Which of the following statements is/are correct?
- 1.If an offence has no minimum prescribed punishment, it cannot be considered heinous as per the JJ Act, 2015.
- 2.As per the JJ Act, 2021, an offence for which there is a provision for a maximum sentence of seven years or more, but no minimum sentence, is to be considered a serious offence.
Select the answer using the code given below.
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
A heinous offence under the 2015 Act needs a minimum punishment of seven years, so an offence without a prescribed minimum cannot be heinous. The 2021 amendment treats an offence with no minimum but a maximum of seven years or more as serious; both statements restate the passage.
- ✓ 1. Culpable homicide and causing death by negligence 'are not heinous offences because they do not have a prescribed minimum punishment'.
- ✓ 2. The amended Act 'categorises an offence that has no minimum sentence, but has a maximum sentence of seven years or more as a serious offence'.
Remember · Statements that restate a definition with its conditions intact are correct; check each condition is carried over.
Question and answer: UPSC's provisional GS Paper II (2026, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·