As India prepares to implement three new criminal laws from next week, a comprehensive training and awareness campaign is underway to ensure a smooth transition and public understanding of these significant changes. The new laws, replacing the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act, are set to come into effect on July 1st.
Over 5.65 lakh police, forensics, prison, judicial, and prosecution officials have already been trained on the new laws, which include the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023. Additionally, 40 lakh grassroots-level functionaries are being trained to ensure awareness about the legislations and their impact, particularly on women and children.
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has made 23 functional modifications to the Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and Systems (CCTNS) application to accommodate the new laws, with technical support provided to states and Union territories for a smooth transition. 36 support teams and call centres have been established by the NCRB for ongoing review and support during the implementation process.
The Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) has developed training modules for all stakeholders, including 250 training courses, webinars, and seminars for 40,317 officers and personnel. The BPR&D has also facilitated capacity building for 5,84,174 individuals, including 5,65,746 police officers and personnel from prisons, forensics, judicial and prosecution departments.
iGOT-Karmayogi Bharat and BPR&D are offering three training courses each on the new criminal laws, with 2,17,985 officials already enrolled. The ministries of women and child development, rural development, and panchayati raj are actively disseminating information about the new laws through webinars reaching almost 40 lakh grassroots-level functionaries. This widespread effort aims to ensure that citizens are aware of the transformative reforms and their positive impact, especially on women and children.
The Department of Legal Affairs has organized four conferences in state capitals, bringing together Chief Justice of India, Supreme Court and High Court judges, and domain experts to discuss the new laws. The University Grants Commission (UGC), under the guidance of the Department of Higher Education, has distributed informative flyers on the new laws to 1,200 universities, 40,000 colleges, and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to approximately 9,000 institutions, raising awareness among faculty and students.
The National Informatics Centre (NIC) has developed Applications, eSakshya, NyayShruti & eSummon Apps, to facilitate videography and photography of crime scenes, judicial hearings, and electronic delivery of court summons under the new criminal laws.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has implemented various initiatives for public awareness, including 17 nationwide ‘Vartalaps,’ media workshops with regional media in state capitals, and special programs on Doordarshan and Akashvani to highlight the benefits of the new laws. MyGov has uploaded informative flyers on the new laws to their social media handles and sent an emailer to over seven crore citizens through eSampark.
States and Union territories, equipped with technology, capacity building, and awareness generation efforts, are “fully geared up” for the effective implementation of the new laws. These legislations were passed by the Parliament in its winter session in 2023, received presidential assent, and were notified in the Gazette of India on December 25, 2023.
