UPSC CSE Prelims 2023

The correct option is Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.

Explanation

The administration of prisons in India operates within a well-defined constitutional and legislative framework. Prisons fall under Entry 4 of the State List (List II) of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, making it an exclusive subject of State legislation and administration.

  
•     Statement-I — Correct
      In India, prisons are managed by the respective State Governments. Each State has the authority to frame its own rules and regulations for the day-to-day internal administration of prisons — covering matters such as prisoner classification, discipline, diet, labour, and medical care. This administrative autonomy is a direct consequence of prisons being a State subject under the constitutional scheme.   
  
•     Statement-II — Correct
      The Prisons Act, 1894 is the principal central legislation governing prisons in India. This Act, enacted during British rule, expressly vested control over prisons with the Provincial (now State) Governments. It provides the broad framework — including rules relating to custody, treatment, and discipline of prisoners — while leaving operational administration to the States. The Act has not been comprehensively replaced and continues to serve as the foundational statute, supplemented by State-specific Prison Manuals.   

Statement-II directly explains the legal and legislative basis for Statement-I. The reason State Governments manage prisons with their own rules is precisely because the Prisons Act, 1894 placed this subject under provincial/state control — a position further entrenched in the Constitution through the State List. Thus, Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.

Key Takeaway: Prisons are a State subject under Entry 4 of List II of the Seventh Schedule; the Prisons Act, 1894 is the foundational legislation that vested control of prisons with Provincial/State Governments, forming the legal basis for State-level prison administration in India.