Last updated: 18 October 2026
Short answer: The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS) replaced the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) from 1 July 2024. Most offences were carried over with new numbers: IPC 302 (murder) is now BNS 103(1), IPC 420 (cheating) is BNS 318(4), IPC 498A (cruelty) is BNS 85, IPC 376 (rape) is BNS 64, and IPC 506 (criminal intimidation) is BNS 351(2) and (3). The table below gives 50 of the most searched IPC sections with their BNS equivalents. Offences committed before 1 July 2024 are still charged and tried under the IPC.
How to use this converter
- The table lists the IPC section, the BNS section, and the subject. Where one IPC section was split, the sub-section is given.
- “Equivalent” means the BNS provision covers the same offence. In some cases the wording, punishment or scope changed; those are flagged.
- Every row has been cross-checked against the published comparative tables of the old and new criminal laws, including the BNS to IPC comparison used for police training, and against the bare text of the BNS.
- For an offence, the date of the act decides the law. Acts done on or after 1 July 2024 fall under the BNS; earlier acts fall under the IPC, even if the FIR is registered later.
IPC to BNS: 50 most searched sections
| IPC section | BNS section | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| 34 | 3(5) | Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention |
| 120B | 61(2) | Punishment of criminal conspiracy |
| 124A | 152 | Sedition omitted; section 152 punishes acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India (not a word for word equivalent) |
| 147 | 191(2) | Punishment for rioting |
| 148 | 191(3) | Rioting armed with a deadly weapon |
| 149 | 190 | Every member of an unlawful assembly guilty of an offence committed in prosecution of the common object |
| 153A | 196 | Promoting enmity between different groups |
| 186 | 221 | Obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions |
| 188 | 223 | Disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant |
| 201 | 238 | Causing disappearance of evidence or giving false information to screen an offender |
| 279 | 281 | Rash driving or riding on a public way |
| 294 | 296 | Obscene acts and songs |
| 295A | 299 | Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings |
| 302 | 103(1) | Punishment for murder |
| 304 | 105 | Culpable homicide not amounting to murder |
| 304A | 106(1) | Causing death by negligence (higher maximum of 5 years; separate lower punishment for registered medical practitioners) |
| 304B | 80 | Dowry death |
| 306 | 108 | Abetment of suicide |
| 307 | 109 | Attempt to murder |
| 323 | 115(2) | Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt |
| 324 | 118(1) | Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means |
| 325 | 117(2) | Punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt |
| 326A | 124(1) | Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid |
| 341 | 126(2) | Punishment for wrongful restraint |
| 342 | 127(2) | Punishment for wrongful confinement |
| 354 | 74 | Assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty |
| 354A | 75 | Sexual harassment |
| 354D | 78 | Stalking |
| 363 | 137(2) | Punishment for kidnapping |
| 366 | 87 | Kidnapping, abducting or inducing a woman to compel her marriage |
| 376 (1) and (2) | 64 | Punishment for rape (aggravated forms and victims under 16 or 12 are in sections 65 to 71) |
| 376D | 70(1) | Gang rape |
| 379 | 303(2) | Punishment for theft (community service possible for a first offender where property under Rs 5,000 is returned) |
| 380 | 305 | Theft in a dwelling house, means of transportation or place of worship |
| 384 | 308(2) | Punishment for extortion |
| 392 | 309(4) | Punishment for robbery |
| 395 | 310(2) | Punishment for dacoity |
| 406 | 316(2) | Punishment for criminal breach of trust |
| 409 | 316(5) | Criminal breach of trust by a public servant, banker, merchant or agent |
| 411 | 317(2) | Dishonestly receiving stolen property |
| 420 | 318(4) | Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property |
| 447 | 329(3) | Punishment for criminal trespass |
| 467 | 338 | Forgery of a valuable security, will and similar documents |
| 468 | 336(3) | Forgery for the purpose of cheating |
| 471 | 340(2) | Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record |
| 498A | 85 (cruelty defined in 86) | Cruelty by husband or his relatives |
| 500 | 356(2) | Punishment for defamation (community service added as an option) |
| 504 | 352 | Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace |
| 506 | 351(2) and (3) | Punishment for criminal intimidation (aggravated form in sub-section (3)) |
| 509 | 79 | Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman |
Need the complete correspondence and the changes explained? The Lexfolio New Criminal Laws Guide maps IPC to BNS, CrPC to BNSS and Evidence Act to BSA section by section, explains every new offence and procedural change, and flags provisions still not in force.
IPC sections with no BNS equivalent
| IPC section | What happened |
|---|---|
| 124A (sedition) | Omitted. Section 152 BNS is a differently framed offence aimed at acts against the nation, not disaffection towards the Government. |
| 309 (attempt to suicide) | Not carried over as a general offence. Section 226 BNS punishes only an attempt to commit suicide to compel or restrain a public servant. |
| 377 (unnatural offences) | Not carried over. Non-consensual acts against women and children are covered by the rape and POCSO provisions, but there is no general BNS equivalent for non-consensual acts against adult men. |
| 497 (adultery) | Omitted. It had already been struck down by the Supreme Court in Joseph Shine v. Union of India (2018). |
New offences in the BNS with no IPC equivalent
| BNS section | Offence |
|---|---|
| 69 | Sexual intercourse by deceitful means, including a false promise to marry |
| 95 | Hiring, employing or engaging a child to commit an offence |
| 103(2) | Murder by a group of five or more on grounds such as race, caste, community or language (mob lynching) |
| 111 | Organised crime |
| 112 | Petty organised crime |
| 113 | Terrorist act |
| 304 | Snatching |
| 106(2) | Hit and run (death by rash driving followed by escape without reporting). Not yet brought into force; such deaths are prosecuted under section 106(1). |
Quick reference: CrPC to BNSS and Evidence Act to BSA
People who search for IPC sections usually also need the procedure. These are the most used provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (BSA).
| Old provision | New provision | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| CrPC 41 | BNSS 35 | Arrest without warrant |
| CrPC 41A | BNSS 35(3) to (6) | Notice of appearance before police |
| CrPC 125 | BNSS 144 | Maintenance of wives, children and parents |
| CrPC 144 | BNSS 163 | Orders in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger |
| CrPC 154 | BNSS 173 | FIR, including zero FIR and e-FIR |
| CrPC 164 | BNSS 183 | Recording of confessions and statements by a Magistrate |
| CrPC 167 | BNSS 187 | Remand when investigation is not complete in 24 hours |
| CrPC 438 | BNSS 482 | Anticipatory bail |
| CrPC 439 | BNSS 483 | Bail powers of the High Court and Sessions Court |
| CrPC 482 | BNSS 528 | Inherent powers of the High Court |
| Evidence Act 65B | BSA 63 | Admissibility of electronic records (certificate in the Schedule) |
| Evidence Act 32 | BSA 26 | Dying declarations and statements of persons who cannot be called as witnesses |
Points that trip people up
- Old FIRs and pending trials: offences committed before 1 July 2024 stay under the IPC. Pending investigations, inquiries and trials begun under the CrPC continue under it, as the BNSS savings clause provides.
- Section numbers in notices and complaints: for acts on or after 1 July 2024, cite the BNS. Citing IPC sections for a new act can lead to objections. For example, a cheque dispute where cheating is alleged would now cite section 318 BNS, alongside section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, which is unchanged. See our cheque bounce notice guide.
- Sub-sections matter: many IPC sections became sub-sections of one BNS section. Writing “BNS 318” when you mean the aggravated cheating in IPC 420 is imprecise; write 318(4).
- Not every change is a renumbering. Punishments were raised in several places, community service was added for petty offences, and some definitions now expressly include electronic records and transgender persons.
Studying for judiciary, APO or law exams? The New Criminal Laws Guide gives you complete correspondence tables, the new offences with punishments, the procedural timelines under the BNSS and an exam-oriented summary of what changed, in an easy to search PDF.
Writing a research paper on the new laws? Our guide on how to cite Indian cases and statutes shows how to cite the BNS with the corresponding IPC section.
Frequently asked questions
What is IPC 420 in BNS?
Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property is section 318(4) BNS. Simple cheating is section 318(2), and the definition is in section 318(1).
What is IPC 302 in BNS?
Punishment for murder is section 103(1) BNS. Murder itself is defined in section 101.
What is IPC 498A in BNS?
Cruelty by a husband or his relatives is section 85 BNS, and “cruelty” is defined in section 86.
What is IPC 376 in BNS?
Rape is defined in section 63 and punished under section 64 BNS. Aggravated forms and offences against girls under 16 and 12 are in sections 65 to 71.
Is IPC still applicable after 1 July 2024?
Yes, for offences committed before that date. New offences are charged under the BNS.
Which section of BNS replaced sedition?
None directly. Sedition (IPC 124A) was dropped. Section 152 BNS creates a new offence of endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.
*This article is general information, not legal advice.*