Explore the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 with chapter-wise sections, key changes from IPC, commencement date, PDF download, and detailed legal explanations.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS) is India’s principal criminal law statute that replaced the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC). Enacted as part of India’s comprehensive criminal law reforms, the BNS came into force on 1 July 2024, introducing a modern legislative framework for defining offences and prescribing punishments.
The Act seeks to address contemporary forms of crime while retaining many well-established principles of criminal jurisprudence. It also reorganises several offences, introduces new provisions to deal with emerging criminal conduct, and updates legal terminology to reflect present-day realities.
This guide serves as a comprehensive resource for the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Whether you are a lawyer, law student, judicial aspirant, researcher, journalist, or a member of the public, you can explore every chapter and section of the Act from this page.
What is the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita?
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 is the primary substantive criminal law enacted by Parliament to replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
It defines:
- Criminal offences
- Essential ingredients of offences
- Punishments
- General exceptions
- Joint liability
- Abetment
- Criminal conspiracy
- Attempt
- Offences against the human body
- Offences against women and children
- Property offences
- Offences against the State
- Economic offences
- Public order offences
The BNS works alongside two other major criminal statutes:
- Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), which governs criminal procedure.
- Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (BSA), which governs the law of evidence.
Together, these three enactments constitute India’s modern criminal law framework.
Objectives of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
The principal objectives of the BNS include:
- Replacing the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, 1860.
- Modernising criminal law to address contemporary offences.
- Recognising new forms of organised and technology-enabled crime.
- Strengthening protection for women and children.
- Improving consistency in criminal provisions.
- Simplifying legal language and legislative structure.
- Aligning criminal law with present-day investigative and judicial practices.
History of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
For more than 160 years, the Indian Penal Code, 1860 remained the primary criminal statute in India.
In 2023, Parliament enacted the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita as part of a wider reform package intended to replace the IPC, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 with updated legislation.
After receiving Presidential assent in December 2023, the Act came into force on 1 July 2024, replacing the IPC for offences committed on or after that date.
Date of Commencement
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Act | Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 |
| Enacted | 2023 |
| Presidential Assent | December 2023 |
| Commencement | 1 July 2024 |
| Replaced | Indian Penal Code, 1860 |
Structure of the Act
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita is organised into multiple chapters covering different categories of criminal offences and general legal principles.
Each chapter groups together related offences, making the legislation easier to navigate.
The Act broadly covers:
- Preliminary provisions
- General explanations
- Punishments
- General exceptions
- Abetment
- Criminal conspiracy
- Offences against the State
- Offences affecting the armed forces
- Offences against the human body
- Offences against women and children
- Property offences
- Forgery
- Defamation
- Criminal intimidation
- Attempts
Number of Chapters
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 contains 20 Chapters.
Number of Sections
The Act consists of 358 Sections.
Key Changes from the Indian Penal Code
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita introduces several notable changes when compared with the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
New offences
The Act introduces provisions dealing with offences such as organised crime, terrorist acts (within the BNS framework), mob lynching, and sexual intercourse by deceitful means.
Updated terminology
Several expressions have been modernised to improve clarity and reflect current legal usage.
Reorganisation of offences
Certain offences have been regrouped and renumbered to create a more coherent statutory structure.
Enhanced focus on victim protection
The legislation includes provisions aimed at strengthening safeguards for women and children.
Community service
For specified offences, community service has been introduced as one of the available punishments.
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita vs Indian Penal Code
| Particular | Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 | Indian Penal Code, 1860 |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 2023 | 1860 |
| Commencement | 1 July 2024 | 1860 |
| Status | In force | Repealed prospectively from 1 July 2024 |
| Scope | Substantive criminal law | Former substantive criminal law |
| Total Sections | 358 | 511 |
| Purpose | Modern criminal code | Colonial-era criminal code |
Download Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Official PDF)
You should always rely on the official Government of India publication for the authentic text of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Official Downloads:
- Ministry of Home Affairs. New Criminal Laws (Official PDF Downloads)
- India Code. Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Act No. 45 of 2023)
Why use the official version?
The official Gazette and India Code versions are the authoritative statutory texts published by the Government of India. They ensure that you are referring to the correct language of the Act, including all provisions as enacted and officially updated. (Ministry of Home Affairs)
Important: While many private websites host copies of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita PDF, always verify the statutory text against the official Gazette or the India Code version before relying on it for legal research, drafting, litigation, or academic purposes.
Browse the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023
BNS Chapters
Explore all chapters of the BNS 2023. Each chapter is organized by subject matter and contains the relevant statutory provisions, making it easy to navigate the law from foundational principles to specific offences.
The BNS Bare Act contains the following chapters:
| Chapter | Title | Sections |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter I | Preliminary | Sections 1 to 3 |
| Chapter II | Of Punishments | Sections 4 to 13 |
| Chapter III | General Exceptions | Sections 14 to 44 |
| Chapter IV | Of Abetment, Criminal Conspiracy and Attempt | Sections 45 to 62 |
| Chapter V | Of Offences Against Woman and Child | Sections 63 to 99 |
| Chapter VI | Of Offences Affecting the Human Body | Sections 100 to 146 |
| Chapter VII | Of Offences Against the State | Sections 147 to 158 |
| Chapter VIII | Of Offences Relating to the Army, Navy and Air Force | Sections 159 to 168 |
| Chapter IX | Of Offences Relating to Elections | Sections 169 to 177 |
| Chapter X | Of Offences Relating to Coin, Currency Notes, Bank Notes and Government Stamps | Sections 178 to 188 |
| Chapter XI | Of Offences Against the Public Tranquillity | Sections 189 to 197 |
| Chapter XII | Of Offences By or Relating to Public Servants | Sections 198 to 205 |
| Chapter XIII | Of Contempts of the Lawful Authority of Public Servants | Sections 206 to 226 |
| Chapter XIV | Of False Evidence and Offences Against Public Justice | Sections 227 to 269 |
| Chapter XV | Of Offences Affecting the Public Health, Safety, Convenience, Decency and Morals | Sections 270 to 294 |
| Chapter XVI | Of Offences Relating to Religion | Sections 295 to 298 |
| Chapter XVII | Of Offences Against Property | Sections 299 to 334 |
| Chapter XVIII | Of Offences Relating to Documents and to Property Marks | Sections 335 to 350 |
| Chapter XIX | Of Criminal Intimidation, Insult, Annoyance, Defamation, etc. | Sections 351 to 357 |
| Chapter XX | Repeal and Savings | Section 358 |
Browse by Sections
Looking for a specific provision of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023? Browse the complete index of all 358 sections, organised in numerical order. Each section page includes the official statutory text, plain English explanation, punishment, essential ingredients, relevant judicial precedents, and cross references to related provisions. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita contains 358 sections across 20 chapters.
Click here to view section index.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. What is the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita?
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 is India’s principal criminal law that replaced the Indian Penal Code, 1860 with effect from 1 July 2024.
Q. When did the BNS come into force?
The Act came into force on 1 July 2024.
Q. Does the IPC still apply?
The IPC continues to govern offences committed before 1 July 2024, while the BNS generally applies to offences committed on or after that date, subject to constitutional and transitional principles.
Q. How many sections are there in the BNS?
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 contains 358 sections.
Q. Where can I read every section of the BNS?
You can browse the chapter-wise section index and access detailed explanations, case law, FAQs, and related resources through the section directory on LawfullyExplained.