Source: The Hindu
Context
A senior Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) official announced that from 1 January 2027, all investigations and trials under India’s new criminal laws will be recorded digitally. The nationwide rollout of the Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) — which integrates police, courts, prisons, forensics, and prosecution on a single platform — is expected to be completed soon, with all data stored on MeghRaj, the Government of India’s cloud platform. The three new criminal laws — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) (not “BSS” as the article’s brief incorrectly notes) — replaced the IPC (1860), CrPC (1898/1973), and Indian Evidence Act (1872) with effect from 1 July 2024. National ICJS implementation score rose from 46.47% (Jan 2025) to 70.06% (June 2026). Haryana, Goa, Assam, Punjab, and Chandigarh have implemented all parameters, 23 States/UTs including Delhi are above the national average.
What are the 3 New Criminal Laws?
| New Law | Replaces | Effective |
|---|---|---|
| Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 | Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860 | 1 July 2024 |
| Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 | Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1898/1973 | 1 July 2024 |
| Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023 | Indian Evidence Act, 1872 | 1 July 2024 |
What is the Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS)?
- A digital platform that integrates the 5 pillars of criminal justice:
- Police (via CCTNS).
- Courts (via e-Courts / Case Information System).
- Prisons (via e-Prisons).
- Forensics (via e-Forensics).
- Prosecution (via e-Prosecution).
- Enables data exchange across all pillars → speedy justice.
- Hosted on: MeghRaj (GoI cloud platform).
What is MeghRaj?
- Government of India’s Cloud Initiative launched February 2014.
- Under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
- Objective: Accelerate e-governance service delivery through cloud infrastructure.
What is CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems)?
- Nationwide digital platform used to file FIRs.
- Runs across ~16,000 police stations.
- Registers FIRs in 23 languages.
- Integrated with Bhashini App — translates zero-FIR to language of jurisdiction.
- Zero-FIR provision: A police officer cannot refuse to register a zero-FIR. Under BNSS Section 173, any station can register any FIR regardless of jurisdiction.
Key features of the new criminal laws
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Zero-FIR (BNSS Section 173) | Any station can register FIR regardless of jurisdiction; statutory backing to earlier SC direction |
| e-FIRs | Online FIR filing via CCTNS |
| Trial in absentia (BNSS Section 356) | Trials + judgments possible even when accused absent (proclaimed offender) |
| Forensic mandate (BNSS Section 176) | Mandatory for 7+ year offences |
| Community Service | New punishment for 6 minor offences |
| Terrorism definition (BNS Section 113) | Explicitly defined in general criminal law |
| Organised Crime (BNS Section 111) | Dedicated provision |
| Digital Evidence | Electronic records fully admissible under BSA |
| Timelines | 60-90 days for chargesheets; 3-year trial cap; 90-day victim update |
What is Bhashini?
- Government of India AI-based translation platform under MeitY.
- Launched as part of “AI for Bharat” initiative.
- Enables real-time translation across 22+ scheduled languages.
- Used in CCTNS for cross-language zero-FIR translation.
Practice MCQs
Q1. With reference to India’s new criminal laws that came into effect on 1 July 2024, consider the following statements:
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 replaced the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
- Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898/1973.
- Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023 replaced the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
- The three new laws came into force on 1 July 2023.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None
(Statement 4 is wrong; the three new laws came into force on 1 July 2024 — NOT 2023. They received presidential assent on 25 December 2023 but came into effect from July 2024.)
Q2. With reference to the Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS), consider the following statements:
- ICJS integrates police, courts, prisons, forensics, and prosecution on a single digital platform.
- Data on the ICJS platform is stored on MeghRaj, the Government of India cloud platform.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs has announced that from 1 January 2027, all investigations and trials under the new criminal laws will be recorded digitally.
- The ICJS platform is operated by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None
(Statement 4 is wrong; ICJS is operated by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), NOT the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.)
Answer Key
- (c) — Statement 4 wrong: Laws came into effect 1 July 2024, not 2023.
- (c) — Statement 4 wrong: ICJS operated by MHA, not MCA.
Exam Relevance
| Exam | Relevance |
|---|---|
| UPSC Prelims & Mains | Very High — GS-II (Governance, Polity, Constitutional bodies, Criminal Laws), GS-III (Internal Security), Essay |
| State PCS | High — Criminal justice, ICJS, State-level implementation |
| RBI Grade B (Phase I + II) | Medium — ESI on legal reform, digital governance (recurring GA) |
