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1 July 2026

Digital rollout of criminal justice system

The topic concerns the implementation of major national criminal justice reforms and the ICJS digital infrastructure, which are flagship governance initiatives directly relevant to GS2 and GS3 syllabus themes.

2 min read Day 1 of 2 2 questions 2 prelims

Notes

  • The Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) aims for full nationwide rollout by January 1, 2027, integrating police, courts, prisons, forensics, and prosecution.
  • Data for the ICJS is hosted on the government-owned cloud platform MeghRaj.
  • The three new criminal laws—Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Sakshya Sanhita (BSS), and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS)—came into effect on July 1, 2024.
  • States and Union Territories have a five-year window to upgrade infrastructure and forensic capabilities to meet the requirements of the new laws.
  • Zero-FIRs (filing irrespective of jurisdiction) have received statutory backing under the BNSS; 63,572 have been registered to date.
  • The Crime and Criminal Tracking and Network Systems (CCTNS) supports 23 languages, with the Bhashini App facilitating translation for zero-FIRs.
  • Forensic examination is now mandatory for crimes punishable by seven years or more; the number of forensic laboratories increased from 129 in 2023 to 154 in 2025.
  • National implementation score for the new criminal justice framework rose from 46.47% in January 2025 to 70.06% in June 2026.
  • Key challenges include improving internet connectivity in remote areas, standardizing processes across States/UTs, ensuring full interoperability, and personnel training.

Part of a longer story

This is day 1 of 2 in Digital rollout of the criminal justice system, which has been running since 1 July 2026. Reading it whole is usually worth more than reading today alone — the exam asks how something developed.

Questions

  1. Discuss the significance of the Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) in enhancing the efficiency and transparency of the Indian criminal justice administration. 150 words
    Attempt this — 150 words in 8 min
    0 / 150 words 8:00
  2. The transition to a digital-first criminal justice system requires robust infrastructure and inter-departmental coordination. Analyze the challenges in implementing the new criminal laws and the role of forensic modernization in this process. 250 words
    Attempt this — 250 words in 11 min
    0 / 250 words 11:00

Prelims

  1. Which of the following platforms is used for the storage of data under the Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS)?

  2. Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), what is the primary purpose of a 'Zero-FIR'?

Syllabus

Topics

Sources

250words.in · https://250words.in/daily/2026-07-01/digital-rollout-of-criminal-justice-system