Assam among top states in implementing new criminal laws, says Centre

Assam has emerged as one of the country's best-performing states in implementing the three new criminal laws that came into force two years ago, according to Union Home Ministry officials.

Haryana topped the list, followed by Goa, Assam, Chandigarh and Punjab, based on their performance in rolling out the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), which replaced the colonial-era criminal laws on July 1, 2024.

Officials said the rankings were based on four key parameters—administrative reforms, operational efficiency, application of information and communication technology (ICT), and integration of digital systems. The weightage assigned to these parameters is revised periodically.

The three legislations were introduced to modernise India's criminal justice system, with the objective of ensuring that criminal cases progress from the registration of an FIR to a Supreme Court verdict within three years.

A key feature of the reforms is the Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) 2.0, a common digital platform that enables seamless coordination among the five pillars of the criminal justice system—police, courts, prisons, forensic laboratories and prosecution agencies. So far, 23 states and Union Territories have been fully integrated with the upgraded platform.

According to the Union Home Ministry, the implementation of the new laws has significantly improved the pace of investigations. The percentage of charge sheets filed within the mandatory 90-day deadline increased from 39.56 per cent in 2024 to 60.96 per cent in 2026.

Similarly, compliance with the mandatory 60-day deadline for filing charge sheets rose from 50.92 per cent in 2024 to 67.26 per cent in 2026.

In cases involving sexual offences, the proportion of charge sheets filed within the prescribed two-month period increased from 44 per cent in 2024 to 75.16 per cent in 2025.

Officials said that since the new laws came into effect, police across the country have registered 74.66 lakh FIRs under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including 63,572 Zero FIRs. Law enforcement agencies have also generated 46.50 lakh digital evidence IDs using the e-Sakshya application to strengthen evidence management.

To bolster forensic capabilities, the Centre has sanctioned eight additional Central Forensic Science Laboratories, increasing the total number of such laboratories in the country to 15.

Besides the top five performers, states such as West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have also reported significant progress in implementing various provisions of the new criminal laws, officials said.