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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5618
TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 27TH MARCH, 2026
UNDERTRIAL PRISONERS IN VARIOUS PRISONS
5618. SHRI SHYAMKUMAR DAULAT BARVE:
Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is aware that the number of undertrial prisoners in various prisons
across the country has been continuously increasing, due to which many prisoners remain in
jail for a long period without a final decision in their cases;
(b) if so, the total number of undertrial prisoners in the country, as on date, State/UT-wise;
(c) whether the Government is considering any concrete plan to reduce the number of undertrial
prisoners and to ensure speedy disposal of such cases; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW
AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS
(SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)
(a) & (b): National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles prison statistics reported to it by
the States and Union Territories (UTs) and publishes the same in its annual publication
“Prison Statistics India”. As per the latest published data for the year 2023, State/UT wise
number of undertrial prisoners confined in jails of the country as on 31.12.2023 are attached
as Annexure-A. These data are readily available on National Crime Records Bureau
website: https://www.ncrb.gov.in/ uploads/files/PSI-20231.pdf.
(c) & (d): ‘Prisons and Prisoners’ is a State-list subject under Entry 4 of List II of the Seventh
Schedule to the Constitution of India. Therefore, the administration and management of
prisons and prisoners is the responsibility of respective State Governments. Central
Government has also been supplementing the efforts of State Governments in this regard.
With the objective of providing financial assistance to poor prisoners, who are unable to
pay the fine imposed on them or are unable to secure bail due to financial constraints, the
1Government is implementing a Scheme named “Support to Poor Prisoners”. The guidelines
and SOP for implementation of the Scheme, has provision for bail assistance amounting upto
Rs. 1 lakh, prescribing timelines for case processing, and simplification of procedures for
drawal and utilisation of funds. For implementation of the Scheme, the Ministry of Home
Affairs (MHA) had provided an annual financial outlay of Rs. 20 crore for three financial
years i.e. 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Further, National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has taken initiatives for
establishment of Under Trial Review Committees (UTRCs) in all the districts to recommend
for release of eligible undertrial prisoners and convicts. Quarterly meetings are held by
UTRCs across the country. The number of undertrial prisoners recommended by UTRCs and
released during last three years are as under:
Year No. of UTPs/ Convicts No. of inmates released
recommended for bail/ pursuant to UTRCs
rele ase recomme ndations
2023 73,274 34,232
2024 53,594 25,982
2025 40,434 22,523
Total 1,67,302 82,737
In addition to the above, Government has taken initiatives to operationalize bail reforms
for reducing the number of undertrial prisoners in the country. Section 479 (1) of the
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) provides that “Where a person has, during the
period of investigation, inquiry or trial under this Sanhita of an offence under any law (not
being an offence for which the punishment of death or life imprisonment has been specified as
one of the punishments under that law) undergone detention for a period extending up to one-
half of the maximum period of imprisonment specified for that offence under that law, he
shall be released by the Court on bail.”
The Proviso under Section 479 (1) of the BNSS provides further relief to first time
offenders/undertrial prisoners and provides that “where such person is a first-time offender
(who has never been convicted of any offence in the past), he shall be released on bond by the
Court, if he has undergone detention for the period extending up to one-third of the maximum
period of imprisonment specified for such offence under that law”.
*****
2Annexure-A
Statement referred to in reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 5618 for answer on
27.03.2026 regarding ‘Undertrial Prisoners in various Prisons’.
State/UT wise total number of Undertrial Prisoners in the Country as on 31.12.2023
S. No. State/UT Total
1 Andaman & Nicobar Islands 168
2 Andhra Pradesh 5,568
3 Arunachal Pradesh 188
4 Assam 7,546
5 Bihar 46,529
6 Chandigarh 718
7 Chhattisgarh 11,520
8 Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu 134
9 Delhi 17,834
10 Goa 476
11 Gujarat 11,549
12 Haryana 19,292
13 Himachal Pradesh 1,827
14 Jammu & Kashmir 4,568
15 Jharkhand 13,584
16 Karnataka 11,723
17 Kerala 6,064
18 Ladakh 42
19 Lakshadweep 3
20 Madhya Pradesh 22,964
21 Maharashtra$ 32,438
22 Manipur 416
23 Meghalaya 881
24 Mizoram 1,247
25 Nagaland 432
26 Odisha 14,778
27 Puducherry 304
28 Punjab 24,503
29 Rajasthan 17,263
30 Sikkim 171
31 Tamil Nadu 12,351
32 Telangana 3,799
33 Tripura 847
34 Uttar Pradesh 73,491
35 Uttarakhand 4,398
36 West Bengal 20,294
Total 3,89,910
Source: Prison Statistics India 2023 Report by National Crime Records Bureau, Ministry of
Home Affairs.
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