---
title: "Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955: Explained"
description: "The Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 punishes untouchability, enforcing Article 17 of India's Constitution and protecting marginalized communities."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/protection-of-civil-rights-act-1955"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 is an Indian statute that punishes the practice of untouchability and enforces the abolition declared by Article 17 of the Constitution.
- What is the constitutional basis of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955?
- Why was the Untouchability (Offences) Act, 1955 renamed in 1976?
- How does the 1955 Act differ from the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989?
- What does the presumption clause in Section 12 do?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 1 June 1955

   To give that constitutional mandate operative force, Parliament enacted the legislation in 1955 under the original title the Untouchability (Offences) Act, 1…

2. 19 November 1976

   The Act was substantially amended by the Untouchability (Offences) Amendment Act, 1976, which both renamed it the Protection of Civil Rights Act and stiffene…

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In its 2018 annual report, India's Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment recorded only a few dozen cases registered nationwide under the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, reflecting its near-total replacement by the 1989 Atrocities Act.

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