Effective 1 July 2024 — Section Finder + Comparison Table
IPC to BNS — Section Comparison & Finder
Indian Penal Code, 1860 vs Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — type any IPC section number to get its BNS equivalent instantly, plus a full offence-wise comparison table.
Status (as of 2026): The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 came into force with effect from 1 July 2024, replacing the Indian Penal Code, 1860. No amending Act has been brought into force thereafter. (Note: BNS section 106(2) — death by rash or negligent driving followed by escape/failure to report — was kept in abeyance and did not commence on 1 July 2024; confirm its current commencement status on indiacode.)
For reference only: This comparison is a general educational reference and does not constitute legal advice. Always verify from the official Government of India Gazette Notifications or India Code (indiacode.nic.in) before relying on any provision. — ASK Law Xperts, Rohini, Delhi.
Section Finder — IPC Section to BNS Section
Type an IPC 1860 section number (e.g. 302) to get the corresponding BNS 2023 section instantly.
Section Number
Examples: 302 420 498A 375 304B 124A
Repealed
Indian Penal Code, 1860
511 sections · Colonial era · British Parliament
Replaced by
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
358 sections · Effective 1 July 2024
Key Change
20 new offences added
Terrorism, organised crime, hit-and-run codified. Use Section Finder above to look up any IPC section.
| Offence / Topic | IPC 1860 | BNS 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Murder | S.302 — Death or Life + Fine | S.103 — Punishment for murder; death or life + fine Renumbered |
| Culpable Homicide | S.304 | S.105 Renumbered |
| Rape | S.375/376 — 7 yrs to Life | S.63/64 — Enhanced; gang rape of minor: death Enhanced |
| Dowry Death | S.304B — Min 7 yrs to Life | S.80 — Same retained Renumbered |
| Cruelty by Husband (498A) | S.498A — Up to 3 yrs | S.85 — Same retained Renumbered |
| Cheating (420) | S.420 — Up to 7 yrs | S.318(4) Renumbered |
| Terrorism | Not in IPC — only in UAPA | S.113 — Terrorist act now in main penal code New |
| Organised Crime | Not in IPC — only state MCOCAs | S.111 — Now in central law New |
| Hit & Run (fleeing) | S.304A — Up to 2 yrs | S.106(2) — Up to 10 yrs + Fine Enhanced |
| Sedition | S.124A — Sedition | S.152 — Acts endangering sovereignty (wider scope) Replaced |
| Attempt to Suicide | S.309 — Criminal offence | Omitted — Decriminalised in BNS Omitted |
| Adultery | S.497 — Criminal offence | Omitted — SC struck down in Joseph Shine 2018 Omitted |
| Community Service | Not available as punishment | S.4 — Added as formal punishment New |
📌 Key Changes — IPC 1860 to BNS 2023
Terrorism & Organised Crime Codified
For the first time terrorist acts (S.113), organised crime (S.111) and petty organised crime (S.112) are placed in the general penal code itself, rather than being left only to special statutes such as UAPA or State MCOC Acts. The definitions draw on those special laws but now sit within mainstream criminal law.
Effective: 1 July 2024
Snatching & Mob Lynching as Distinct Offences
Snatching is a separate offence under S.304. Murder or grievous hurt by a group of five or more on grounds such as race, caste, community, sex, place of birth or language (commonly called mob lynching) is dealt with under S.103(2) and S.117(4), carrying enhanced punishment.
Effective: 1 July 2024
Community Service Introduced as Punishment
S.4 BNS adds community service as a recognised form of punishment for certain petty offences (for example, attempt to commit suicide to compel a public servant, a first-time petty theft below the prescribed value, public misconduct by a drunken person, and minor defamation). This was not available as a sentence under the IPC.
Effective: 1 July 2024
Sedition Replaced by Sovereignty Offence
The old offence of sedition (IPC S.124A) is not carried forward in the same form. S.152 BNS instead penalises acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India — exciting secession, armed rebellion or subversive activity. The framing is different in scope from the colonial sedition provision.
Effective: 1 July 2024
Hit-and-Run Punishment Enhanced
Causing death by rash or negligent driving and then fleeing without reporting to police or a magistrate now attracts a higher sentence under S.106(2) BNS (imprisonment up to ten years and fine), compared with the earlier position under IPC S.304A.
Effective: 1 July 2024
Adultery & Attempt to Suicide Not Carried Forward
Adultery (IPC S.497) had already been struck down by the Supreme Court in Joseph Shine v. Union of India (2018) and is not re-enacted. The general offence of attempt to commit suicide (IPC S.309) is also not carried forward as a standalone crime in the BNS, reflecting a shift consistent with the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017.
SC ruling 2018 · BNS effective 1 July 2024
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