Background: Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955
- Enacted to abolish and penalise practices of untouchability.
- Covers social and religious discrimination (e.g., denial of access to public places, temples, water sources).
- Mandates annual implementation reports by the Union govt based on State/UT inputs.
Relevance : GS 2(Social Issues ,Judiciary)
Dismal Trends in Case Registration
- Only 13 cases registered nationwide under PCR Act in 2022:
- Down from 24 (2021) and 25 (2020).
- States: J&K (5), Karnataka (5), Maharashtra (2), Himachal Pradesh (1).
- Reflects severe under-reporting and poor utilisation of the Act.
Alarming Judicial Pendency and Acquittal Rate
- Total pending trial cases (2022): 1,242 under the PCR Act.
- Cases disposed (2022): 31
- Convictions: 1
- Acquittals: 30
- From 2019–2021: All 37 cases disposed ended in acquittals.
- Pendency Rate: Over 97%.
- Indicates ineffectiveness in prosecution, possible systemic bias, or weak case-building.
Policing and Prosecution Gaps
- 51 cases were under investigation in 2022 (including past years).
- Chargesheets filed: Only in 12 cases.
- No State/UT declared any area as “untouchability-prone” — despite ground-level reports of caste-based exclusions in water access, temples, dining, etc.
- Absence of special courts or dedicated police units in most States despite mandate.
Contrast with SC/ST Atrocities Act (1989)
- Steady rise in cases under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
- Indicates that while atrocity reporting is increasing under newer legal frameworks, older laws like the PCR Act are being sidelined or underutilised.
Structural & Legal Challenges
- Outdated definitions in the PCR Act may limit relevance.
- Overlaps with the PoA Act but lacks stronger provisions (e.g., witness protection, relief, special courts).
- Implementation hurdles:
- Lack of awareness among officials and citizens.
- Weak monitoring by District Vigilance Committees.
- Social stigma discourages reporting.
The Way Forward
- Review and update the PCR Act for present-day contexts.
- Integrate with digital grievance redressal and monitoring platforms.
- Capacity-building of police and judiciary to sensitively handle untouchability-related cases.
- Promote community-based monitoring and Dalit rights literacy.
- Ensure funding and autonomy for Special Courts and public prosecutors.
