Bias against AIDS patients to carry two-year jail term

The draft law seeks to protect the interests of AIDS patients and those infected with HIV virus by bringing in legal accountability and establishing a mechanism to probe complaints against those who discriminate against  such people. The Union Cabinet approved amendments to ‘The HIV and AIDS Bill, 2014’ under which those discriminating against such persons will get a minimum of three months and a maximum of two years imprisonment and have to cough up a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh. Union Health Minister JP Nadda said the bill makes it mandatory for state and the central government to provide Antiretroviral therapy (ART) ‘as far as possible’. 

The bill lists various grounds on which discrimination against HIV positive persons and those living with them will be prohibited including denial, termination, discontinuation or unfair treatment with regard to employment, educational establishments, health care services, residing or renting property, amongst others. Under the proposed bill, organisations with 100 employees must have a complaint officer to look into the grievances of the persons with HIV and AIDs, while every state has been mandated to have an ombudsman who will look into the violations under this Act once it has been passed. Under the proposed law, even insurance companies cannot discriminate against an HIV positive person and deny them the facility of an insurance.