Over 97% of Untouchability Cases Still Pending in Courts: Government Report

fast Summary

• The 2022 annual report on the Protection of Civil Rights Act (PCR Act), 1955, was released by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• The number of cases registered under the PCR Act for offences related to “untouchability” declined, with only 13 cases reported in 2022 across Jammu and Kashmir (5), Karnataka (5), Maharashtra (2), and Himachal Pradesh (1).
• Of 51 pending cases with police in 2022, chargesheets were filed in only 12. At court level, out of 31 disposed cases, one resulted in conviction while the remaining led to acquittals. Pendency exceeded 97%.
• States/UTs provided no data declaring any area as “untouchability-prone.”
• Incentives for inter-caste marriages were provided to about 18,936 couples across India; Maharashtra reported the highest number (4,100 beneficiaries). Several states did not submit data regarding these incentives.
• Implementation gaps noted: Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland among others submitted nil facts; Manipur did not provide input despite repeated reminders.
• A contrast was noted between PCR Act case registration and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act registrations – higher at over 62K reported in 2022.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The declining trend in PCR Act case registration may point towards legislative redundancy given its overlap with broader anti-discrimination laws like the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities act enacted later.However, persistent high pendency rates coupled with an alarmingly low conviction rate under this law reflect systemic inefficiencies within legal enforcement mechanisms and judicial processes.

The absence of recognition for “untouchability-prone” areas or complete input from several states emphasizes uneven implementation across regions-a critically important bottleneck when addressing deeply ingrained caste-based discrimination nationwide. Increased financial incentives for inter-caste marriages mark progress but remain regionally skewed due to discrepancies in reporting.

While legislative frameworks exist, their effective implementation remains a challenge that continues reinforcing caste-based inequities-highlighting a larger socio-political issue requiring multi-dimensional approaches beyond legal provisions.

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