UPSC CSE Prelims
Question 36
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?
View correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Correct Option: A (Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I)
Explanation: Prison administration is a State subject in India; the Prisons Act, 1894 supplied a long-standing legislative framework while States managed prisons.
Statement / Pair / Item-wise Analysis:
I. Correct/True - Prisons and their administration lie primarily with State governments.
II. Correct/True - The historical Prisons Act, 1894 set rules on prison administration; colonial and later constitutional arrangements left daily management with provinces/States.
Option-wise Analysis:
A. Correct-both statements hold, and II explains I.
B. Incorrect-Statement II directly explains the situation in Statement I.
C. Incorrect-Statement II is true, not false: The historical Prisons Act, 1894 set rules on prison administration; colonial and later constitutional arrangements left daily management with provinces/States.
D. Incorrect-Statement I is true, not false: Prisons and their administration lie primarily with State governments.
Review note: The 1894 Act did not itself enact the modern State List; the constitutional basis is Entry 4, List II. Statement II has historically imprecise wording; supplied answer retained.