Overview

• Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan ordered uniform standards that treat residents’ dignity and health as enforceable constitutional obligations.
• All facilities must conduct medical screening within 24 hours of admission, provide monthly check-ups, and run disease surveillance with early warning systems.
• States and UTs must ensure potable water, functional toilets with drainage, regular pest control, capacity limits, safe housing, and biennial third‑party infrastructure audits.
• Homes must appoint qualified dieticians, adopt standardised diets, offer vocational training, provide periodic legal-aid visits, and refer children found begging to Juvenile Justice institutions.
• Monitoring committees and a centralised inmate database are mandated, with compensation and potential departmental or criminal action for negligence-related deaths; the Centre must issue model guidelines in three months and states must implement within six.