Nationwide Implementation of Interoperable Criminal Justice System

Nationwide Implementation of Interoperable Criminal Justice System

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Why in News

  • The **Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)** announced that the nationwide rollout of the **Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS)** is progressing as scheduled.
  • Starting **January 1, 2027**, all police investigations and court trials under the **Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)**, **Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS)**, and **Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSS)** will be recorded digitally.

About ICJS

  • The **Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS)** is a central digital platform that connects all key branches of the criminal justice system together.
  • This platform replaces old paper files with a safe online database hosted on the government's **MeghRaj** cloud infrastructure.
  • The **National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)** under the **Ministry of Home Affairs** functions as the primary nodal agency for this initiative.
  • The **National Informatics Centre (NIC)** designed and developed the entire technology structure for this system.

Objectives of ICJS

  • Under the **One Data, Once Entry** rule, officers enter case information only once, making it available across all departments instantly.
  • The system promotes **SMART Policing** by shifting from physical records to a paperless, data-driven justice framework.

Five-Pillar Architecture and Key Features

  • The **CCTNS** component connects over **16,000 police stations** nationwide and enables FIR registration in **23 languages** using **Bhashini** for Zero-FIR translation.
  • The **e-Courts** and **e-Prosecution** systems digitize court files, legal notices, evidence tracking, and prosecutor workflows for faster trials.
  • The **e-Prisons** portal manages a centralized database of inmates using biometric data and provides online tools like **e-Mulaqat**.
  • The **e-Forensics** module links police stations directly with **Forensic Science Laboratories (FSLs)** to speed up reports for serious crimes punishable by **7 years or more**.
  • The platform tracks statutory timelines for filing **chargesheets** under new criminal laws and implements the **Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022**.

Significance of ICJS

  • By connecting investigation, prosecution, and trial procedures online, ICJS speeds up case handling and improves compliance with timelines for **chargesheets**.
  • Linking police, courts, prisons, forensics, and prosecutors enables advanced AI data analysis and leads to evidence-backed judicial decisions.