The
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment had sanctioned assistance for a
study on ‘Evaluation of the Protection of Civil Rights Acts,1955,
and its impact on the eradication of untouchability’, by the National Law
School of India University, Bengaluru, in 2004. The
study covered 24 villages in six States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya
Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, and
was conducted on sample basis. It indicated that practice of untouchability,
though declining still persists to some extent, and inter-alia, recommended
certain amendments in the Act, procedural reforms, prompt payment of
compensation to witnesses, and setting up of a Civil Rights Enforcement
Committee.
As per data provided by National Crime
Records Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs, State/Union Territory wise number of
cases registered by Police and the arrest made under the Protection of Civil
Rights Act, 1955, during calendar years 2006 to 2008, is given below :- .
State/Union
Territory wise number of cases registered by police and persons arrested under
the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, during 2006 to 2008.
|
|
States/UTs
|
Number of cases
registered
|
Number of persons arrested
|
|
States
|
|
1.
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
358
|
299
|
|
2.
|
Arunachal Pradesh
|
0
|
0
|
|
3.
|
Assam
|
1
|
0
|
|
4.
|
Bihar
|
2
|
2
|
|
5.
|
Chhattisgarh
|
0
|
0
|
|
6.
|
Goa
|
0
|
0
|
|
7.
|
Gujarat
|
10
|
22
|
|
8.
|
Haryana
|
2
|
0
|
|
9.
|
Himachal Pradesh
|
9
|
30
|
|
10.
|
Jammu & Kashmir
|
3
|
9
|
|
11.
|
Jharkhand
|
45
|
14
|
|
12.
|
Karnataka
|
61
|
246
|
|
13.
|
Kerala
|
0
|
0
|
|
14.
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
1
|
1
|
|
15.
|
Maharashtra
|
76
|
194
|
|
16.
|
Manipur
|
0
|
0
|
|
17.
|
Meghalaya
|
0
|
0
|
|
18.
|
Mizoram
|
0
|
0
|
|
19.
|
Nagaland
|
0
|
0
|
|
20.
|
Orissa
|
0
|
0
|
|
21.
|
Punjab
|
0
|
0
|
|
22.
|
Rajasthan
|
0
|
0
|
|
23.
|
Sikkim
|
1
|
6
|
|
24.
|
Tamil Nadu
|
93
|
149
|
|
25.
|
Tripura
|
0
|
0
|
|
26.
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
190
|
514
|
|
27.
|
Uttarakhand
|
0
|
0
|
|
28.
|
West Bengal
|
2
|
1
|
|
Union Territories
|
|
29.
|
A & N Islands
|
0
|
0
|
|
30.
|
Chandigarh
|
0
|
0
|
|
31.
|
D & N Haveli
|
0
|
0
|
|
32.
|
Daman & Diu
|
0
|
0
|
|
33.
|
Delhi
|
0
|
0
|
|
34.
|
Lakshadweep
|
0
|
0
|
|
35.
|
Puducherry
|
65
|
103
|
|
|
Total
|
919
|
1590
|
Calendar year
wise data is obtained from National Crime Records Bureau, Ministry of
Home Affairs, and final figures are not available for 2009 & 2010
Article
17 of the Constitution of India has abolished the practice of untouchability;
its practice in any form is forbidden and it is an offence punishable in
accordance with law. An Act of Parliament, namely, the Protection of Civil
Rights Act, 1955, prescribes punishment for the enforcement of any disability
arising from preaching and practice of untouchability. The said Act is implemented by the concerned
State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. With a view to
ensure effective implementation of
provisions of the Act,
central assistance is
provided to States/Union Territories, which includes strengthening of
the enforcement machinery, incentive for inter caste marriages and awareness
generation. They are requested to implement provisions of the Act in letter and
spirit. A high powered Committee constituted in 2006, under the Chairpersonship
of Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, with members from Ministries
of Home Affairs and Tribal Affairs, National Commission for Scheduled Castes,
National Commission for Scheduled Tribes and non- officials, also reviews implementation
of the Act in States/Union Territories. The Committee has so far held ten
meetings wherein the status of implementation of the Act in 24 States and 4 Union
Territories has been reviewed.
This information was given by Shri.
D. Napoleon, the Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment, in a
written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.
VBA/RS