New Criminal Laws To Be Effective From Tomorrow, Here's How Modi Government Is Prepared

India’s three new criminal laws, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Act (BSA), will be effective from 1 July.

In preparation for their implementation, the government has organised meetings with various central ministries, state and union territory chief secretaries, and police chiefs. Additionally, several events have been planned to mark the occasion.

The Bar Council of India has mandated the inclusion of the new laws in university curricula and Centres of Legal Education starting from the 2024-25 academic year while the Department of School Education will introduce special modules for students in Classes 6 and above between October and March.

The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie has conducted a five-day training program for IAS, IPS, judicial officers, and personnel from crime records bureaus and forensic labs.

The Ministries of Women and Child Development, Rural Development, and Panchayati Raj held a Hindi webinar to educate nearly 4 million grassroots functionaries about the new laws. A subsequent webinar in English was attended by approximately 5 million participants.

The National Crime Records Bureau has made 23 modifications to the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) application to ensure tech compatibility, including FIR registration.

The National Informatics Centre has developed applications like eSakshya, NyayShruti, and eSummon to facilitate the videography and photography of crime scenes, judicial hearings, and the electronic delivery of court summons. These apps have been shared with states and union territories.

The BPR&D has created 13 training modules to build the capacity of police, prisons, prosecutors, judicial officers, forensic experts, and central police organisations. A group of master trainers is being developed to disseminate this training.

The Department of Legal Affairs is also organising four conferences with delegates from various fields, including the Chief Justice of India, Supreme Court and high court judges, senior police personnel, and domain experts.