India, Aug. 30 -- The rule that Delhi struck down from its prison manual this month-which segregated sex workers and "brothel-keepers" from other women prisoners-was written in the 19th century when the British administration was concerned about keeping venereal disease away from its soldiers.

Delhi deleted three such provisions this month. Himachal Pradesh scrapped a similar rule in July. They are the first two Indian states to do so, acting on a recommendation by senior advocate S Muralidhar, the Supreme Court's amicus curiae in an ongoing suo motu case on discrimination in jails. Muralidhar has identified 16 other states and Union territories with similar rules still on their prison manuals.

Kenneth Ballhatchet's 1980 book Race, Sex ...