- The punishments enumerated in Section 46 of the Prisons Act, including those prescribed by the State Government under Section 46 clauses (4), (6) and (7) shall be classified into minor and major punishments.The following punishments shall be considered minor punishments :-(1)Formal warning;(2)Change of labour for a stated period to some more irksome or severe form;(3)Forfeiture of remission earned, not exceeding four days;(4)Forfeiture of class, grade, or prison privilege for a period not exceeding three months;(5)Temporary reduction from a higher to a lower class or grade;(6)Cellular confinement for not more than 7 days;(7)Separate confinement for not more than 14 days;(8)Imposition of handcuffs otherwise than by handcuffing a prisoner behind or to a staple;(9)Imposition of link-fetters for not more than 30 days.The following punishments shall be considered major punishments :-(1)Hard labour in the case of prisoners not sentenced to rigorous imprisonment;(2)(a)Forfeiture of remission earned, exceeding 4 but not exceeding 12 days;(b)Forfeiture of remission earned in excess of 12 days;(c)Forfeiture of class, grade or prison privileges for a period exceeding 3 months;(d)Exclusion from the remission system for a period not exceeding 3 months;(e)Exclusion from the remission system for a period exceeding 3 months;(f)Permanent reduction from a higher to a lower class or grade;(3)Cellular confinement for a period exceeding 7 days;(4)Separate confinement for a period exceeding 14 days;(5)Link-fetters, if imposed for more than 30 days;(6)Bar fetters;(7)Cross bar fetters;(8)Handcuffing behind or to a staple;(9)Any combination of major punishments admissible under Section 47 of the Act.Note 1. - The major punishments 2(b) and 2(a) and any combination of the major punishments 2(b), 2(c) and 2(e) shall not be awarded by the Superintendent of a prison without the previous sanction of the Inspector- General of prisons.Note 2. - An offence will be considered a minor offence when it is dealt with by a minor punishment, and a serious offence when dealt with by a major punishment. The classification in the annual returns should distinguish between (1) offences dealt with by major punishments and (2) offences dealt with by minor punishments. A combination of minor punishments will be shown under the head of major punishments in the punishment statement.Note 3. - The following punishments shall not be carried out in combination even when awarded at different times for different offences -(a)Standing handcuffs with cross-bar fetters, and(b)Cross bar fetters with bar fetters.Note 4. - The minor punishment (2) is not to be executed until the Medical Officer declares the prisoner to be fit to undergo the same and make an entry to this effect in the appropriate column of the punishment register.
