The correct answer is (a) 6 months.
Solitary confinement is a form of punishment in which a prisoner is held in isolation from other prisoners and from human contact. It is a form of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment, and is prohibited under international law.
The Indian Penal Code, 1860, does not specifically mention solitary confinement. However, Section 330 of the Code states that “whoever voluntarily causes hurt to any person, or deprives any person of his personal liberty, with the intention of thereby causing death, or of causing such hurt as is likely to cause death, or with the intention of thereby extorting from any person any property or valuable security, or with the intention of thereby compelling any person to do any act which he is not legally bound to do, or to omit to do any act which he is legally entitled to do, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.”
This section could be interpreted to include solitary confinement, as it could be argued that solitary confinement is a form of “hurt” that is likely to cause death. However, there is no clear precedent on this point, and it is possible that a court would find that solitary confinement does not fall within the scope of Section 330.
In practice, solitary confinement is used in India as a form of punishment for prisoners who have committed serious offenses. The maximum term of solitary confinement that can be imposed is six months. However, there have been cases where prisoners have been held in solitary confinement for longer periods of time, in violation of the law.
Solitary confinement has a number of negative effects on prisoners, including psychological problems, physical health problems, and social isolation. It is a form of punishment that should be used only in exceptional cases, and for short periods of time.