{"id":76312,"date":"2025-12-04T11:07:45","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T05:37:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=76312"},"modified":"2025-12-04T11:07:45","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T05:37:45","slug":"acid-attack-survivors-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/acid-attack-survivors-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Judiciary Flags Major Lapses in Critical Care for Acid Attack Survivors"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Acid Attack Latest News<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court has raised serious concerns over continued delays in victim compensation and non-compliance by private hospitals in offering free critical treatment to acid attack survivors, despite judicial orders issued more than a decade ago.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Judicial Intervention in Acid Attack Cases<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acid attacks in India have long prompted judicial attention due to their devastating physical, psychological, and economic impact on survivors, many of whom are young women.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court initiated sustained oversight beginning in 2006, following the horrific case of <\/span><b>Laxmi<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, who was attacked at the age of 15.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In subsequent years, the Court issued landmark directives:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Minimum Rs. 3 lakh compensation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for survivors, with Rs. 1 lakh to be paid within 15 days of the incident.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Free and immediate medical treatment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in private hospitals, including medicines, food, and specialised care.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Ban on the over-the-counter sale of acid<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to curb misuse.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Designation of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/district-legal-services-authority-dlsa\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>District Legal Services Authorities<\/b><\/a><b> (DLSA)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as criminal injuries compensation boards to streamline claims.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite these orders, survivors continue to face procedural delays and denial of essential services.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Current Supreme Court Proceedings<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The present plea before the Supreme Court, filed by the Acid Survivors Saahas Foundation, argues that many survivors have either not received full compensation or were denied free critical care by private hospitals.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bench acknowledged that these issues persisted despite \u201crepeated judicial orders spanning years.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During the hearing, significant revelations came to light:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Victims in several States, including <\/span><b>Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, received only the initial Rs. 1 lakh payout, with no support for expensive reconstructive surgeries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Private hospitals, in violation of Supreme Court directives, demanded full payment up front before admitting survivors.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Incomplete compliance reports were being furnished, often listing aggregated payments rather than victim-wise details.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As many as <\/span><b>eight States and five Union Territories<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> had not yet filed their affidavits explaining compensation delays.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This prompted the Bench to emphasise the urgent need for system-wide accountability.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Supreme Court\u2019s Directions to Authorities<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Strengthening Financial Accountability<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bench ordered State Chief Secretaries to personally ensure that funds flow promptly from State governments to State Legal Services Authorities, and then onward to district bodies, enabling final payment to survivors.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also highlighted the need for updated compensation amounts, recognising that the earlier fixed sum of Rs. 3 lakh is insufficient given rising medical costs and the need for multiple reconstructive surgeries.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Ensuring Compliance by Private Hospitals<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Principal Health Secretaries in States and UTs have been directed to ensure that <\/span><b>private hospitals cannot deny free treatment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including critical and emergency care.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any refusal would amount to a violation of Supreme Court orders and can attract criminal liability.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Demand for Detailed Data from NALSA<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NALSA informed the Court that approximately <\/span><b>Rs. 484 crore<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> had been disbursed as compensation between March 2024 and April 2025, but agreed to furnish a detailed report on State-wise and victim-wise distribution.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Maintaining Transparent Records<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Names of victims<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Date of compensation applications<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Date of actual payment<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remarks on delays or pending claims<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Implications for Victim Rights and Governance<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court\u2019s renewed push marks a critical attempt to ensure States honour their obligations toward one of the most marginalised groups.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acid attack survivors often face lifelong trauma, disfigurement, disability, and stigma, making immediate medical intervention and financial support indispensable.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By directing personal accountability at the highest administrative levels and demanding data transparency from NALSA, the Court is reinforcing a rights-based framework where compensation and healthcare access are guaranteed entitlements, not discretionary support.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Source:<\/b> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/sc-turns-spotlight-on-glitches-in-pay-outs-free-critical-care-to-acid-attack-victims\/article70353134.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.etvbharat.com\/en\/bharat\/sc-seeks-data-from-nalsa-as-petition-alleges-acid-attack-victims-not-paid-full-compensation-enn25120306385\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ETV<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Supreme Court highlights gaps in compensation and free critical care for acid attack survivors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":76314,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[4020,60,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-76312","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-acid-attack","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76312\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}