The Rajya Sabha on December 05, 2025, proposed the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2024, to further amend the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. The Bill provides that the Amendment Act shall come into force on such date as may be notified by the Central Government in the Official Gazette.
The proposed amendment specifically targets section 31A of the principal Act, which deals with punishment for certain repeat offences involving specified quantities of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. The Bill seeks to omit the reference to “death” from the marginal heading of section 31A and remove the words “or with death” from sub-section (1), thereby eliminating the statutory provision for capital punishment under this section.
Through this amendment, the Bill aims to decriminalise the death penalty component under the NDPS framework while retaining stringent punishment provisions otherwise prescribed under the Act. The change reflects a policy shift towards rationalisation of penalties in narcotics-related offences, subject to commencement upon notification by the Central Government.
[Bill No. 163 of 2024]
