The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has stated that the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) publishes annual prison statistics in its report "Prison Statistics India," with the latest available report being from 2023. However, specific information on prisoner remission is not maintained centrally.
Remission of prisoners falls under the "State-List" subject concerning prisons and detained persons, as per the Constitution of India. Therefore, the administration and management of prisons, including the decision-making authority for granting remission to prisoners, rests with the respective States and Union Territories (UTs).
While the central government does not centrally manage remission decisions, the MHA did prepare and share a Model Prison Manual in 2016 with all States and UTs. This manual includes a dedicated chapter with detailed guidelines on granting remission to prisoners.
There are currently no pending cases of remission under Article 72 of the Constitution of India with the MHA, even if the Sentence Review Board of the Government of NCT of Delhi has recommended remission. This information was provided by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Shri Bandi Sanjay Kumar, in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
The release ID is 2238254, and the visitor counter is 125. The release is available in Urdu and Hindi.
Key Entities Referenced
Constitution of India: The fundamental law of India, referenced for powers related to remission and the State-List classification of prisons.
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA): The central government ministry responsible for internal security and policy-making related to prisons and prisoners.
Model Prison Manual 2016: A document prepared by MHA providing guidelines for States and UTs on various prison-related matters, including remission.
Seventh Schedule: Part of the Constitution of India that divides legislative powers between the Union and the States, with List II pertaining to State subjects like prisons.
Rajya Sabha: The upper house of India's Parliament, where a written reply regarding prisoner remission was provided.
Ministry of Home Affairs
REMISSION OF PRISONERS
Posted On: 11 MAR 2026 4:29PM by PIB Delhi
The 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.” The
latest published report is of the year 2023. The specific information sought in the question is not
maintained centrally.
No case of remission under Article 72 of the Constitution of India, in which the Sentence Review Board of
Government of NCT of Delhi has recommended remission, is pending with the Ministry of Home Affairs
(MHA) at present.
“Prisons/persons detained therein” is a ‘State-List’ subject under Entry 4 of List II of the Seventh Schedule
to the Constitution of India. Administration and management of prisons and prisoners is the responsibility
of respective States/UTs, who are competent to take appropriate decision in the matter of grant of
remission to prisoners, in accordance with the relevant provisions of law.
However, MHA had prepared a Model Prison Manual in the year 2016 and had shared it with all States
and UTs in May, 2016. This Model Prison Manual 2016 has a specific chapter on “Remission”, which
provides detailed guidelines in the matter of granting remission to prisoners.
This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Bandi Sanjay Kumar in a
written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
***
RK/RR/PR/PS/SK
(Release ID: 2238254) Visitor Counter : 125
Read this release in: Urdu , ही