PRS · Ministry of Home Affairs · 2024-07-01

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita & Criminal Law Recodification: Structural Shifts in Substantive Jurisprudence

Distilled Policy Brief

Repeals IPC 1860; replaces archaic sedition law (Section 124A) with Section 152 punishing acts endangering sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India.
Introduces Community Service for six petty offences as a restorative penal alternative to incarceration for first-time convicts.
Codifies organised crime (Section 111) and acts of terrorism (Section 113) into general substantive criminal law.

🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points

Community service introduced for petty theft under ₹5,000; Sedition terminology removed; Section 152 criminalises subversive financial/electronic acts against Indian sovereignty.

⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages

Critical appraisal of the transition from retributive colonial penology to reformative criminal justice. Evaluate broad definitions of public order offences.

🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)

UPSC Prelims 2021

Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.

Forensic Anchor: Cabinet Allocation of Business Rules & NCAP Framework

Examiner Trap Takeaway: UPSC swapped Central Pollution Control Board role with State Pollution Control Boards for state-level monitoring.