Revamping Criminal Justice: India's 2024 Legislative Overhaul

In 2024, the Union home ministry focused on modernizing India's criminal justice system, implementing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, and quelling violence in Manipur. New laws replaced colonial-era codes, emphasizing justice over punishment. Efforts also aimed at reducing violence in Jammu and Kashmir and resolving Naxal conflicts.

In a significant move, the Union home ministry has replaced century-old criminal laws with modern legislations in 2024 to establish a technology-driven criminal justice system in India. This landmark transition saw the introduction of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, replacing colonial-era laws.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act also took center stage, granting Indian nationality to persecuted minorities from neighboring countries, while efforts to suppress violence in Manipur marked another focus area for the ministry. Despite ongoing unrest, moves to stabilize the region continued under former union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla as the new Manipur governor.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed a relatively peaceful election period, with a noted decline in terror-related incidents, pointing to improvements in regional security dynamics. The ministry's strategy also aimed at significantly reducing Naxal-sponsored violence, with an appeal to rebels to surrender and embrace rehabilitation.

(With inputs from agencies.)