The Bare Act
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Browse by chapter
20 chapters · 358 sections
Chapter XV
Of Offences Affecting The Public Health, Safety, Convenience, Decency And Morals
28 sections
- Section 270Public nuisance
- Section 271Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life
- Section 272Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life
- Section 273Disobedience to quarantine rule
- Section 274Adulteration of food or drink intended for sale
- Section 275Sale of noxious food or drink
- Section 276Adulteration of drugs
- Section 277Sale of adulterated drugs
- Section 278Sale of drug as a different drug or preparation
- Section 279Fouling water of public spring or reservoir
- Section 280Making atmosphere noxious to health
- Section 281Rash driving or riding on a public way
- Section 282Rash navigation of vessel
- Section 283Exhibition of false light, mark or buoy
- Section 284Conveying person by water for hire in unsafe or overloaded vessel
- Section 285Danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation
- Section 286Negligent conduct with respect to poisonous substance
- Section 287Negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter
- Section 288Negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance
- Section 289Negligent conduct with respect to machinery
- Section 290Negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing or constructing buildings etc
- Section 291Negligent conduct with respect to animal
- Section 292Punishment for public nuisance in cases not otherwise provided for
- Section 293Continuance of nuisance after injunction to discontinue
- Section 294Sale, etc., of obscene books, etc
- Section 295Sale, etc., of obscene objects to child
- Section 296Obscene acts and songs
- Section 297Keeping lottery office
Chapter XV
Of Offences Affecting The Public Health, Safety, Convenience, Decency And Morals
28 sections
- Section 270Public nuisance
- Section 271Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life
- Section 272Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life
- Section 273Disobedience to quarantine rule
- Section 274Adulteration of food or drink intended for sale
- Section 275Sale of noxious food or drink
- Section 276Adulteration of drugs
- Section 277Sale of adulterated drugs
- Section 278Sale of drug as a different drug or preparation
- Section 279Fouling water of public spring or reservoir
- Section 280Making atmosphere noxious to health
- Section 281Rash driving or riding on a public way
- Section 282Rash navigation of vessel
- Section 283Exhibition of false light, mark or buoy
- Section 284Conveying person by water for hire in unsafe or overloaded vessel
- Section 285Danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation
- Section 286Negligent conduct with respect to poisonous substance
- Section 287Negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter
- Section 288Negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance
- Section 289Negligent conduct with respect to machinery
- Section 290Negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing or constructing buildings etc
- Section 291Negligent conduct with respect to animal
- Section 292Punishment for public nuisance in cases not otherwise provided for
- Section 293Continuance of nuisance after injunction to discontinue
- Section 294Sale, etc., of obscene books, etc
- Section 295Sale, etc., of obscene objects to child
- Section 296Obscene acts and songs
- Section 297Keeping lottery office
About the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS) is India’s primary criminal code. It came into force on 1 July 2024, replacing the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC), which had governed criminal offences in India for over 160 years. The BNS is one of three criminal-law statutes overhauled in 2023 — alongside the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (which replaced the CrPC) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (which replaced the Indian Evidence Act).
The act runs to roughly 358 sections, organised into 20 chapters. While the substantive structure largely mirrors the IPC, the BNS reorganises offences, introduces community service as a form of punishment, codifies new offences (such as terrorism and organised crime) and removes archaic categories that had fallen out of use. Where a BNS section has a direct IPC ancestor, the corresponding IPC section is noted on the section page.
This page indexes the full text of every BNS section, sourced and kept current with official notifications. Use the search above to find a section by keyword (e.g. “rape”, “abetment”) or by section number. Use the IPC converter if you’re translating an older IPC reference into its BNS equivalent.