Special remission for certain categories of prisoners announced by Delhi govt to mark Republic Day

For other prisoners, the remission will range from 15 to 60 days, depending on the length of sentence. The special remission will be in addition to regular remission under Delhi Prison Rules, 2018.

“Convicts who are on parole or furlough as on 26.01.2026 shall also be eligible, provided no misconduct has been reported during the said period. The benefit shall be granted only to those convicts who have not been punished for any jail offence during the preceding one year, i.e., from 26 January 2025 to 25 January 2026,” Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood was quoted as saying in a government statement.

Certain categories of convicts, including those sentenced to death, prisoners convicted under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and other specified laws, and those punished for jail offences in the past year, have been excluded.

According to the statement, cases falling under exception categories notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs, including offences related to subjects in the Union List of the Constitution, have also been excluded.

Prisoners awarded death sentence or whose death sentence has been commuted to life imprisonment, detenues, civil prisoners, or prisoners imprisoned for evasion of government dues, and those convicted by court-martial, for contempt of court, or for offences against women under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and under the Negotiable Instruments Act and other specified civil offences are also excluded.

The Delhi government, Sood said, “remains committed to the principles of reformative justice, while ensuring public safety and strict adherence to constitutional and legal provisions”.