Prison outbreak: On the health crisis in India’s prisons

India’s overcrowded jails pose a serious health risk to inmates (कैदी, बंदी)

The public health crisis (स्वास्थ्य संकट) in India’s prisons is distinguished by its poorer infrastructure (बुनियादी ढांचा) and a general disregard (उपेक्षा, अनदेखी) for treating ailments (रोग, बीमारी) until they become inconvenient (असुविधाजनक). A prisoner does not lose the right to health (स्वास्थ्य का अधिकार), a point courts have repeatedly (बार-बार, बारंबार) stressed; yet, between August 20, 2025, and March 9, 2026, around 92 inmates at the Jalpaiguri Central Correctional Home were infected with herpes simplex virus (HSV) (a common viral infection that causes painful blisters or ulcers, primarily around the mouth or genitals, and spreads through close physical contact) and seven of them died. HSV is common in the general population but experts have said that in immunocompromised (having a weakened immune system; vulnerable to infection, immunodeficient, immune-weakened, susceptible) or overcrowded (अत्यधिक भीड़भाड़ वाला) populations with poor care, it can lead to (परिणामस्वरूप होना, कारण बनना) encephalitis (मस्तिष्क शोथ, मस्तिष्क की सूजन), which is often fatal (घातक, जानलेवा). The Home’s 171% occupancy rate (अधिभोग दर, उपयोग दर) rendered (make, cause to be, leave, turn) good hygiene (cleanliness, sanitation, personal care) and isolation (separation, segregation, quarantine) a luxury. According to the 2023 Prison Statistics of India, district prisons in West Bengal have reported occupancy rates exceeding 160% and certain facilities (a place or amenity provided for a particular purpose; establishment, institution, centre, premises), such as the Kandi Sub-Jail, have historically (with reference to past events; in the past, traditionally, previously, formerly) reached staggering (deeply shocking; astonishing, astounding, mind-boggling, overwhelming) levels of over 400%. While the State has many foreign national inmates, overcrowding is a persistent (continuous, unrelenting, sustained, enduring) fact of India’s correctional facilities. In 2023, 30% of inmates in 10 prisons in Kerala were found to have skin diseases caused by humidity (a quantity representing the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere or a gas; dampness, moisture) and a lack (absence, shortage, deficiency, scarcity) of personal space (breathing room, physical boundary). A 2023 study in The Lancet (a prestigious, weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal recognized globally for publishing high-impact clinical, public health, and global health research) Public Health found prisoners in India five times more likely (probable, expected, anticipated, expected) to develop (contract, acquire, catch) tuberculosis (TB) than the general population. In 2025, the Home Ministry ordered prison screening camps (medical camp, health check-up drive) as unventilated (lacking fresh air circulation; stuffy, airless, un-aerated, close) environments allow TB to spread rapidly. The Nagpur and Indore central jails had major COVID-19 outbreaks (प्रकोप, अचानक फैलाव).

According to the India Justice Report 2025 (an independent, quantitative national report initiated by Tata Trusts that ranks Indian states on their capacity to deliver justice based on the performance of police, judiciary, prisons, and legal aid systems), HIV prevalence among inmates is also significantly higher than the national average due to (because of, owing to, on account of, as a result of) shared equipment and inadequate screening at entry (at the point of coming in or being admitted into a place; upon admission, on arrival, at the time of entry). Mandatory (compulsory, obligatory, binding, essential), comprehensive (exhaustive, thorough, extensive, all-inclusive) medical screening could catch many of these infections before they become injurious, which also requires facilities to have the requisite (necessary, required, essential, indispensable) personnel (staff, employees, workforce, human resources). But the report also flagged (indicate, highlight, point out, identify) a 43% vacancy rate for medical officers (a senior physician (doctor) who manages the health care provided in a clinical or institutional setting; chief doctor, prison physician, medical superintendent, health administrator), resulting in the number of inmates per doctor being 2.6 times higher than recommended by the Model Prison Manual. There are also only 25 psychologists for India’s 5.7 lakh inmates. Filling this gap requires integrating prisons into the National Health Mission (a flagship health initiative launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, aimed at providing accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare across rural and urban populations), ensuring a sufficient number of health workers trained to manage outbreaks, and enforcing the Manual’s standards uniformly across States. As West Bengal’s actions in 2020 illustrate (demonstrate, show, highlight, exemplify) — temporarily releasing thousands of undertrials (a person who is currently on trial or who is imprisoned on remand awaiting trial; pre-trial detainee) to relieve (alleviate, ease, mitigate, lessen) overcrowding in the South 24 Parganas District Correctional Home and the Baruipur Central Jail — the solutions are not confined (limit, restrict) to health. The judiciary (the judicial authorities of a country; judges collectively; judicial system) must fast-track (expedite, accelerate, speed up, hasten) cases involving undertrials, who constitute (comprise, form, make up, compose) the majority of inmates, expand (enlarge, increase, extend, broaden) the use of bail (the temporary release of an accused person awaiting trial, sometimes on condition that a sum of money is lodged to guarantee their appearance in court) and non-custodial (relating to a penalty or sentence that does not involve serving time in prison; out-of-prison, non-prison) alternatives for minor offences and expedite (accelerate, speed up, hasten, quicken) the repatriation (the return of someone to their own country; deportation, sending back, extradition) of foreign nationals.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.outbreak (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रकोप, अचानक फैलाव
English Meaning - a sudden occurrence of a disease or illness within a community; eruption, flare-up, upsurge, sudden appearance.

2.health crisis (noun)

Hindi Meaning - स्वास्थ्य संकट
English Meaning - medical emergency, public health disaster, healthcare emergency.

3.overcrowded (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अत्यधिक भीड़भाड़ वाला
English Meaning - congested, overpopulated, packed.

4.inmate (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कैदी, बंदी
English Meaning - a person living in an institution such as a prison or hospital; prisoner, convict, captive, detainee.

5.public health crisis (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जन स्वास्थ्य संकट
English Meaning - a widespread medical emergency that negatively impacts the health of a large number of people or an entire community; community health emergency, public health disaster, epidemic emergency.

6.infrastructure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - बुनियादी ढांचा
English Meaning - the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society or enterprise; facilities.

7.disregard (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उपेक्षा, अनदेखी
English Meaning - neglect, indifference, inattention, oversight.

8.ailment (noun)

Hindi Meaning - रोग, बीमारी
English Meaning - an illness, typically a minor one; illness, disease, sickness, disorder.

9.inconvenient (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - असुविधाजनक
English Meaning - causing trouble, difficulties, or discomfort; problematic, troublesome, bothersome, awkward.

10.the right to health (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - स्वास्थ्य का अधिकार
English Meaning - the fundamental human right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental well-being; healthcare entitlement, fundamental health guarantee.

11.repeatedly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - बार-बार, बारंबार
English Meaning - over and over again; constantly, frequently, continually, consistently.

12.occupancy rate (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अधिभोग दर, उपयोग दर
English Meaning - the ratio of used space to the total amount of available space; population density.

13.lead to (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - परिणामस्वरूप होना, कारण बनना
English Meaning - result in, cause, bring about, give rise to.

14.encephalitis (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मस्तिष्क शोथ, मस्तिष्क की सूजन
English Meaning - inflammation of the brain, caused by infection or an allergic reaction; brain inflammation, brain fever, neurological infection, cerebral swelling.

15.fatal (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - घातक, जानलेवा
English Meaning - deadly, lethal, mortal.

16.immunocompromised (adjective)

English Meaning - having a weakened immune system; vulnerable to infection, immunodeficient, immune-weakened, susceptible.

17.stress (verb)

English Meaning - emphasize, highlight, underline, underscore.

18.yet (conjunction)

English Meaning - but at the same time; but, nevertheless, however, notwithstanding.

19.pose (verb)

English Meaning - present, create, cause, result in, lead to (a problem or danger).

20.distinguish (verb)

English Meaning - differentiate, separate, characterize, individualize.

21.Jalpaiguri Central Correctional Home (noun)

English Meaning - a major state prison facility located in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, responsible for the custody and rehabilitation of inmates under the state’s correctional administration.

22.herpes simplex virus (HSV) (noun)

English Meaning - a common viral infection that causes painful blisters or ulcers, primarily around the mouth or genitals, and spreads through close physical contact.

23.poorer (adjective)

English Meaning - of a lower or lesser quality, standard, or condition; inferior, substandard, weaker, worse.

24.render (verb)

English Meaning - make, cause to be, leave, turn.

25.hygiene (noun)

English Meaning - cleanliness, sanitation, personal care.

26.isolation (noun)

English Meaning - separation, segregation, quarantine.

27.luxury (noun)

English Meaning - a state of great comfort; indulgence, privilege, indulgence, extravagance.

28.2023 Prison Statistics of India (noun)

English Meaning - an annual flagship statistical report published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, detailing comprehensive data on prisons, inmates, infrastructure, and administrative functioning across India.

29.facility (noun)

English Meaning - a place or amenity provided for a particular purpose; establishment, institution, centre, premises.

30.historically (adverb)

English Meaning - with reference to past events; in the past, traditionally, previously, formerly.

31.staggering (adjective)

English Meaning - deeply shocking; astonishing, astounding, mind-boggling, overwhelming.

32.persistent (adjective)

English Meaning - continuous, unrelenting, sustained, enduring.

33.correctional facility (noun)

English Meaning - prison, jail, detention centre.

34.humidity (noun)

English Meaning - a quantity representing the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere or a gas; dampness, moisture.

35.lack (noun)

English Meaning - absence, shortage, deficiency, scarcity.

36.personal space (noun)

English Meaning - breathing room, physical boundary.

37.Lancet (noun)

English Meaning - a prestigious, weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal recognized globally for publishing high-impact clinical, public health, and global health research.

38.Public Health (noun)

English Meaning - the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society.

39.likely (adjective)

English Meaning - probable, expected, anticipated, expected.

40.develop (verb)

English Meaning - contract, acquire, catch.

41.tuberculosis (TB) (noun)

English Meaning - a potentially serious infectious bacterial disease that mainly affects the lungs; pulmonary infection, bacterial lung disease.

42.screening camp (noun)

English Meaning - medical camp, health check-up drive.

43.unventilated (adjective)

English Meaning - lacking fresh air circulation; stuffy, airless, un-aerated, close.

44.India Justice Report 2025 (noun)

English Meaning - an independent, quantitative national report initiated by Tata Trusts that ranks Indian states on their capacity to deliver justice based on the performance of police, judiciary, prisons, and legal aid systems.

45.HIV prevalence (noun)

English Meaning - the proportion of individuals in a population who have the Human Immunodeficiency Virus at a specific time; HIV infection rate.

46.prevalence (noun)

English Meaning - the fact or condition of being prevalent; commonness, frequency, widespread presence, pervasiveness.

47.due to (phrase)

English Meaning - because of, owing to, on account of, as a result of.

48.at entry (phrase)

English Meaning - at the point of coming in or being admitted into a place; upon admission, on arrival, at the time of entry.

49.mandatory (adjective)

English Meaning - compulsory, obligatory, binding, essential.

50.comprehensive (adjective)

English Meaning - exhaustive, thorough, extensive, all-inclusive.

51.medical screening (noun)

English Meaning - the process of evaluating individuals for the presence of medical conditions or risk factors; health examination, medical check-up.

52.requisite (adjective)

English Meaning - necessary, required, essential, indispensable.

53.personnel (noun)

English Meaning - staff, employees, workforce, human resources.

54.flag (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, highlight, point out, identify.

55.medical officer (noun)

English Meaning - a senior physician (doctor) who manages the health care provided in a clinical or institutional setting; chief doctor, prison physician, medical superintendent, health administrator.

56.Model Prison Manual (noun)

English Meaning - a comprehensive guideline document prepared by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, aimed at standardizing prison administration, ensuring basic uniformity in laws, and prioritizing the rehabilitation, rights, and management of inmates across the country.

57.psychologist (noun)

English Meaning - an expert or specialist in psychology who studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior; mental health professional.

58.National Health Mission (noun)

English Meaning - a flagship health initiative launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, aimed at providing accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare across rural and urban populations.

59.illustrate (verb)

English Meaning - demonstrate, show, highlight, exemplify.

60.undertrial (noun)

English Meaning - a person who is currently on trial or who is imprisoned on remand awaiting trial; pre-trial detainee.

61.relieve (verb)

English Meaning - alleviate, ease, mitigate, lessen.

62.overcrowding (noun)

English Meaning - congestion, overpopulation, cramming, packing.

63.confine (verb)

English Meaning - limit, restrict.

64.judiciary (noun)

English Meaning - the judicial authorities of a country; judges collectively; judicial system.

65.fast-track (verb)

English Meaning - expedite, accelerate, speed up, hasten.

66.constitute (verb)

English Meaning - comprise, form, make up, compose.

67.expand (verb)

English Meaning - enlarge, increase, extend, broaden.

68.bail (noun)

English Meaning - the temporary release of an accused person awaiting trial, sometimes on condition that a sum of money is lodged to guarantee their appearance in court.

69.non-custodial (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a penalty or sentence that does not involve serving time in prison; out-of-prison, non-prison.

70.offence (noun)

English Meaning - a breach of a law or rule or an illegal act; crime.

71.expedite (verb)

English Meaning - accelerate, speed up, hasten, quicken.

72.repatriation (noun)

English Meaning - the return of someone to their own country; deportation, sending back, extradition.