New Delhi: A new study has revealed stark disparities in India’s prison system, showing that while Muslims constitute around 19 percent of inmates, their representation in top prison administration remains disproportionately low, raising serious concerns about systemic discrimination.
According to Global Mirror, the findings are highlighted in Mohammed Abdul Mannan’s book At the Bottom of the Ladder: State of the Indian Muslims, which quantifies Muslim presence in 150 key institutions across India. The report notes that by mid-2024, only 46 Muslims were among 1,560 top officials managing prisons across the country, even as Muslims account for a substantial share of the prison population.
India, the world’s most populous country, has 1,330 prisons—including central jails, district jails, sub-jails, women’s jails, open jails, borstal schools, and special jails—with a total prison population of 573,220. The system is severely overcrowded, operating at 131.4 percent occupancy against an official capacity of 436,266. In Delhi alone, 16 prisons house nearly 19,500 inmates against a sanctioned capacity of 10,026, while two facilities in Tihar Jail reportedly face occupancy levels as high as 400 percent.
According to Global Mirror, the findings are highlighted in Mohammed Abdul Mannan’s book At the Bottom of the Ladder: State of the Indian Muslims, which quantifies Muslim presence in 150 key institutions across India. The report notes that by mid-2024, only 46 Muslims were among 1,560 top officials managing prisons across the country, even as Muslims account for a substantial share of the prison population.
India, the world’s most populous country, has 1,330 prisons—including central jails, district jails, sub-jails, women’s jails, open jails, borstal schools, and special jails—with a total prison population of 573,220. The system is severely overcrowded, operating at 131.4 percent occupancy against an official capacity of 436,266. In Delhi alone, 16 prisons house nearly 19,500 inmates against a sanctioned capacity of 10,026, while two facilities in Tihar Jail reportedly face occupancy levels as high as 400 percent.