OPSC APP Important Bare Acts to Read

The core bare Acts to read for OPSC APP are the CrPC 1973 alongside the BNSS 2023, the IPC 1860 alongside the BNS 2023, and the Evidence Act 1872 alongside the BSA 2023, since these three subject-pairs are the only ones OPSC has confirmed for the Preliminary Examination. For the Main Examination, add the Arms Act, Dowry Prohibition Act, Motor Vehicles Act, Juvenile Justice Act, the Contract Act, the Transfer of Property Act and the Limitation Act, among others named in OPSC’s own paper descriptions.

The three prelims bare Acts: read old and new side by side

Because questions can be framed around either the pre-2024 codes or their replacements, the most reliable method is a side-by-side reading of each pair of Acts, provision to provision, rather than reading one code in isolation. Start with the CrPC 1973 and the BNSS 2023 together, since procedure sets up how the other two subjects are applied in practice. Move next to the IPC 1860 and the BNS 2023, focusing on offence definitions, punishments and any provisions that were renumbered or substantively altered in the BNS. Finish the trio with the Evidence Act 1872 and the BSA 2023, paying attention to provisions on admissibility, documentary evidence and electronic records, since these have practical relevance to a prosecutor’s daily work. Our OPSC APP syllabus and subjects to study guide explains why OPSC has not gone beyond naming these three subject-pairs for the prelims.

Bare Acts for the Main Examination’s Paper III: Criminal Minor Laws

Paper III covers special and criminal statutes beyond the three main subjects. OPSC’s own paper description names the Arms Act, the Dowry Prohibition Act, the Motor Vehicles Act and the Juvenile Justice Act, along with Odisha-specific laws such as the Excise Act and the Forest Act. These are narrower, more specialised Acts, and a focused reading of their key sections, offences and procedures, rather than a cover-to-cover study, is generally the efficient approach once you have the three main subjects down.

Bare Acts for the Main Examination’s Paper IV: Miscellaneous Laws

Paper IV is civil-side and drafting-focused, drawing on the law of torts, the Contract Act, the Transfer of Property Act, the Limitation Act, and the general principles of interpretation of statutes, along with practical drafting of petitions and pleadings. None of these feature in the prelims paper at all, so candidates who clear prelims and have not touched these Acts beforehand will need dedicated time for them before the Main Examination.

A sensible reading order given limited time

If your time before prelims is genuinely short, the CrPC/BNSS, IPC/BNS and Evidence Act/BSA trio should take priority over everything else, since this is what actually decides whether you proceed past screening. Once prelims is behind you, however your result turns out, shift focus to Paper III’s special statutes first, since they are narrower and faster to cover, and then to Paper IV’s broader civil-side subjects, which need more time to build familiarity with.

Common mistakes candidates make

• Reading only the new codes (BNS, BNSS, BSA) and skipping the older IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act provisions entirely.
• Spending disproportionate time on Paper III’s narrow special statutes before securing the three main prelims subjects.
• Leaving Paper IV’s civil-side Acts untouched until after the Main Examination date is announced, when they could be started earlier.
• Reading summarised notes instead of the bare Act text for provisions that are likely to be tested word for word.

Frequently asked questions

Which bare Acts should I read for OPSC APP prelims?

The CrPC 1973 with the BNSS 2023, the IPC 1860 with the BNS 2023, and the Evidence Act 1872 with the BSA 2023, since these are the only three subject-pairs OPSC has confirmed for the Preliminary Examination.

Do I need to read the old IPC and CrPC, or only the new BNS and BNSS?

Both. Since the BNS, BNSS and BSA replaced the older codes only from 1 July 2024, a side-by-side reading of old and new provisions is the safer approach for a paper that names both frameworks.

Which Acts are needed for the OPSC APP Main Examination beyond the prelims subjects?

Paper III adds special statutes such as the Arms Act, the Dowry Prohibition Act, the Motor Vehicles Act, the Juvenile Justice Act and Odisha-specific laws like the Excise Act and Forest Act. Paper IV adds the law of torts, the Contract Act, the Transfer of Property Act, the Limitation Act and interpretation of statutes.

Should I prioritise bare Acts over coaching notes?

For the three confirmed prelims subjects, yes, since no official detailed syllabus exists and provisions can be tested directly. Notes are useful as a structured companion to the bare Act reading, not a replacement for it.

This page is for education and general information, not legal advice for a specific case. Law as on 2 November 2026.

Get the notes: OPSC APP Notes, ₹199.