Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said the central government has issued an advisory to release undertrial prisoners who have served half of their maximum punishment provided under the law.
Some state governments have started with the compliance on the advisory, he said.
There are about four lakh prisoners in jails and out of them about half are undertrials.
Speaking at a function, where Singh was the chief guest to administer oath to newly elected officer bearers of the Central Bar Association at the district court here, the minister said the Centre has abolished nearly 1,500 obsolete laws which have lost their efficacy.