The Ministry of Home Affairs has notified the use of the Aadhar card for prison or various other authentications. Aadhar cards can be used to conduct authentication of prison inmates, for extending benefits such as meeting with relatives and legal aid, but as prison is a state subject, this exercise is voluntary. Know more about this development in this article. This is an important topic for the UPSC current affairs section.
Aadhar Card for Prisoner Authentication Latest News
The central government has authorized MHA to notify, under Rule 5 of the Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance (Social Welfare, Innovation, Knowledge) Rules, 2020 and the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016.Â
- The benefits/facilities may include correctional reform measures, health, skilling, vocational training, interview with relatives, legal aid, etc.Â
- Day-to-day prison administration work can be regulated and managed effectively.
- It can include work such as taking prisoners before the court, the return to prison, transport, providing health facilities, shifting to hospitals outside the campus, interviews, free legal aid, parole, temporary release mechanisms, education/vocational training, release from prisons, etc.Â
- It is a step towards prison reforms in India.
Read more on the criminal justice system in India in the linked article.
Other prison-related issues in India:
- Pendency of Cases: Over 4.7 crore cases are pending in Indian courts as per 2022 records. As per the National Crime Records Bureau, 67.2% of total prisoners are under trial.
- Obsolete laws of the colonial era are also contributing to lengthy processes in the judiciary.
- Exploitation and inhumane behaviour in prison: Many cases are reported in this regard.
- Many cases of custodial rapes and deaths resulting in violation of prisoners’ human rights have also happened.
- Overcrowding and inhumane conditions of jails.
- Inadequate infrastructure: Inadequate staff, poor condition of jails, security, etc. have also made the condition worse.
Aadhaar Authentication of Prison Inmates:- Download PDF Here
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