Lok Sabha Question No. 411 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-02
Subject: Existence of Untouchability
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Shri Anil Yeshwant Desai

## GOVERNMENT OX'INDIA MINISTRY OT'SOCIAL JUSTICE A}{D EMPOWERMENT LOKSABHA

UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.41 I

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.T2.2025

## E)(ISTENCE  OF I]NTOUCHABILITY

## 411. SHRI AIIIIL YESIIWANT DESAI:

## WilI the Minister  of SOCIAL JUSTICE AIID EMPOWERMENT  be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  there  is existence  of any type of untouchability  in any part of any States of the country,  ifso, the details thereof,  State-wise;
- (b) the steps taken by the Govemment to issue any guideline to the States to ensure tlat there is no discrimination  on the basis ofcaste ofany person;
- (c) whether  there is any instance of misuse of SC/ST laws to frame any individual, if so, the details of the legal  provisions  are there to award any punishment  for the misuse to frame any individual;  and
- (d) the number  of cases pending under the provisions to SC/ST Act in various courts at the moment, State-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE  AND EMPOWERMENT (sHRr RAMDAS ATHAWALE)

- (a): National  Crimes Record Bureau (NCRB) compiles and publishes  statistical data on crimes in its publication  'Crime in India'. The published reports are available till the year 2023. As per the report,  provided  by NCRB, 24 cases of untouchability against  Scheduled castes and scheduled  Tribes under the Protection  of civil Rights (PCR) Act, 1955 are reported for the year 2023.
- (b): Article 17 of the Constitution  of lndia abolished  'untouchability',  forbade  its practice  and made enforcement  of any disability  arising out of 'untouchability"  a punishable offence in accordance  with law. An Act of Parliament  namely the 'Protection  of civil Rights  (PCR) Act, 1955 prescribes punishment for enforcement of any disability arising from the practice of 'untouchability.  Another Act of Parliament  namely the Scheduled  Castes and the Scheduled Tribes  (Prevention  of Atrocities)  {PoA}  Act, 1989,  was enacted  to prevent atrocities against members of Scheduled  Castes (SCs) and Scheduled  Tribes (STs)' The SC/ST (PoA) Act, 1989 was amended  in the year of2016 and 2018 respectively and the Rules made thereunder were also revised.

At the Cenhal level, a Committee under the Chairpersonship  of the Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment,  with the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs  as Cochairpersory  and comprising  members from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice,  Department  of Justice,  National  Commission  for Scheduled Castes, National Commission  for Scheduled Tribes,  and three non- offrcial members (two from among  the SCs and one from the STs), reviews the implementation status of the Protection of CMI Rights (PCR) Act, 1955 and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled  Tribes (Prevention of Ahocities)  (PoA) Act 1989,  in States  and Union Territories.

Further, Deparhnent  also holds regular meetings with the State Govemments  and Union Territory  Administrations  to monitor the implementation of the PCR Act, 1955 and the SC/ST  @oA)  Act, 1989. State GovemmentVUT  administations are advised  to ensure preventing  of discrimination  on the basis  of cast of any person and implement  these Acts in letter and spirit. The Govemment of India, from time to time, has been issuing Advisories to State GovemmentVUT  Administrations for effective implementation  of Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) Act, 1955 and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes  @revention  of Atrocities)  Act 1989.

(c): Misuse have been reported by States  who act as per relevant  legal provisions.

(d): National  Crimes Record Bureau  (NCRB) compiles and publishes statistical data on crimes in its publication  'Crime in India'. The published reports are available till the year 2023. As per the report, provided  by NCRB, 3,07,355  cases aFe pending  in the court under the SC/ST  @oA)  AcL 1989 and 965 cases are pending in the court under the PCR Act 1955.

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