In India the President has the power to commute death sentence under article 72 of the Constitution of India. It says that the President shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence. The meaning of these terms is as follows: Pardon: Complete pardon, Reprieve: Temporary suspension of sentence, Respite: awarding less sentence Remission: Reducing amount of sentence Commutation:Changing one punishment to another.