Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), comprising 20 chapters and 358 sections, came into force on July 1, 2024. It modernizes India’s penal law by introducing community service and tackling organized crime. While no formal legislative amendments have been passed since enactment, minor clerical rectifications were issued.
SECTION 01 Short title, commencement and application
1. This Act may be called the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
2. It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint, and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of the Sanhita.
3. Every person shall be liable to punishment under this Sanhita and not otherwise for every act or omission contrary to the provisions thereof, of which he shall be guilty within India.
4. Any person liable, by any law for the time being in force in India, to be tried for an offence committed beyond India shall be dealt with according to the provisions of this Sanhita for any act committed beyond India in the same manner as if such act had been committed within India.
5. The provisions of this Sanhita apply also to any offence committed by,
a. any citizen of India in any place without and beyond India;
b. any person on any ship or aircraft registered in India wherever it may be;
c. any person in any place without and beyond India committing offence targeting a computer resource located in India.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, is the primary law that defines crimes and punishments in India, replacing the old Indian Penal Code. This section explains that the law generally applies to the entire country of India and officially begins on a date set by the Central Government through a formal notification. It establishes a clear rule: everyone is held accountable under this specific law for any illegal act or failure to do a legal duty while they are within Indian borders.
Beyond India’s physical boundaries, the law still has a “long arm” that can reach people in special situations. For instance, any Indian citizen who commits a crime in a foreign country can be tried under this law as if the act happened right here in India. Similarly, the law applies to anyone—regardless of their nationality—if they are on an Indian-registered ship or aircraft anywhere in the world, or if they are sitting in another country and committing a cyber-crime that targets a computer system or digital resource located inside India.