{"id":1493,"date":"2026-06-01T11:08:36","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T11:08:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/?p=1493"},"modified":"2026-06-01T11:08:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T11:08:36","slug":"three-new-criminal-laws-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/three-new-criminal-laws-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Three New Criminal Laws in India: BNS, BNSS &#038; BSA Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-white ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/three-new-criminal-laws-in-india\/#What_Are_the_Three_New_Criminal_Laws_in_India\">What Are the Three New Criminal Laws in India?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/three-new-criminal-laws-in-india\/#When_Did_the_Three_New_Criminal_Laws_in_India_Come_Into_Force\">When Did the Three New Criminal Laws in India Come Into Force?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/three-new-criminal-laws-in-india\/#Who_Drafted_the_New_Criminal_Laws_in_India\">Who Drafted the New Criminal Laws in India?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/three-new-criminal-laws-in-india\/#Why_Is_IPC_Replaced_by_BNS\">Why Is IPC Replaced by BNS?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/three-new-criminal-laws-in-india\/#The_Colonial_Problem\">The Colonial Problem<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/three-new-criminal-laws-in-india\/#BNS_%E2%80%94_Bharatiya_Nyaya_Sanhita_2023_Key_Changes_from_IPC\">BNS \u2014 Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023: Key Changes from IPC<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/three-new-criminal-laws-in-india\/#BNSS_%E2%80%94_Bharatiya_Nagarik_Suraksha_Sanhita_2023_Key_Changes_from_CrPC\">BNSS \u2014 Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023: Key Changes from CrPC<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/three-new-criminal-laws-in-india\/#BSA_%E2%80%94_Bharatiya_Sakshya_Adhiniyam_2023_Key_Changes_from_Indian_Evidence_Act\">BSA \u2014 Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023: Key Changes from Indian Evidence Act<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/three-new-criminal-laws-in-india\/#Three_New_Criminal_Laws_in_India_%E2%80%94_UPSC_Perspective\">Three New Criminal Laws in India \u2014 UPSC Perspective<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/three-new-criminal-laws-in-india\/#Importance_of_new_criminal_laws_for_law_students_aspirants\">Importance of new criminal laws for law students &amp; aspirants?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/three-new-criminal-laws-in-india\/#For_BA_LLB_and_BBA_LLB_Students\">For BA LLB and BBA LLB Students<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/three-new-criminal-laws-in-india\/#For_Aspirants%E2%80%82of_Judiciary_Exam\">For Aspirants\u2002of Judiciary Exam<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/three-new-criminal-laws-in-india\/#For%E2%80%82Moot_Court_Participants\">For\u2002Moot Court Participants<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/three-new-criminal-laws-in-india\/#Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Legislative changes took effect on July 1, 2024, following the repeal of the old criminal laws. The three <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mha.gov.in\/en\/commoncontent\/new-criminal-laws\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">new criminal laws<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in India are the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), which have completely replaced three colonial-era legislations in India, namely the Indian Penal Code 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act 1872.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This was not a regular change. This was the biggest reform in the criminal law framework in India since Independence. If you are a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/courses\/b-a-ll-b-hons-5-years\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BA LLB<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\/<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/courses\/b-b-a-ll-b-hons\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BBA LLB<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\/<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/courses\/ll-b-3-years\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LLB<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> student, a judiciary exam aspirant, or a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/law-optional-in-upsc\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPSC Law optional<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> aspirant, it is important to understand the new criminal laws in India.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_the_Three_New_Criminal_Laws_in_India\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Are the Three New Criminal Laws in India?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The names of these new criminal laws in India are:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>BNS<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 \u2014 replaces the Indian Penal Code, 1860<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>BNSS<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 \u2014 replaces the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>BSA<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 \u2014 replaces the Indian Evidence Act, 1872<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Together, these three laws completely rewrite how crimes are defined, how trials are conducted and how evidence is proved in every court across India.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_Did_the_Three_New_Criminal_Laws_in_India_Come_Into_Force\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Did the Three New Criminal Laws in India Come Into Force?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new criminal laws have the most crucial dates in modern legal history. The full legislative history follows:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On August 11, 2023, the Home Minister introduced three bills in the Lok Sabha. On 11 August 2023, the Home Minister presented three Bills in the Lok Sabha.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On 24 August 2023, the written communication was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On November 6 and 10, 2023, the Committee reported (Report Nos. 246, 247, 248)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On December 21, 2023, the bills were passed in Parliament.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This has been assented to by the President and notified in the Gazette of India on the 25th of December, 2023.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All three new criminal laws in India came into effect on July 1, 2024<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Important for the students &amp; practitioners:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In cases\/ FIRs registered before 1st July 2024, the old law will continue to apply. The new laws will only be in force for cases filed from July 1, 2024.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_Drafted_the_New_Criminal_Laws_in_India\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who Drafted the New Criminal Laws in India?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a common question asked in UPSC and judiciary exams; hence, it needs to be answered clearly.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay drafted the IPC through the First Law Commission, constituted in 1834 under the Charter Act of 1833.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The draft was submitted in 1837, and the Code came into force in 1860. The new criminal laws were prepared by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, which introduced all three bills in Lok Sabha on 11th August 2023.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The bills were considered by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, which sat 12 times and made recommendations in November 2023.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The final versions were approved after incorporating the suggestions of the Committee on 21st December 2023.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reform has been introduced to achieve the \u201cPanch Pran\u201d objective \u2014 to eliminate all traces of colonial rule from governance systems in India.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Is_IPC_Replaced_by_BNS\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why Is IPC Replaced by BNS?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is among the most sought questions for this topic and is frequently seen in UPSC mains, law semester papers and judicial service exams.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Colonial_Problem\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Colonial Problem<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the IPC was written in 1860, several provisions were considered outdated for Indian citizens. That&#8217;s why new criminal laws came to address contemporary crimes such as organised crime, terrorism and cyber-enabled offences.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Key reasons the IPC was replaced:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">General criminal law did not provide any provisions with regard to terrorism and organised crime.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The old language referred to things that are no longer there, such as the telegram office.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There was no community service as punishment; only fines, imprisonment and death.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2022, the Supreme Court kept Section 124A IPC (sedition) in abeyance, suspending all fresh proceedings pending constitutional review.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No recognition of electronic evidence, e-FIRs or digital proceedings is accepted.No e-FIRs, digital Proceedings or e-Evidence accepted.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People were having to wait for lengthy and time-consuming procedures for millions of cases to be filed.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"BNS_%E2%80%94_Bharatiya_Nyaya_Sanhita_2023_Key_Changes_from_IPC\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BNS \u2014 Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023: Key Changes from IPC<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>What is BNS?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 is one of the three new criminal laws in India, which enumerates crimes and prescribes punishments. BNS has 358 sections while IPC has 511 sections. The name itself is an indication of the change \u2013 Nyaya means justice, whereas the Penal Code was punishment-based.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Key changes under BNS:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Section 113 BNS:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Terrorism is defined for the first time in general criminal law (Section 113 BNS). Previously, terrorism was only defined under the UAPA. The BNS Section 113 is a new definition of terrorism in the general criminal law, which would apply to everyone, and without the protections of the UAPA.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the first time, there is an organised crime definition and a dedicated provision in the general criminal law (BNS 111).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Section 124A IPC (Sedition):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It has been replaced by Section 152 BNS, which introduces a new offence penalising acts that endanger the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, with imprisonment up to life or a minimum of seven years plus fine. Under another name, it would be considered sedition by some.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Section 4 BNS:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Community service is incorporated in criminal law for the first time in India in six categories of minor offences (Section 4 BNS), which is a big step towards the rehabilitation concept.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BNS introduces a separate offence of snatching, recognising it independently from traditional theft and robbery.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The number of people imprisoned for 33 offences rose, with 20 new crimes recorded such as organised crime, terrorism and petty organised crime and acts against the state.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"BNSS_%E2%80%94_Bharatiya_Nagarik_Suraksha_Sanhita_2023_Key_Changes_from_CrPC\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BNSS \u2014 Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023: Key Changes from CrPC<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>What Is BNSS?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 is among three new criminal laws in India that regulates the investigation, trial and determination of cases from the filing of an FIR till the final appeal in India. There are 531 sections in BNSS, whereas CrPC has 484 sections.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The key changes to be expected under BNSS are set out below:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The legalisation of Zero FIR (Section 173 BNSS): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any police station is bound to register any FIR irrespective of the location of the crime. It now has full statutory force, as opposed to being a Supreme Court direction.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>E-FIR:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a game-changer for urban India for filing of FIRs electronically for certain of the offences.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Trial in absentia (Section 356 BNSS):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A gap in the law that has been filled by the courts to hold trials and make judgments when an accused is absent \u2014 a so-called &#8216;proclaimed offender&#8217;.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Forensic investigation (Section 176 BNSS)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: For 7 years and above, a forensic team will be called to the scene of the crime. This is a required condition that seeks to enhance conviction rates based on scientific facts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>A new important victim protection provision: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">90-day update rule for Police to inform victims of progress of investigation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Video trials and electronic proceedings (Section 530 BNSS): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All trials, inquiries, hearings and service of summons are now available to be conducted electronically, or with audio-video.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"BSA_%E2%80%94_Bharatiya_Sakshya_Adhiniyam_2023_Key_Changes_from_Indian_Evidence_Act\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BSA \u2014 Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023: Key Changes from Indian Evidence Act<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>What Is BSA?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 comes under the three new criminal laws in India on the evidence that can be submitted in court and how it must be produced. The Evidence Act has 167 sections, while BSA has 170 sections. Its most important contribution is the use of electronic evidence as primary evidence, which reflects the way that modern crime is committed, investigated and proved.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Key Changes Under BSA:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Admissibility of electronic records (Section 63): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BSA expands recognition of electronic and digital records and streamlines their admissibility as evidence in judicial proceedings.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Digital expert opinion recognised (under Section 39 BSA):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The use of electronic and digital forensic experts is now available to provide expert opinion, recognising that investigations in today&#8217;s world need experts with a focus on cybercrime and digital forensics.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Secondary evidence expanded (Section 58 BSA):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Electronic copies and certified digital documents are added to the list of secondary evidence; testimony of document examiners who are knowledgeable in the field of digital authentication is added to the list of secondary evidence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Banker&#8217;s books updated:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Unchanged, banker&#8217;s books are updated to include digital banking records, account statements in electronic format and logs of online transactions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Please note that there are changes in the number of sections in the BSA, as compared to the Indian Evidence Act.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Three_New_Criminal_Laws_in_India_%E2%80%94_UPSC_Perspective\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Three New Criminal Laws in India \u2014 UPSC Perspective<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For students preparing for UPSC Civil Services with Law Optional or General Studies Paper II, the three new criminal laws in India 2024 are a central topic. Here are the facts every aspirant must know:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Prelims-relevant facts<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BNS \u2014 358 sections (IPC had 511)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BNSS \u2014 531 sections (CrPC had 484)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BSA \u2014 170 sections (Evidence Act had 167)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Effective date: July 1, 2024<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Presidential assent: December 25, 2023<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">20 new crimes added under BNS<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imprisonment increased for 33 offences<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Community service introduced for 6 offences<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Mains-relevant themes<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Decolonisation of India&#8217;s criminal justice system<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shift from punishment-centric to justice-centric jurisprudence<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Technology and criminal law \u2014 electronic evidence, e-FIR, video trials<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Criticism \u2014 sedition by another name, expanded police custody, terrorism definition without safeguards<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Importance_of_new_criminal_laws_for_law_students_aspirants\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Importance of new criminal laws for law students &amp; aspirants?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"For_BA_LLB_and_BBA_LLB_Students\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For BA LLB and BBA LLB Students<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the semesters, the Criminal Law papers are focused on BNS, and not IPC.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nowadays, articles in Law of Evidence papers make reference to BSA\u2002Provisions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are references to BNSS in Criminal Procedure papers, such as Zero FIR, forensic\u2002mandates, and trial timing.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"For_Aspirants%E2%80%82of_Judiciary_Exam\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Aspirants\u2002of Judiciary Exam<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/haryana-judiciary-exam\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Haryana Judicial Service (HJS)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> exam and Delhi Higher Judicial Service exam syllabus have been updated.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All the students should go through the revised statute in preparation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"For%E2%80%82Moot_Court_Participants\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For\u2002Moot Court Participants<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meanwhile, moot court problems are to be framed from 2025 onwards in various institutions under BNS and BNSS. Students with knowledge of the new section numbers have a clear advantage in competitions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students who join the BA LLB, BBA LLB or LLB Courses at the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">best law college in India<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and complete the courses are ready to practice in India&#8217;s new criminal justice system, and that&#8217;s a big advantage when it comes to a changing system.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conclusion<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The three new criminal laws in India \u2013 the BNS, BNSS and BSA \u2013 are far-reaching legal reforms. They do not represent amendments. They constitute a complete overhaul of the definition of crimes, the manner in which cases are tried, and the\u2002avenue through which evidence is established in all courts of the country.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Previous legislation contained a plethora of clauses which were remnants of the colonial system. The new laws have updated aspects of the criminal law to the digital age.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/apply.geeta.edu.in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apply Now<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to get enrolled into law courses in India<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Legislative changes took effect on July 1, 2024, following the repeal of the old criminal&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1493","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-law","entry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1493","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1493"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1493\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1496,"href":"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1493\/revisions\/1496"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1493"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1493"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geetalawcollege.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1493"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}