Consider the following statements :
Statement-I :
In India, prisons are managed by State Governments with their own rules and regulations for the day-to-day administration of prisons.
Statement-II :
In India, prisons are governed by the Prisons Act, 1894 which expressly kept the subject of prisons in the control of Provincial Governments.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Show answer
Answer: A. Statement-I is correct: prisons are a State List subject (Entry 4, List II), and each State runs its prisons under its own rules and manuals. Statement-II is correct and explains it: the Prisons Act, 1894, still the main prison law, left prison administration to the provincial governments and let them make rules. That is why States today frame their own prison rules. So A.
Watch for: Students who think of the 1894 Act as a central law miss that it gave control to provinces.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Wrong because Statement-II gives the historical reason why States control prisons.
- C. Wrong because Statement-II is true; the 1894 Act did leave prisons to provinces.
- D. Wrong because Statement-I is true; prisons are a State subject.
Source to check: Constitution of India, Seventh Schedule, List II Entry 4; Prisons Act, 1894; Ministry of Home Affairs, Model Prison Manual 2016
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.