Photo credit: ANI
NEW DELHI: The Union home ministry’s tableau in the 77th Republic Day parade on Monday will showcase the nationwide implementation of the three new criminal laws — the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakhsya Adhiniyam — as well as the technology-driven justice reforms. “The tableau will….highlight the nationwide operationalisation of the new laws and India’s transition to a modern, technology-driven, time-bound, and citizen-centric justice system,” the ministry said in a release on Saturday.The three criminal laws — which have replaced the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and the Indian Evidence Act — had come into force on July 1, 2024. “By removing the colonial legacy based on the principle of punishment, these laws symbolise aspiration of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by adopting the Indian philosophy of justice, ‘from punishment to justice’,” said an MHA spokesperson.Key features showcased in the MHA tableau include the use of e-Sakshya for digital evidence collection, the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) for biometric identification, e-Summon enabling digitally signed summons to be issued electronically by courts, and technology-enabled court processes such as virtual hearings. It represents seamless integration among police, forensics, prosecution, courts, and prisons under the Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) framework. The mobile forensic units depicted in the tableau symbolise improved forensic reach and rapid response at crime scenes.The tableau also highlights swift response mechanisms, depicted through integrated control-room systems, enhanced surveillance infrastructure such as CCTV cameras, and the increasing role of trained women police personnel in field operations and response units. The multilingual representation of the new law books through the tableau underscores the government’s commitment to accessibility, inclusiveness, and transparency, ensuring that the reformed legal framework is understandable and accessible to citizens across the country.
