Criminal Law — BNS / IPC Fundamentals

From IPC to BNS: What Changed

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC) 1860 as India's primary substantive criminal law, effective July 2024. The structure of offences is broadly similar but renumbered, and several new offences were added (organised crime, terrorism, mob lynching as an aggravated murder category).

Categories of Offences

Category	Examples	BNS Chapter

|---|---|---|

Offences against the human body	Murder, culpable homicide, hurt, assault	Ch. VI
Offences against property	Theft, extortion, robbery, criminal breach of trust	Ch. VII
Offences against women and children	Rape, dowry death, cruelty by husband/relatives	Ch. V
Offences against the State	Waging war, sedition-equivalent provisions	Ch. VII (renamed)
Economic offences	Cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust	Ch. VII

Key Doctrines Every Judiciary Aspirant Must Know

•Mens rea and actus reus — no crime without both a guilty mind and a guilty act, subject to statutory strict-liability exceptions.

•Common intention (Section 3(5) BNS / erstwhile S.34 IPC) — where several persons share a common intention, each is liable for the act as if done by them alone.

•General exceptions — private defence, necessity, consent, and insanity remain available defences under BNS Chapter III, largely mirroring IPC Chapter IV.

•Attempt, abetment, and criminal conspiracy — inchoate offences that are punishable even where the substantive offence is not completed.

Criminal Procedure — What Judiciary Exams Test Alongside BNS

The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) replaced the CrPC. Aspirants are typically tested on: arrest procedure and safeguards, bail (regular, anticipatory, default bail under the erstwhile S.167 CrPC / BNSS equivalent), framing of charges, and the trial process for sessions vs magistrate courts.

How This Fits the Judiciary Syllabus

Most civil judge exams pair Constitutional Law and Criminal Law (BNS + BNSS + Evidence Act) as a single paper or a tightly linked paper group — which is why this technology covers both: use the Overview section for Constitutional Law and this section for Criminal Law.