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16 July 2026

Digitisation of the criminal justice system

The topic concerns the implementation of major legislative reforms (BNS/BNSS) and the Interoperable Criminal Justice System, which are flagship governance initiatives directly relevant to the functioning of the judiciary and police.

1 min read Day 2 of 2 2 questions 2 prelims

Notes

  • India aims for full digital rollout of the criminal justice system by July 1, 2027.
  • The Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) will record investigation and trial procedures.
  • Data will be stored on the government cloud platform, MeghRaj.
  • Criminal justice system components include police, courts, prisons, forensics, and prosecution services.
  • Adversarial system (common law) relies on judicial precedents; Inquisitorial system (civil law) relies on codified statutes.
  • New criminal laws: Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) replaces IPC; Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) replaces CrPC.
  • BNS shifts focus from punishment to justice through retribution; BNSS treats the accused as a citizen with rights.
  • Forensic examination is now mandatory for offences punishable by seven years or more imprisonment.
  • Forensic laboratories increased from 129 in 2023 to 154 in 2025.
  • National Crime Records Bureau data shows only 46% of FIRs are currently digitally transmitted to courts.

Part of a longer story

This is day 2 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 procedural efficiency and ensuring the rights of the accused under the new criminal laws. 150 words
    Attempt this — 150 words in 8 min
    0 / 150 words 8:00
  2. The transition from the Indian Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure to the BNS and BNSS marks a shift in the philosophy of criminal justice in India. Analyze how these reforms aim to balance the interests of the victim, the accused, and the state. 250 words
    Attempt this — 250 words in 11 min
    0 / 250 words 11:00

Prelims

  1. Which government cloud platform is designated for storing data under the new digital criminal justice system?

  2. Under the new criminal laws, forensic examination of crime scenes is mandatory for offences punishable with imprisonment of:

Syllabus

Topics

Sources

250words.in · https://250words.in/daily/2026-07-16/digitisation-of-the-criminal-justice-system