Over 83700 criminal justice officials trained as new criminal laws gain nationwide traction: Govt
The Centre says implementation of India's three new criminal laws has entered a decisive phase, backed by nationwide training, digital court reforms and technology upgrades, with over 83,700 stakeholders trained
According to the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), which replaced the colonial-era criminal laws, have been in force nationwide since July 1, 2024.
NEW DELHI: The Union government on Saturday said that the implementation of India’s three new criminal laws has gathered momentum across the country through extensive training programmes, technology-driven judicial reforms and coordinated capacity building involving police, prosecutors, judicial officers and forensic experts.
According to the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), which replaced the colonial-era criminal laws, have been in force nationwide since July 1, 2024. States and Union Territories have issued the required notifications and rules, adopted digital applications and undertaken capacity-building measures to support their implementation.
The ministry said the responsibility for training police personnel and other stakeholders primarily rests with state and union territory governments. To strengthen this effort, the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) has conducted nationwide capacity-building programmes and webinars for master trainers and criminal justice stakeholders across all 36 States and Union Territories.
Since 2024, BPR&D has trained 83,740 officers and stakeholders representing the five pillars of the criminal justice system. These include police personnel, prison officials, prosecutors, judicial officers and forensic experts. The ministry noted that the master trainers are now supporting state-level training institutions in conducting further training programmes across the country. The detailed training data is provided in the annexures accompanying the statement.
The Centre also highlighted significant progress in strengthening criminal justice infrastructure. Financial support has been extended under initiatives such as the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) 2.0, schemes for modernisation of forensic capacities and projects funded through the Nirbhaya Fund. These initiatives are intended to support seamless digital integration and improve investigative and judicial capabilities.
Providing an example of implementation at the state level, the Ministry referred to Madhya Pradesh, where judicial officers have undergone orientation and training through the Madhya Pradesh State Judicial Academy. Necessary modifications have been carried out in the Case Information System (CIS) and e-Courts software to facilitate the transition to the new criminal laws. The High Court is also monitoring district courts to ensure speedy disposal of cases and smoother implementation. Future plans include further strengthening digital court infrastructure, expanding Phase III of the e-Courts project and increasing the use of technology to improve accessibility, transparency and efficiency in justice delivery.
The annexures also present a state-wise assessment of capacity building under the new laws. Across the country, over 1.57 million police personnel have already been trained under the new legal framework. Training has also covered more than 50,500 prison officials, over 13,400 prosecutors and thousands of judicial officers, reflecting the scale of the nationwide transition.
The ministry further placed before Parliament data from the latest Crime in India Report 2024 on organised crime and terrorism-related cases registered across states and union territories. According to the report, India recorded 840 organised crime cases, 876 petty organised crime cases and 24 terrorism-related cases during the year. The Ministry clarified that data relating to cases involving electronic evidence and community service is not maintained by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The information was provided by Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, outlining the Centre’s ongoing efforts to support states and Union Territories in implementing the country’s reformed criminal justice framework.
