The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 replaced the 163-year-old Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860 on 1st July 2024. This comprehensive guide maps every major IPC section to its BNS equivalent — built for practising advocates, law students, and judicial officers.
58+ sections mapped across 6 categories • Chapter-wise breakdown • New offences highlighted
511
IPC Sections (1860)
358
BNS Sections (2023)
20
BNS Chapters
1 Jul 2024
Effective Date
The Indian Penal Code was drafted in 1860 during British rule and remained substantially unchanged for over 160 years. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita modernises India's criminal jurisprudence with restructured offences, gender-sensitive categorisation, and provisions for digital-era crimes.
Archaic British-era terminology and phrasing have been replaced with contemporary legal language. The code now uses plain, accessible Hindi and English expressions that align with modern Indian jurisprudence.
For the first time, offences against women and children are consolidated into a dedicated chapter (Chapter V). Rape, dowry death, acid attack, stalking, and cruelty provisions are now grouped together for structural precedence.
Organised crime, terrorism, mob lynching, hit-and-run, and snatching now have standalone provisions within the general penal code — previously these were either uncodified or handled by special statutes like MCOCA and UAPA.
Search by offence name, IPC section number, or BNS section number. Click any category to expand or collapse.
| Offence | IPC Section | BNS Section | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common Intention | §34 | → | §3(5) |
| General Exceptions (Good Faith) | §76–106 | → | §14–33 |
| Right of Private Defence (Body) | §96–106 | → | §34–44 |
| Abetment | §107–120 | → | §45–60 |
| Criminal Conspiracy | §120A / 120B | → | §61 |
| Attempt to Commit Offences | §511 | → | §62 |
| Offence | IPC Section | BNS Section | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rape (Definition)KEY CHANGE | §375 | → | §63 |
| Punishment for Rape | §376 | → | §64 |
| Gang Rape | §376D | → | §70 |
| Rape of minor under 12 | §376AB | → | §65(2) |
| Assault on Woman (Outraging Modesty) | §354 | → | §74 |
| Voyeurism | §354C | → | §77 |
| Stalking | §354D | → | §78 |
| Dowry DeathKEY CHANGE | §304B | → | §80 |
| Cruelty by Husband / RelativesKEY CHANGE | §498A | → | §85 |
| Acid Attack | §326A | → | §124 |
| Offence | IPC Section | BNS Section | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Culpable Homicide | §299 | → | §100 |
| Murder (Definition) | §300 | → | §101 |
| Punishment for MurderKEY CHANGE | §302 | → | §103 |
| Culpable Homicide Not Amounting to Murder | §304 | → | §105 |
| Death by NegligenceKEY CHANGE | §304A | → | §106 |
| Abetment of Suicide | §306 | → | §108 |
| Attempt to Murder | §307 | → | §109 |
| Voluntarily Causing Hurt | §323 | → | §115 |
| Grievous Hurt | §325 | → | §117 |
| Grievous Hurt (Dangerous Weapons) | §326 | → | §118 |
| Wrongful Restraint | §339 | → | §126 |
| Wrongful Confinement | §340 | → | §127 |
| Kidnapping | §363 | → | §137 |
| Kidnapping for Ransom | §364A | → | §140 |
| Offence | IPC Section | BNS Section | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waging War Against Government of India | §121 | → | §147 |
| Sedition → Sovereignty EndangermentKEY CHANGE | §124A | → | §152 |
| Promoting Enmity Between Groups | §153A | → | §196 |
| Imputations Prejudicial to National Integration | §153B | → | §197 |
| Organised CrimeKEY CHANGE | §N/A (MCOCA) | → | §111 |
| Petty Organised CrimeKEY CHANGE | §N/A | → | §112 |
| Terrorist ActKEY CHANGE | §N/A (UAPA) | → | §113 |
| Offence | IPC Section | BNS Section | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theft | §379 | → | §303 |
| SnatchingKEY CHANGE | §N/A | → | §304 |
| Extortion | §384 | → | §308 |
| Robbery | §392 | → | §309 |
| Dacoity | §395 | → | §310 |
| Criminal Misappropriation | §403 | → | §314 |
| Criminal Breach of Trust | §406 | → | §316 |
| CheatingKEY CHANGE | §420 | → | §318 |
| Mischief | §425 | → | §324 |
| Criminal Trespass | §441 | → | §329 |
| House Trespass | §442 | → | §330 |
| Offence | IPC Section | BNS Section | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rioting | §146 / 147 | → | §189 / 191 |
| Unlawful Assembly | §141 | → | §189 |
| Affray | §159 | → | §195 |
| Public Servant Disobedience | §188 | → | §223 |
| Forgery | §463 | → | §336 |
| Forgery for Cheating | §468 | → | §340 |
| Using Forged Document | §471 | → | §341 |
| Defamation | §500 | → | §356 |
| Criminal Intimidation | §506 | → | §351 |
| Insult to Modesty of Woman (Word/Gesture) | §509 | → | §79 |
Disclaimer
This comparison chart is for educational and quick-reference purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, certain BNS provisions may have modified the scope, definition, or punishment of the corresponding IPC sections. Always verify against the official bare text of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, available on indiacode.nic.in.
JuniorLawyer's AI automatically converts IPC citations to BNS equivalents in bail applications, legal notices, and research memos. Stop looking up tables — let AI handle the mapping.
Beyond section renumbering, the BNS introduces significant structural and substantive changes that every practising lawyer must understand.
IPC (Old Law)
23 chapters, 511 sections — enacted in 1860 during British colonial rule.
BNS (New Law)
20 chapters, 358 sections — modern consolidation, enacted in 2023.
Practical Impact: Scattered provisions are now grouped logically; easier to navigate.
IPC (Old Law)
Provisions scattered across multiple chapters with no dedicated section.
BNS (New Law)
Dedicated Chapter V — "Offences Against Woman and Children" — places these offences at the forefront.
Practical Impact: Signals legislative priority and simplifies reference for practitioners.
IPC (Old Law)
Not recognised as a form of punishment.
BNS (New Law)
Community service is introduced as a new type of sentence for petty offences (Section 4(f)).
Practical Impact: Gives courts a restorative justice option for minor crimes.
IPC (Old Law)
Section 124A — criticised for colonial-era overreach and misuse.
BNS (New Law)
Section 152 — renamed to "Acts endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India"; scope broadened to include electronic/digital means.
Practical Impact: Modernised language; addresses digital-era threats.
IPC (Old Law)
No standalone provisions; dealt with by special statutes (MCOCA, UAPA).
BNS (New Law)
Standalone offences: Organised Crime (§111), Petty Organised Crime (§112), Terrorist Act (§113).
Practical Impact: Codifies these offences within the general penal statute for the first time.
IPC (Old Law)
Section 304A — Death by Negligence (max 2 years).
BNS (New Law)
Section 106(2) — Specific aggravated liability for hit-and-run drivers who flee without reporting (up to 10 years).
Practical Impact: Major deterrent against fleeing accident scenes.
IPC (Old Law)
No specific provision; charged under general murder/rioting sections.
BNS (New Law)
Section 103(2) — Murder by a group of five or more on grounds of race, caste, community, sex, place of birth, language, personal belief.
Practical Impact: First statutory recognition of mob lynching as a distinct aggravated offence.
IPC (Old Law)
No specific offence; subsumed under theft or robbery.
BNS (New Law)
Section 304 — Snatching is a distinct offence, separate from theft and robbery.
Practical Impact: Fills a gap in urban street crime prosecution.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita is organised into 20 chapters. Here's a high-level overview of the restructured framework.
Preliminary
§1–§2
Explanations
§3–§13
General Exceptions
§14–§44
Abetment, Conspiracy & Attempt
§45–§62
Offences Against Women & Children
§63–§99
Offences Affecting the Human Body
§100–§146
Offences Against the State
§147–§158
Offences Relating to Army, Navy & Air Force
§159–§163
Offences Relating to Elections
§164–§170
Contempt of Public Servant Authority
§171–§185
False Evidence & Offences Against Public Justice
§186–§188
Offences Relating to Coin & Stamps
§199–§230
Offences Relating to Weights & Measures
§231–§236
Offences Affecting Public Health
§237–§243
Offences Relating to Religion
§298–§302
Public Tranquillity
§189–§198
Offences Against Property
§303–§334
Offences Relating to Documents
§335–§348
Criminal Intimidation & Defamation
§349–§358
Offences Relating to Marriage
§81–§86
Answers to the most common questions Indian lawyers and law students have about the IPC to BNS transition.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 officially replaced the Indian Penal Code, 1860 on July 1, 2024. All new FIRs and criminal cases filed on or after this date are registered under the BNS.
The BNS has 358 sections across 20 chapters, while the IPC had 511 sections across 23 chapters. Several provisions were merged, restructured, or omitted entirely in the new code.
Yes. As a general rule of substantive criminal law, offences committed before July 1, 2024 continue to be tried under the IPC. The BNS applies only to offences committed on or after this date.
The BNS introduces standalone provisions for Organised Crime (Section 111), Terrorist Acts (Section 113), Petty Organised Crime (Section 112), Mob Lynching (covered under Section 103(2)), and Hit and Run cases (Section 106(2)), which were either not codified or dealt with through special statutes under the IPC.
The BNS dedicates an entire chapter (Chapter V) to 'Offences Against Woman and Children', giving these crimes higher structural precedence. In the IPC, these provisions were scattered across different chapters. Offences like rape, dowry death, cruelty, and acid attack are now consolidated together.
No. IPC Section 420 (Cheating) has been replaced by Section 318 of the BNS. The substance of the offence remains similar, but the section number and some procedural aspects have changed.
The sedition law (IPC Section 124A) has been replaced by Section 152 of the BNS, which is now titled 'Acts endangering sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India'. The new provision has a broader scope and covers acts that endanger sovereignty through electronic communication as well.
JuniorLawyer's AI-powered legal research tool automatically maps IPC sections to their corresponding BNS provisions. When drafting bail applications, legal notices, or conducting case research, the platform cross-references both codes so you never cite an outdated section.
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