Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 - an overview

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 (hereinafter referred to as BNS) shall come into force on 1st July, 2024 except the provisions of sub section (2) of section 106. It shall replace The Indian Penal Code (IPC) 1860.

In the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita – 2023, there are total 358 Sections in 20 Chapters whereas there was modification of total 511 sections in 23 + 3 Chapters in the I.P.C. where in 20 new sections have been added in BNS and 20 provisions of I.P.C have been deleted.

Salient features of BNS

• New Offences have been added in BNS such as 
  • Organised crime [Section 111 BNS]
  • Petty organised crime [Section 112 BNS]
  • Terrorist act [Section 113 BNS]
  • Snatching [Section 304 BNS]
  • Sexual intercourse by employing deceitful means etc. [Section 69 BNS]
  • Grievous hurt causing permanent disability or persistent vegetative state [Section 117(3) BNS]
  • Hiring, employing or engaging a child to commit an offence etc. [Section 95 BNS] 
• Few IPC offences are not part of BNS such as Adultery, Sedition, Sexual intercourse against the order of nature, Attempt to commit suicide etc.
• Punishment enhanced for 33 offences under BNS such as
  
  • Causing death by negligence
  • Causing hurt to deter public servant from duty
  • Criminal breach of trust
  • Cheating
  • Apart from above, fine has been increased for 83 offences
• Community service can be imposed as a punishment in 6 petty offences
• Offences against woman and child, which are scattered in different chapters in IPC have been brought together in chapter V in BNS

For further details, read Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS)

Related resources

1. A handbook on Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 - Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Police Academy
2. BPR&D - Comparison summary BNS to IPC
3. Index of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 - NCRB