Exception handling is a programming technique used to handle and manage runtime errors or exceptional situations in a controlled manner. It allows developers to anticipate and respond to unexpected events that can disrupt the normal flow of a program. When an exception occurs, the program transfers control to a specific block of code designed to handle the exception, preventing the program from crashing or producing incorrect results. Exception handling involves using try-catch blocks, where the code that might throw an exception is enclosed within the try block, and the corresponding error-handling code is placed in the catch block. This mechanism enables programmers to gracefully handle errors, log relevant information, and take appropriate actions to recover from exceptional conditions, ensuring the stability and reliability of the software.