The Indian Penal Code (IPC) was the official criminal code of the Republic of India, an Act (Act No. 45 of 1860) intended to cover all substantive aspects of criminal law by defining crimes and prescribing punishments. Its origin lies with the First Law Commission, established in 1834 under the Charter Act 1833, which drafted the code under the chairmanship of Thomas Babington Macaulay. The objective was to provide a uniform general penal code for India, replacing the existing penal laws, and it came into force on January 1, 1862.
The IPC functioned as the backbone of the criminal justice system, systematically organizing criminal acts into 23 chapters and 511 sections. It defined offences against the human body, such as murder (Section 302), and offences against property, such as theft (Section 378). The code also addressed offences affecting public order and those against women, including cruelty (Section 498A).
The IPC was recently repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The BNS received the President of India's assent on December 25, 2023, and is expected to come into effect on July 1, 2024. While the IPC's framework of defining crimes and prescribing punishments remains the core concept, the BNS is the new legal structure.