IN a significant judgment, the Supreme Court recently highlighted that toilets are not merely a matter of convenience, but a basic necessity and a facet of human rights. While stating this, the court went on to recognise proper sanitation as a fundamental right under Article 21 (right to life) of the Constitution.
The Bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan made these observations in a public interest litigation seeking sanitised toilets in all courts and tribunals. It passed a slew of directions to high courts as well as to state governments.
The directions particularly included the construction and availability of separate toilet facilities for males, females, specially-abled persons and transgender persons in all court premises and tribunals across the country.
