Supreme Court Ruling on Caste-Based Division of Labour in Prisons

• The Supreme Court declared caste-based division of labour in prisons as “unconstitutional” in India.
• The court, led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, struck down provisions in prison manuals that reinforced caste differences.
• The court highlighted provisions in prison manuals in states such as Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala that legitimized caste inequalities.
• The court noted that prison manuals continue to label marginalized communities as “habitual offenders” without any conviction, perpetuating colonial-era caste-based discrimination.
• The court ruled that prison manuals failed to benefit victims of caste discrimination and contravened Article 14 of the Constitution.
• The court ruled that differentiating between inmates based on “habit,” “custom,” “superior mode of living,” and “natural tendency to escape” offends principles of substantial equality.
• The court also noted that prison rules requiring food to be cooked by members of a “suitable caste” or “menial duties” to be exclusively performed by communities “accustomed” to such work constituted untouchability, prohibited under Article 17.
• The court ordered all States and Union Territories to amend their prison manuals and rules within three months to abolish such discriminatory practices.