The Bare Act
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
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20 chapters · 358 sections
Chapter III
General Exceptions
31 sections
- Section 14Act done by a person bound, or by mistake of fact believing himself bound, by law
- Section 15Act of Judge when acting judicially
- Section 16Act done pursuant to the judgment or order of Court
- Section 17Act done by a person justified, or by mistake of fact believing himself, justified, by law
- Section 18Accident in doing a lawful act
- Section 19Act likely to cause harm, but done without criminal intent, and to prevent other harm
- Section 20Act of a child under seven years of age
- Section 21Act of a child above seven and under twelve of immature understanding
- Section 22Act of a person of unsound mind
- Section 23Act of a person incapable of judgment by reason of intoxication caused against his will
- Section 24Offence requiring a particular intent or knowledge committed by one who is intoxicated
- Section 25Act not intended and not known to be likely to cause death or grievous hurt, done by consent
- Section 26Act not intended to cause death, done by consent in good faith for person’s benefit
- Section 27Act done in good faith for benefit of child or person with unsound mind, by or by consent of guardian
- Section 28Consent known to be given under fear or misconception
- Section 29Exclusion of acts which are offences independently of harm caused
- Section 30Act done in good faith for benefit of a person without consent
- Section 31Communication made in good faith
- Section 32Act to which a person compelled by threats
- Section 33Act causing slight harm
- Section 34Things done in private defence
- Section 35Right of private defence of the body and of property
- Section 36Right of private defence against the act of a person with unsound mind, etc
- Section 37Acts against which there is no right of private defence
- Section 38When the right of private defence of the body extends to causing death
- Section 39When such right extends to causing any harm other than death
- Section 40Commencement and continuance of the right of private defence of the body
- Section 41When the right of private defence of property extends to causing death
- Section 42When such right extends to causing any harm other than death
- Section 43Commencement and continuance of the right of private defence of property
- Section 44Right of private defence against deadly assault when there is risk of harm to innocent person
Chapter III
General Exceptions
31 sections
- Section 14Act done by a person bound, or by mistake of fact believing himself bound, by law
- Section 15Act of Judge when acting judicially
- Section 16Act done pursuant to the judgment or order of Court
- Section 17Act done by a person justified, or by mistake of fact believing himself, justified, by law
- Section 18Accident in doing a lawful act
- Section 19Act likely to cause harm, but done without criminal intent, and to prevent other harm
- Section 20Act of a child under seven years of age
- Section 21Act of a child above seven and under twelve of immature understanding
- Section 22Act of a person of unsound mind
- Section 23Act of a person incapable of judgment by reason of intoxication caused against his will
- Section 24Offence requiring a particular intent or knowledge committed by one who is intoxicated
- Section 25Act not intended and not known to be likely to cause death or grievous hurt, done by consent
- Section 26Act not intended to cause death, done by consent in good faith for person’s benefit
- Section 27Act done in good faith for benefit of child or person with unsound mind, by or by consent of guardian
- Section 28Consent known to be given under fear or misconception
- Section 29Exclusion of acts which are offences independently of harm caused
- Section 30Act done in good faith for benefit of a person without consent
- Section 31Communication made in good faith
- Section 32Act to which a person compelled by threats
- Section 33Act causing slight harm
- Section 34Things done in private defence
- Section 35Right of private defence of the body and of property
- Section 36Right of private defence against the act of a person with unsound mind, etc
- Section 37Acts against which there is no right of private defence
- Section 38When the right of private defence of the body extends to causing death
- Section 39When such right extends to causing any harm other than death
- Section 40Commencement and continuance of the right of private defence of the body
- Section 41When the right of private defence of property extends to causing death
- Section 42When such right extends to causing any harm other than death
- Section 43Commencement and continuance of the right of private defence of property
- Section 44Right of private defence against deadly assault when there is risk of harm to innocent person
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.