The Supreme Court called rehabilitation of homeless persons with psychosocial disabilities a “sensitive issue” and told the Centre to act urgently. It questioned the poor execution of existing mental health laws.
New Delhi: On July 25, the Supreme Court of India expressed serious concern over the condition of homeless persons suffering from psychosocial disabilities and said that the issue must be handled with care and urgency.
The court told the Central Government to take the matter “very seriously” and avoid any unnecessary delays.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a petition filed by advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal.
The petition requested the formulation and execution of a proper national policy for rehabilitating homeless individuals who are dealing with mental health challenges, also known as psychosocial disabilities.
These challenges often include discrimination, lack of support, and being excluded from society.
During the hearing, the government lawyer informed the bench that discussions on the matter were already in progress and that “meetings are going on.”
The Centre asked for eight weeks’ time to file a detailed report on the progress.
In response, the bench clearly stated, “You need to take it very seriously and as less time as possible.”
The petitioner, Gaurav Bansal, pointed out that the issue is extremely urgent and said that many homeless persons are being neglected and mistreated.
According to him, the homeless are being treated like a burden, saying they are “literally becoming football” — being passed around without care. He stressed that the police must step up and follow the law to help in their rehabilitation.
He further highlighted that many women are also suffering on the streets and that the police often show a negative attitude in these cases. This, he said, is mainly because there is no proper rehabilitation policy in place.
The Supreme Court responded to this by saying,
“We are expecting response of the government on all these issues. Let them come back and then we will monitor it. We will try and take it to a logical end.”
When the Centre’s lawyer referred to the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, which already exists to protect people with mental illnesses, the bench pointed out that laws alone are not enough.
They asked,
“Acts are there. Where is the execution, where is the compliance?”
The court has now given time till September 22 for the Centre to submit an update on what actions have been taken.
ALSO READ: Freebies Over Compensation| SC Criticizes Maharashtra Government
The petition has also asked the court to direct the Centre to create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all the key government departments involved — including law enforcement and healthcare — to ensure that homeless persons with psychosocial disabilities are treated in a humane and respectful manner.
The plea strongly criticized the current situation, where such individuals are left on their own without any proper support.
It said that instead of receiving care, these people face neglect, social isolation, and even physical and sexual abuse.
It also pointed out that although there are already policies and laws like the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 and the National Mental Health Policy, 2014, these are not being properly followed.
The petition said that government bodies have
“failed to operationalise the provisions intended to protect and assist homeless individuals suffering from mental illness.”
The plea concluded by saying that the absence of a well-planned national policy has led to a
“complete breakdown of the system, leaving thousands of individuals to fend for themselves”
without any access to healthcare, shelter, or social welfare benefits.
Click Here to Read Our Reports on Homeless
