Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
Section 474
Power to commute sentence
The appropriate Government may, without the consent of the person sentenced, commute—
(a) a sentence of death, for imprisonment for life;
(b) a sentence of imprisonment for life, for imprisonment for a term not less than seven years;
(c) a sentence of imprisonment for seven years or more, for imprisonment for a term not less than three years;
(d) a sentence of imprisonment for less than seven years, for fine;
(e) a sentence of rigorous imprisonment, for simple imprisonment for any term to which that person might have been sentenced.
Why this exists
Commutation lets the government convert an existing sentence into a less severe version of essentially the same kind of punishment, recognizing changed circumstances — such as age, health, conduct, or evolving views on a case — without needing the convict's agreement, while following a structured ladder of permitted downgrades rather than unlimited discretion.