Provisions of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 relating to Untouchability

Provisions of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 relating to Untouchability are as under:

Section 3- Preventing on the ground of untouchability

1. from entering any place of public worship, which is open to other persons professing the same religion of any section thereof, or
2. from worshipping or offering prayers or performing any religious service in any place of public worship, or bathing in, or using the waters of, any sacred tank, well, spring or water - course,(river or lake or bathing at any ghat of such tank, water-course, river of lake).

Section 4 - Enforcing on the ground of untouchability, any disability with regard to-

1. access to any shop, public restaurant, hotel or place of public entertainment; or
2. the use of any untensils and other articles kept in any public restaurant, hotel, dharm shala, sarai or musafirkhana for the use of the general public or
3. the practice of any profession or the carrying on of any occupation, trade or business (or employment in any job) or
4. the use of, or access to, any river, stream, spring, well, tank, cistern, water-tap or other watering place, or any bathing ghat, burial or cremation ground, any sanitary convenience, any road, or (passage, or any other place of public resort which other members of the public, or, have a right to use or have access to; or
5. the use of, or access to, any place used for charitable or a public purpose maintained wholly or partly out of State funds or dedicated to the use of general public or
6. the enjoyment of any benefit under a charitable trust created for the benefit of the general public ; or
7. the use of, or access to, any public conveyance; or
8. the construction, acquisition, or occupation of any residential premises in any locality, whatsoever; or
9. the use of any dharmshala, sarai or musafirkhana which is open to the general public, or
10. the observance of any social or religious custom, usage or ceremony or
11. the use of jewellery and finery;

Section 5 - Refusingr on the ground of 'untouchability'-

1. admission to any person to any hospital, dispensary, educational institution or any hostel if such hospitaldispensary, educational institution or hostel is established or maintained for the benefit of the general public or any section thereof;or
2. discriminates against any such person after admission to any of the aforesaid institutions;

Section 6 -Refusing on the ground of 'untouchability' to sell any goods or refuses to render any service to any person at the same time and place and on the same terms and conditions at or which such goods are sold or services are rendered to other persons in the ordinary course of business.

Section 7 (1)

1. Acting, on the gound of untouchability leading to prevention of any person from exercising any right accruing to him by reason of the abolition of 'untouchability' under Article 17 of the Constitution;or
2. molests, injures, annoys, obstructs or causes or attempts to cause obstruction to any person in the exercise of any such right or molests, injures, annoys or boycotts any person by reason of his having exercised any such rights; or
3. by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise, incites or encourages any person or class of persons or the public generally to practise "untouchability" in any form whatsoever; or
4. insults or attempts to insult, on the ground of "untouchability" a member of a Scheduled Castes.