The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS) came into force on 1 July 2024, replacing the Indian Penal Code, 1860. While much of the substantive law is carried over, the reorganisation is significant.
## Fewer, reorganised sections The BNS contains 358 sections against the IPC's 511, consolidating and reordering offences. Offences against the human body now appear earlier, reflecting a deliberate prioritisation.
## New offences The BNS introduces organised crime (Section 111), terrorism (Section 113), and mob lynching as a distinct aggravated form of murder. Snatching is now a specific offence under Section 304.
## Community service For the first time, community service is recognised as a form of punishment for petty offences such as defamation and public intoxication.
## What practitioners should do Update cause-title templates, cross-reference old IPC sections against their BNS equivalents, and note that offences committed before 1 July 2024 continue to be tried under the IPC.