Pardoning powers granted under article 72 of the constitution to the President
- Pardon - It removes both the sentence and the conviction and completely absolves the convict from all the sentences, punishments and disqualifications.
- Commutation - It denotes the substitution of one form of punishment for a lighter form.
- Remission - It implies reducing the period of sentence without changing its character.
- Respite - It denotes awarding a lesser sentence in place of one originally awarded due to some special fact, such as the physical disability of convict or the pregnancy of a woman offender.
- Reprieve - It implies a stay of the execution of a sentence (especially that of death) for a temporary period. Its purpose is to enable the convict to have time to seek pardon or commutation from the President/Governor.