Prison segregation, caste bias degrade dignity: SC

• The Supreme Court ruled that caste-based discrimination against prisoners, segregation of work based on caste hierarchy, and treatment of de-notified tribes as “habitual offenders” are oppressive to human dignity and personality.
• The court ordered the revision of prison manuals within three months and the deletion of caste references from prison registers.
• The court emphasized that members of denotified tribes should not be subjected to arbitrary arrest.
• The court referred to Article 15(1) of the Constitution, which enshrines the fundamental right against discrimination.
• The court ruled that discrimination among prisoners and work distribution based on caste constitutes untouchability, forbidden under Article 17 of the Constitution.