Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita vs IPC: What Law Students and Practitioners Must Know

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 replaces the Indian Penal Code (IPC) after more than 160 years.

Major Changes:

Simplified Language: Legal terms made accessible in plain Hindi and English.

New Offences: Hate crimes, cyberbullying, and mob lynching explicitly recognized.

Community Service: Introduced as a punishment for minor offences.

Terrorism & Organised Crime: Covered in more detail compared to IPC.

Why It Matters:

Law students must relearn basics with updated statutes.

Young lawyers will need to align their practice with BNS definitions and classifications.

Courts will interpret new provisions—judicial commentary will evolve rapidly.

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita

With the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita replacing the IPC, this comparative guide beaks down key changes, new offences, and what it means for Indian criminal law.