The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS) is the new official criminal code of India, an Act (Act No. 45 of 2023) that consolidates and amends the provisions relating to offences. It consists of 20 Chapters and 358 Sections.
The BNS originated to replace the colonial-era Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, which was seen as outdated and focused on punishment rather than justice. The bill was introduced by Home Minister Amit Shah, received Presidential assent on December 25, 2023, and came into effect on July 1, 2024. This historic overhaul was part of a move to shed colonial imprints and modernize the criminal justice system.
The BNS works by retaining most of the IPC's core offences while introducing new provisions to address contemporary challenges. It has streamlined the framework, reducing the number of sections from 511 to 358. Key changes include the introduction of new offences such as organised crime, terrorism, and a specific provision for murder or grievous hurt by a group of five or more persons (often termed mob lynching). It also introduces community service as a new form of punishment for certain minor offences.
A significant change is the replacement of the offence of sedition (IPC Section 124A). While sedition is removed, the BNS introduces a new offence in Section 150 that penalizes acts endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India. The BNS is closely connected to two other new laws that came into effect on the same date: the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 (replacing the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023 (replacing the Indian Evidence Act, 1872).