrimination, segregation, and division of labor in prisons. The court observed that several state prison manuals continued to reflect colonial-era prejudices, where menial tasks like sweeping and cleaning were reserved for prisoners from 'lower' castes, while 'higher' castes were assigned cooking or clerical duties. The Bench emphasized that the right to live with dignity, enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution, extends to incarcerated individuals. It ruled that assigning work based on caste identity is a direct violation of Article 14 (Equality before law), Article 15 (Prohibition of discrimination), and Article 17 (Abolition of untouchability). The court noted that such practices effectively institutionalize untouchability within state-run facilities, which is antithetical to the transformative vision of the Indian Constitution.