Executive Summary:
This document presents the Ministry of Home Affairs' response to questions regarding Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) prisoners as of June 30, 2025. It provides state-wise data on the number of SC and ST undertrial and convicted prisoners as of December 31, 2022, compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The document addresses inquiries about studies on delays in the justice system for SC/ST accused and outlines steps being taken to address prolonged pretrial detention.
Key Points / Main Content:
Prison Statistics:
* Data on SC and ST prisoners is compiled by the NCRB and published in its annual "Prison Statistics India" publication.
* The latest available data is from 2022.
* Annexure I provides state/UT-wise data on undertrial prisoners, including the number of SC and ST undertrials and their percentage of the total undertrial population as of December 31, 2022.
* Annexure II provides state/UT-wise data on the number of convicts belonging to SCs and STs as of December 31, 2022.
Delays in Justice:
* Police, Public Order, Prisons, and detained persons are State List subjects under the Constitution.
* States/UTs are responsible for conducting studies on delays in investigation, chargesheet filing, and trial completion for all prisoners, including SC/ST undertrials.
Measures to Reduce Pretrial Detention:
* Administration and management of prisons and prisoners is the responsibility of State Governments/UTs.
* States/UTs are responsible for assessing the need for Fast Track Courts, legal aid expansion, and bail review to reduce prolonged pretrial detention.
* The Ministry of Home Affairs supplements state efforts through advisories and Central Schemes like Support to Poor Prisoners.
* State Legal Services Authorities have established Legal Service Clinics in jails to provide free legal aid to all persons, including SC/ST prisoners.
* The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) conducts awareness camps in jails regarding free legal aid, plea bargaining, Lok Adalats, and inmates' legal rights, including bail.
* Trial hearings via Video Conference have been enabled to expedite the trial process.
Impact Analysis:
State Governments/UTs:
* Impact: Responsible for prison management, conducting studies on delays in the justice system, establishing Fast Track Courts, expanding legal aid, and undertaking bail reviews.
* Action Required: Assess the requirements for improving the justice system for all prisoners, including SC/ST individuals, within their jurisdictions.
Ministry of Home Affairs:
* Impact: Supplements the efforts of the States/UTs by issuing guidelines and introducing Central Schemes.
* Action Required: Continue to provide support to the States/UTs through advisories and Central Schemes like Support to Poor Prisoners.
National Legal Services Authority (NALSA):
* Impact: Conducts awareness camps in jails.
* Action Required: Continue conducting awareness camps in jails to inform inmates of their legal rights and available resources.
State Legal Services Authorities:
* Impact: Established Legal Service Clinics in jails.
* Action Required: Ensure Legal Service Clinics in jails function effectively and provide necessary legal aid to prisoners.
Key Entities Referenced
Scheduled Caste: Refers to a specific group of historically disadvantaged communities in India, also known as SCs.
Scheduled Tribe: Refers to a specific group of historically disadvantaged indigenous tribal communities in India, also known as STs.
National Crime Records Bureau: An Indian government agency responsible for collecting and analyzing crime data.
Prison Statistics India: Annual publication by NCRB containing data on prisoners in India.
Constitution of India: The supreme law of India.
State Legal Services Authorities: Organizations responsible for providing free legal aid at the state level in India.
National Legal Services Authority: A statutory body constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 to provide free legal services to the weaker sections of the society.
Andhra Pradesh: A state in India.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4257
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 19THAUGUST, 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-2-
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 therein” 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-3-
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.
*****L.S.US.Q.NO. 4257 FOR 19.08.2025
Annexure-I
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
Percentage Percentage
Total SC ST
S. of SC of ST
State/UT undertrial Undertrial Undertrial
No. Undertrial Undertrial
prisoners Prisoners Prisoners
Prisoners 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.L.S.US.Q.NO. 4257 FOR 19.08.2025
Annexure-II
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.
*****