Lok Sabha Question No. 4257 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-19
Subject: SC and ST Prisoners
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4257

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 19 TH AUGUST, 2025/SHRAVAN 28, 1947 (SAKA)

SC AND ST PRISONERS

4257. SHRI SAPTAGIRI SANKAR ULAKA:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) the number of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe persons lodged in prisons as under-trials as on 30June2025, State-wise;

(b) the number of SC and ST persons in prisons as convicted prisoners on the same date, State-wise;

(c)  the  share  (inpercent)  of  SC  and  ST  under-trials  related  to  the  total under-trial population in each State;

(d)whether any study has been undertaken since2023 to examine delays in  investigation,  charge-sheet  filing  and  trial  completion  for  SC/ST accused, and, if so, the details of key findings; and

(e)  the  steps  being  taken,  to  fast-track  courts,  legal-aid  expansion, periodic  bail  review  and  reduce  prolonged  pre-trial  detention  of  SC/ST persons?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI BANDI SANJAY KUMAR)

(a)  to  (c):  The  National  Crime  Records  Bureau  (NCRB)  compiles  prison statistics  reported  to  it  by  the  States  and  Union  Territories  (UTs)  and publishes  the  same  in  its  annual  publication  'Prison  Statistics  India.' The  latest  published  data  is of the year 2022.  Details of State/UT-wise

## L.S.US.Q.NO. 4257 FOR 19.08.2025

number  of  undertrial  prisoners  in  the  jails  of  the  country,  number  of undertrial prisoners belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs)and Scheduled Tribes  (STs)  and  their  percentage  with  respect  to  total  undertrial population,  as  on  31.12.2022,  are  given  in  Annexure-I.  State/UT-wise number of convicts belonging to SCs & STs as on 31.12.2022 are given in Annexure-II.

(d): 'Police', 'Public Order', 'Prisons' and 'persons detained therein' are State-list subjects under List II of the Seventh  Schedule  to the Constitution of India. States/UTs are competent to undertake appropriate  studies  in  their  respective  jurisdictions  for  examining  the issue of  delay  in  investigation,  charge -sheet filing  and  trial  completion for all prisoners, including SC/ST undertrial prisoners.

(e): Administration  and  management  of  prisons  and  prisoners  is  the responsibility  of  respective  State  Governments since  'Prisons/persons detained th erein' is a State -list subject. Therefore, it is for the respective State/UT Governments to periodically assess the requirement of  establishing  Fast  Track  Courts,  legal  aid  expansion,  undertake  bail review issues for reducing prolonged pre-trial detention in their respective jurisdictions. However, the Ministry of Home Affair has also been  supplementing  the  efforts  of   the  States/UTs  in  this  regard  by

## L.S.US.Q.NO. 4257 FOR 19.08.2025

issuing guidelines in the form of various advisories issued from time to time and by introducing Central Schemes like Support to Poor Prisoners, etc.

The  State Legal Services Authorities have  established Legal Service Clinics in the jails of the country for providing free legal aid to all persons  in  need,  including  SC/ST  prisoners.  Such  clinics  have  been established  in  jails  to  ensure  that  no  prisoner  remains  unrepresented and legal aid and advice is provided to the prisoners.  Additionally, the National  Legal  Services  Authority  (NALSA)  also  conducts  awareness camps in the jails for generating awareness about the availability of free legal aid, plea bargaining, Lok Adalats, and the legal rights of inmates, including  their  right  to  bail.  Trial  hearings  through  Video  Conference have  also  been  enabled  between  the  court  complexes  and  jails  for expediting the trial process.

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State/UT-wise total number of undertrial prisoners in the jails of the country, number of undertrial  prisoners  belonging  to  Scheduled  Castes  (SCs)  and  Scheduled  Tribes  (STs) and their percentage with respect to total undertrial population, as on 31.12.2022

| S. No.   | State/UT          |   Total undertrial prisoners | SC Undertrial Prisoners   | Percentage of SC Undertrial Prisoners   | ST Undertrial Prisoners   | Percentage of ST Undertrial Prisoners   |
|----------|-------------------|------------------------------|---------------------------|-----------------------------------------|---------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh    |                         5123 | 1478                      | 28.85%                                  | 1186                      | 23.15%                                  |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh |                          184 | 0                         | 0.00%                                   | 122                       | 66.30%                                  |
| 3        | Assam             |                         8608 | 882                       | 10.25%                                  | 1144                      | 13.29%                                  |
| 4        | Bihar             |                        57537 | 11826                     | 20.55%                                  | 2046                      | 3.56%                                   |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh      |                        12820 | 2292                      | 17.88%                                  | 4044                      | 31.54%                                  |
| 6        | Goa               |                          572 | 67                        | 11.71%                                  | 84                        | 14.69%                                  |
| 7        | Gujarat           |                        11129 | 1381                      | 12.41%                                  | 1541                      | 13.85%                                  |
| 8        | Haryana           |                        19279 | 5004                      | 25.96%                                  | 997                       | 5.17%                                   |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh  |                         1926 | 562                       | 29.18%                                  | 55                        | 2.86%                                   |
| 10       | Jharkhand         |                        14786 | 2572                      | 17.39%                                  | 4056                      | 27.43%                                  |
| 11       | Karnataka         |                        12605 | 2711                      | 21.51%                                  | 1135                      | 9.00%                                   |
| 12       | Kerala            |                         5610 | 960                       | 17.11%                                  | 194                       | 3.46%                                   |
| 13       | Madhya Pradesh    |                        26877 | 5661                      | 21.06%                                  | 5706                      | 21.23%                                  |
| 14       | Maharashtra ##    |                        32883 | -                         | -                                       | -                         | -                                       |
| 15       | Manipur           |                          592 | 1                         | 0.17%                                   | 200                       | 33.78%                                  |
| 16       | Meghalaya         |                          829 | 101                       | 12.18%                                  | 631                       | 76.12%                                  |
| 17       | Mizoram           |                         1049 | 31                        | 2.96%                                   | 1009                      | 96.19%                                  |
| 18       | Nagaland          |                          302 | 54                        | 17.88%                                  | 214                       | 70.86%                                  |
| 19       | Odisha            |                        16058 | 4907                      | 30.56%                                  | 3741                      | 23.30%                                  |
| 20       | Punjab            |                        24198 | 8306                      | 34.33%                                  | 1004                      | 4.15%                                   |
| 21       | Rajasthan         |                        19233 | 4171                      | 21.69%                                  | 2934                      | 15.26%                                  |
| 22       | Sikkim            |                          268 | 44                        | 16.42%                                  | 60                        | 22.39%                                  |
| 23       | Tamil Nadu        |                        11564 | 3552                      | 30.72%                                  | 237                       | 2.05%                                   |
| 24       | Telangana         |                         4221 | 901                       | 21.35%                                  | 629                       | 14.90%                                  |
| 25       | Tripura           |                          735 | 139                       | 18.91%                                  | 163                       | 22.18%                                  |
| 26       | Uttar Pradesh     |                        94131 | 24693                     | 26.23%                                  | 5209                      | 5.53%                                   |
| 27       | Uttarakhand       |                         4722 | 1388                      | 29.39%                                  | 220                       | 4.66%                                   |
| 28       | West Bengal       |                        23706 | 2911                      | 12.28%                                  | 946                       | 3.99%                                   |
| 29       | A & N Islands     |                          173 | 0                         | 0.00%                                   | 14                        | 8.09%                                   |
| 30       | Chandigarh        |                          832 | 251                       | 30.17%                                  | 1                         | 0.12%                                   |
| 31       | DNH & Daman Diu   |                          162 | 6                         | 3.70%                                   | 50                        | 30.86%                                  |
| 32       | Delhi             |                        16759 | 3698                      | 22.07%                                  | 294                       | 1.75%                                   |
| 33       | Jammu & Kashmir   |                         4587 | 335                       | 7.30%                                   | 335                       | 7.30%                                   |
| 34       | Ladakh            |                           26 | 0                         | 0.00%                                   | 14                        | 53.85%                                  |
| 35       | Lakshadweep       |                            6 | 0                         | 0.00%                                   | 6                         | 100.00%                                 |
| 36       | Puducherry        |                          210 | 66                        | 31.43%                                  | 0                         | 0.00%                                   |
|          | Total             |                       434302 | 90951                     | 20.94%                                  | 40221                     | 9.26%                                   |

##  -  Maharashtra  has  not  provided  a  separate  breakup  of  prisoners  belonging  to SC/ST community.

## State/UT-wise  number  of  convicts  belonging  to  Scheduled  Castes  &  Scheduled Tribes as on 31.12.2022

| S. No.   | State/UT          | SC Convicts   | ST Convicts   |
|----------|-------------------|---------------|---------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh    | 695           | 426           |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh | 1             | 85            |
| 3        | Assam             | 353           | 469           |
| 4        | Bihar             | 1085          | 279           |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh      | 1447          | 2542          |
| 6        | Goa               | 9             | 7             |
| 7        | Gujarat           | 623           | 939           |
| 8        | Haryana           | 1470          | 314           |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh  | 296           | 26            |
| 10       | Jharkhand         | 731           | 1633          |
| 11       | Karnataka         | 675           | 454           |
| 12       | Kerala            | 472           | 125           |
| 13       | Madhya Pradesh    | 4631          | 4910          |
| 14       | Maharashtra ##    | -             | -             |
| 15       | Manipur           | 0             | 16            |
| 16       | Meghalaya         | 23            | 255           |
| 17       | Mizoram           | 10            | 518           |
| 18       | Nagaland          | 29            | 106           |
| 19       | Odisha            | 722           | 1011          |
| 20       | Punjab            | 2515          | 320           |
| 21       | Rajasthan         | 1366          | 888           |
| 22       | Sikkim            | 11            | 35            |
| 23       | Tamil Nadu        | 1566          | 144           |
| 24       | Telangana         | 365           | 252           |
| 25       | Tripura           | 91            | 133           |
| 26       | Uttar Pradesh     | 5943          | 1567          |
| 27       | Uttarakhand       | 519           | 97            |
| 28       | West Bengal       | 708           | 302           |
| 29       | A & N Islands     | 0             | 1             |
| 30       | Chandigarh        | 137           | 0             |
| 31       | DNH & Daman Diu   | 1             | 0             |
| 32       | Delhi             | 428           | 40            |
| 33       | Jammu & Kashmir   | 8             | 15            |
| 34       | Ladakh            | 0             | 1             |
| 35       | Lakshadweep       | 0             | 0             |
| 36       | Puducherry        | 22            | 0             |
|          | Total             | 26952         | 17910         |

##  -  Maharashtra  has  not  provided  a  separate  breakup  of  prisoners  belonging  to SC/ST community.

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