SCOPE OF PIL‌

In 1998, the Supreme Court formulated a set of guidelines to be followed for entertaining letters or petitions received by it as PIL. These guidelines were modified in 1993 and 2003. According to them, the letters or petitions falling under the following categories alone will ordinarily be entertained as PIL:

1. Bonded labour matters

2. Neglected children

3. Non-payment of minimum wages to workers and exploitation of casual workers and complaints of violation of Labour Laws (except in individual cases)

4. Petitions from jails complaining of harassment, for pre- mature release and seeking release after having completed 14 years in jail, death in jail, transfer, release on personal bond, speedy trial as a fundamental right

5. Petitions against police for refusing to register a case, harassment by police and death in police custody

6. Petitions against atrocities on women, in particular harassment of bride, brideburning, rape, murder, kidnapping, etc.

7. Petitions complaining of harassment or torture of villagers by co-villagers or by police from persons belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes and economically backward classes

8. Petitions pertaining to environmental pollution, disturbance of ecological balance, drugs, food adulteration, maintenance of heritage and culture, antiques, forest and wild life and other matters of public importance

9. Petitions from riot-victims

10. Family pension

The cases falling under the following categories will not be entertained as PIL:

1. Landlord-tenant matters

2. Service matter and those pertaining to pension and gratuity

3. Complaints against Central/ State Government departments and Local Bodies except those relating to item numbers (1)

to (10) above

4. Admission to medical and other educational institution

5. Petitions for early hearing of cases pending in High Courts and Subordinate Courts