Endowments Minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy moved two amendment bills in the Andhra Pradesh legislature on Wednesday, both of which were passed after detailed debate, to remove discriminatory references to persons affected or cured of leprosy from state laws.
One of the key measures passed by the House was the Sri Venkateswara Vedic University (Amendment) Bill, 2026 to amend the Sri Venkateswara Vedic University Act, 2006. The amendment deletes the words “suffering from leprosy” from section 37(1)(a).
In a speech to the council, the minister stated that the amendment was submitted in accordance with the instructions of the Supreme Court in its resolution of May 7, 2025 in WP No. 83/2010. The court observed that the continuation of discriminatory and degrading provisions against lepers or cured persons in various laws violated the constitutional principles of equality and non-discrimination and directed the state governments to conduct a comprehensive review of such laws.
The minister said the legal department had identified several state laws containing defamatory references and had directed the department to review their respective laws, rules and regulations. In the foundation department, the relevant provisions of the 2006 law were marked for amendment.
In addition, the Assembly also passed amendments to the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987, which removed similar wording from Section 19(1)(a). b).
Describing the exercise as a time-bound programme, the minister noted that a status report would be submitted to the apex court. Once approved by the legislature, the bills will be sent to the governor for assent under Article 200 of the Constitution.
Published – 18 Feb 2026 23:39 IST