IPC to BNS section mapping, in short: the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS) replaced the Indian Penal Code from 1 July 2024. IPC 302 (murder) is now BNS 103(1), IPC 420 (cheating) is 318(4), IPC 376 (rape) is 64 and IPC 498A (cruelty) is 85. An offence committed before 1 July 2024 is still an IPC offence.
IPC 302 is now BNS 103(1). IPC 420 is now BNS 318(4). IPC 376 is now BNS 64. IPC 498A is now BNS 85. Those four conversions are the ones a trial court, a police station and a first-year associate actually type. The rest of this page is the practitioner table behind them: high-use IPC sections, each with its BNS sub-section and a link to the side-by-side comparison on IndiaCode by eCourtsIndia, plus the traps that a full conversion table will not warn you about. The most important trap first: do not cite BNS 302 for murder. BNS 302 is uttering words with intent to wound religious feelings. Murder is BNS 103(1).
Last updated: 12 October 2026
Eight of the most-cited IPC sections and their BNS numbers. Full 553-row table on IndiaCode by eCourtsIndia, re-checked October 2026.
Key takeaways
- From 1 July 2024, new offences are charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. An offence committed before that date is still an offence under the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (BNS section 358; Article 20(1)). Matters pending on 1 July 2024 continue under the CrPC (BNSS section 531(2)(a)). Both texts stay live on IndiaCode. Nothing redirects.
- IndiaCode maps all 553 IPC provisions to the closest BNS provision by text: 315 carried over almost unchanged, 161 close with changes, 25 distant, and 52 with no close match. Counts verified 30 August 2026 and re-checked against the live table in October 2026.
- The mapping is measured, not official. The Government’s reference is NCRB’s corresponding section table; IndiaCode by eCourtsIndia adds a text-similarity score to each pair. Every comparison page shows both texts and the score. Read both sides before you cite.
- Open any row as
indiacode.ecourtsindia.com/ipc-to-bns/{section}/. IPC 302 → BNS 103 is 90 per cent. The same pattern holds for 420, 376, 498A and the rest of the table below. - A high score means the words are alike, not that a court has held the provisions equivalent. Where the law genuinely moved, as with rape, cheating, common intention and sedition, the score falls, and that is the point of the page.
What changed on 1 July 2024?
The Indian Penal Code was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Section numbers moved. A handful of offences were rewritten. A handful were dropped. A handful were created. The daily work of a criminal court did not reset: a murder committed on 30 June 2024 is still an IPC 302 case, and judgments decided under IPC 302 still govern that case, even though the section in force for new offences is BNS 103(1).
BNS at a glance
- Act No. 45 of 2023, assent 25 December 2023. Act text on the MHA website.
- 358 sections in 20 chapters. The IPC had 511 sections in 23 chapters.
- In force from 1 July 2024 under S.O. 850(E) of 23 February 2024, except section 106(2) (hit-and-run).
- New punishment: community service, section 4(f).
- New offences include organised crime (111), petty organised crime (112), terrorist act (113), snatching (304) and mob lynching (103(2)).
That is why IndiaCode keeps both codes. IndiaCode by eCourtsIndia (indiacode.ecourtsindia.com) is a free statute site that is separate from the Government’s India Code portal; our explainer on IndiaCode vs the Government’s India Code sets out the difference. The IPC is published in full as repealed. The BNS is published as in force. Each IPC row opens a comparison page with the old text on one side and the closest BNS text on the other. This post is the hub for the conversions people actually search. The data lives on the comparison URLs. Our IndiaCode launch article explains the rest of the statute book; this page is only the IPC → BNS map.
| On IndiaCode | What you get |
|---|---|
| Full IPC → BNS table | All 553 rows, filterable, with the similarity band on each |
/ipc-to-bns/{section}/ | Both texts, the score, and the next-closest alternatives |
/ipc/section/{section}/ | The repealed IPC provision, still citable for pre-1 July 2024 conduct |
/bns/section/{number}/ | The provision in force, with First Schedule classification and reported judgments |
How do I find the BNS equivalent of an IPC section?
- If you know the IPC number, go straight to
https://indiacode.ecourtsindia.com/ipc-to-bns/{section}/. For murder that is /ipc-to-bns/302/. For cruelty, /ipc-to-bns/498A/. - Read both texts. The score is a text comparison, not a judicial holding. Where IndiaCode says “no close match”, do not invent a successor.
- Open the BNS section page for the provision in force, with its classification, neighbouring sections, and the reported judgments that construed it. Example: BNS 103.
- If you are charging or defending conduct from before 1 July 2024, cite the IPC page, not the BNS page. The comparison page exists so you can see what later changed.
The same converter exists for procedure and evidence: CrPC to BNSS and Evidence Act to BSA. The lawyer-first CrPC map is the companion post CrPC to BNSS mapping for lawyers.
Do not cite BNS 302 for murder: five common mistypes
The numbering of the BNS is not the numbering of the IPC with a coat of paint. Several of the most-typed IPC numbers now mean something else entirely if you prefix them with BNS.
| If you type this | You meant | What that BNS number actually is |
|---|---|---|
| BNS 302 | Murder: BNS 103(1) | Uttering words with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings (old IPC 298). |
| BNS 420 | Cheating: BNS 318(4) | Does not exist. The Sanhita runs from section 1 to 358. |
| BNS 376 | Rape: BNS 64 | Does not exist. Rape is defined in BNS 63 and punished under BNS 64. |
| BNS 498A | Cruelty: BNS 85 | Does not exist in the BNS. The definition of cruelty is BNS 86. |
| BNS 34 | Common intention: BNS 3(5) | Things done in private defence (old IPC 96). |
IPC to BNS mapping table: high-use sections with sub-sections
This is not the full 553-row table. That lives on the IndiaCode by eCourtsIndia converter, and the Government’s reference is NCRB’s corresponding section table (PDF copy hosted by UP Police). This list covers commonly cited sections, organised the way a criminal practice files. Every IPC number links to the comparison page. Every BNS number links to the section in force. The sub-section column follows the NCRB table, because a charge or bail application needs 318(4), not just 318.
Offences against the human body
| IPC | Offence | BNS (sub-section) | Text similarity (IndiaCode) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 299 | Culpable homicide | 100 | Carried over, 100% | |
| 300 | Murder (definition) | 101 | Carried over, 98% | |
| 302 | Punishment for murder | 103(1) | Carried over, 90% | 103(2), murder by a group of five or more on grounds such as caste or community, is new |
| 304 | Culpable homicide not amounting to murder | 105 | Carried over, 98% | Not BNS 304, which is snatching |
| 304A | Death by negligence | 106(1) | Carried over, 95% | Maximum raised from 2 to 5 years, with fine. 106(2) (hit-and-run) was not brought into force on 1 July 2024; check its status before citing it |
| 304B | Dowry death | 80 | Carried over, 100% | |
| 306 | Abetment of suicide | 108 | Carried over, 100% | |
| 307 | Attempt to murder | 109 | Carried over, 95% | |
| 323 | Voluntarily causing hurt | 115(2) | Carried over, 88% | 115(1) defines hurt (old 321) |
| 324 | Hurt by dangerous weapons or means | 118(1) | Carried over, 91% | |
| 325 | Grievous hurt | 117(2) | Carried over, 89% | Not 118(2), which is the old 326 |
| 326 | Grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means | 118(2) | Carried over, 93% | |
| 341 | Wrongful restraint | 126(2) | Close, 82% | |
| 342 | Wrongful confinement | 127(2) | Close, 82% | |
| 279 | Rash driving on a public way | 281 | Carried over, 100% |
Women, children and sexual offences
| IPC | Offence | BNS (sub-section) | Text similarity (IndiaCode) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 375 | Rape (definition) | 63 | Close, 76% | |
| 376 | Punishment for rape | 64 | Close, 75% | |
| 376D | Gang rape | 70(1) | n/a | 70(2) covers a victim under eighteen |
| 354 | Assault to outrage modesty | 74 | Carried over, 88% | |
| 354A | Sexual harassment | 75 | n/a | |
| 509 | Insulting the modesty of a woman | 79 | Carried over, 96% | |
| 498A | Cruelty by husband or relative | 85 | Carried over, 95% | BNS 86 defines cruelty |
| 366 | Kidnapping or abducting a woman to compel marriage | 87 | Carried over, 100% | |
| 363 | Punishment for kidnapping | 137(2) | Carried over, 87% | |
| 494 | Bigamy | 82(1) | Carried over, 97% |
Property, cheating, trust and documents
| IPC | Offence | BNS (sub-section) | Text similarity (IndiaCode) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 378 / 379 | Theft / punishment for theft | 303(1) / 303(2) | Carried over, 95% / 87% | |
| 380 | Theft in a dwelling house | 305 | Close, 83% | |
| 392 | Robbery | 309(4) | Carried over, 87% | |
| 395 | Dacoity | 310(2) | Carried over, 87% | |
| 384 | Punishment for extortion | 308(2) | Close, 79% | 308(1) defines extortion (old 383) |
| 406 | Criminal breach of trust | 316(2) | Close, 83% | |
| 409 | Breach of trust by public servant, banker or agent | 316(5) | Close, 76% | |
| 415 | Cheating (definition) | 318(1) | Carried over, 96% | |
| 420 | Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property | 318(4) | Close, 69% | Simple cheating (old 417) is 318(2) |
| 419 | Cheating by personation | 319(2) | Close, 81% | |
| 411 | Dishonestly receiving stolen property | 317(2) | Close, 83% | |
| 427 | Mischief causing damage | 324(4) | Close, 70% | |
| 447 | Criminal trespass | 329(3) | Close, 78% | 329(1) defines criminal trespass (old 441) |
| 467 | Forgery of valuable security or will | 338 | Carried over, 100% | |
| 468 | Forgery for cheating | 336(3) | Close, 81% | |
| 471 | Using a forged document as genuine | 340(2) | Carried over, 85.4% |
Public order, conspiracy, evidence and the State
| IPC | Offence | BNS (sub-section) | Text similarity (IndiaCode) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | Common intention | 3(5) | Close, 70% | Inside the general explanations. BNS 34 is private defence |
| 120B | Punishment of criminal conspiracy | 61(2) | Close, 77% | 61(1) defines conspiracy (old 120A) |
| 141 | Unlawful assembly | 189(1) | Close, 84.7% | |
| 143 | Member of an unlawful assembly | 189(2) | Close, 70% | |
| 147 | Punishment for rioting | 191(2) | Carried over, 87% | 191(1) defines rioting (old 146) |
| 148 | Rioting armed with a deadly weapon | 191(3) | Close, 77% | |
| 149 | Common object | 190 | Carried over, 100% | |
| 153A | Promoting enmity between groups | 196 | Carried over, 96% | |
| 186 | Obstructing a public servant | 221 | Carried over, 97% | |
| 188 | Disobeying an order of a public servant | 223 | Carried over, 98% | |
| 193 | Punishment for false evidence | 229 | Carried over, 95% | |
| 201 | Causing disappearance of evidence | 238 | Carried over, 96% | |
| 295A | Outraging religious feelings | 299 | Carried over, 97% | |
| 499 / 500 | Defamation / punishment for defamation | 356(1) / 356(2) | Carried over, 94% / 88% | |
| 504 | Intentional insult to provoke a breach of the peace | 352 | Carried over, 99% | |
| 506 | Punishment for criminal intimidation | 351(2), 351(3) | Close, 83% | 351(1) defines it (old 503) |
| 511 | Attempt to commit offences | 62 | Carried over, 100% | |
| 124A | Sedition | None | No close match | Read BNS 152 separately. It is a new, differently worded offence |
Our BNS-first companion post gives the cognizable and bailable status of each BNS section, taken from the First Schedule to the BNSS.
Which sections changed in substance, not just in number?
- Rape and related offences. IPC 375 → BNS 63 at 76 per cent, IPC 376 → BNS 64 at 75 per cent. BNS 69 (sexual intercourse by deceitful means) is new.
- Cheating. IPC 415 and IPC 420 both point at BNS 318. The definition is 318(1), simple cheating (old 417) is 318(2) and the old 420 is 318(4). Read the sub-sections before you cite.
- Common intention. IPC 34 → BNS 3(5) at 70 per cent.
- Death by negligence. IPC 304A → BNS 106(1) scores 95 per cent on wording, yet the maximum sentence rose from two to five years, with fine. A high score is not the same law.
- Attempt to suicide. IPC 309 maps as a distant 57 per cent to the much narrower BNS 226. Do not treat them as equivalents. The NCRB table marks IPC 309 as deleted and lists BNS 226 (attempt to commit suicide to compel or restrain the exercise of lawful power) as a new offence.
- Organised crime and terrorism. BNS 111, 112 and 113 have no IPC ancestor.
- Snatching. BNS 304 is a standalone offence.
- Children used in crime. BNS 95 (hiring, employing or engaging a child to commit an offence) is new.
Which IPC sections have no BNS equivalent?
IndiaCode reports 52 IPC provisions with no close match. Three that still get searched: 124A sedition (read BNS 152 separately), 377 unnatural offences (gone), and 497 adultery (not revived). Full list: indiacode.ecourtsindia.com/ipc-to-bns/.
Which law applies to offences committed before 1 July 2024?
If the alleged act is dated before 1 July 2024, the charging section is the IPC section. An offence committed before that date is still an IPC offence: BNS section 358 saves earlier liabilities, and Article 20(1) of the Constitution bars a heavier penalty with retrospective effect.
Procedure is a separate question. Under BNSS section 531(2)(a), trials, appeals and investigations pending on 1 July 2024 continue under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. High Courts differed in July 2024 on which code governs new applications in older cases, so check the latest ruling of your High Court.
A reported judgment attached to BNS 103 that was decided under IPC 302 is marked as a successor attachment: the court did not have the BNS before it. If the act is dated on or after 1 July 2024, cite the BNS and paste indiacode.ecourtsindia.com/bns/section/{number}/.
The rows above are the commonly cited sections. The full 553-row table is the IPC to BNS converter. JSON: GET https://webapi.ecourtsindia.com/api/partner/acts/1860/45/sections/302/equivalents on the eCourtsIndia API (Bearer token, prepaid credits), explained in our guide to finding Acts and sections through search, Markdown and the API. For procedure, see CrPC to BNSS. For the BNS numbers to memorise, see the 50-section list.
How do I search case law under both IPC and BNS numbers?
A mapping tells you which section to cite. It does not tell you how courts are applying it. For that you need orders, and the orders are split by date: anything decided on facts before July 2024 cites the IPC, and newer charge sheets cite the BNS. A search for one number will not find the other.
On eCourtsIndia search, run the two numbers as two separate searches, for example "302 IPC" and then "103 BNS", or "420 IPC" and then "318 BNS". The OR operator does not combine searches at present, so one query will not return both sets. Our eCourtsIndia search guide covers the filters. The search also reads the text of orders and judgments, where it has been extracted from the court’s PDF, across the Supreme Court, all 25 High Courts, and district and taluka courts in all 36 states and UTs that publish on the eCourts network, so the phrase does not have to be in the case title. Narrow by court, year or case type once the first page loads, and set a WhatsApp or email alert on the matters you follow (tracking ₹5 per case every 30 days, alerts ₹0.50 per delivered alert per channel, as of October 2026; see pricing). Our guide explains how to set up case alerts.
Two data stories show what that looks like at scale. 498A by the numbers reads the court records behind the cruelty section that is now BNS 85, and our cheque bounce analysis covers the NI Act 138 docket, which the BNS did not touch.
At the very start of a criminal file the FIR is the first document you need, and older FIRs will cite the IPC. eCourtsIndia Crime Reports holds 25 lakh+ FIR records from a dozen states and union territories (October 2026). These are collected records, not every FIR registered by the police. For how an FIR differs from a court record, see court record check vs police verification. Our guide to checking FIR status online covers the other routes. How the statute side is built, including the reported judgments attached to each section, is explained in the IndiaCode launch article.
How the similarity score works (and its limits)
IndiaCode by eCourtsIndia compares the words of each IPC provision with every BNS provision and reports the closest match. It counts 553 IPC provisions, because inserted sections such as 120A and 498A are counted separately from the 511 numbered sections. Each pair gets one of four labels: carried over, close, distant or no close match. Counts as of 28 September 2026.
The score measures wording only. It does not capture changes in punishment (IPC 304A’s two-year maximum became five years in BNS 106(1)), sub-sections, or court rulings. That is why the tables above add the NCRB sub-section and a note wherever the law moved.
Read next
- IndiaCode by eCourtsIndia: every Act, every section, with the judgments that read them
- CrPC to BNSS mapping for lawyers
- BNS sections: 50 provisions every Indian lawyer should know
- Income-tax Act 1961 to 2025 section mapping
- IPC to BNS: full section-by-section table
IndiaCode by eCourtsIndia is a private structured republication; the Gazette and competent issuing authority remain authoritative. This table is a research aid: check the Act text and the date of the offence before relying on a mapping, and consult an advocate enrolled with a State Bar Council for advice on a specific case. Found an error in a mapping? Write to support@ecourtsindia.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BNS equivalent of IPC 302?
IPC 302 (punishment for murder) is BNS 103(1). Murder itself is defined in BNS 101, the old IPC 300, and BNS 103(2) is new: murder by a group of five or more on grounds such as caste, community or language. Do not cite BNS 302; that section punishes uttering words to wound religious feelings. Murders before 1 July 2024 are still charged under IPC 302.
What is the BNS equivalent of IPC 420?
IPC 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) is BNS 318(4). Cheating is defined in BNS 318(1), the old IPC 415, and simple cheating, the old IPC 417, is punished under 318(2). Because three IPC sections were folded into one, the wording match is only about 69 per cent, so read section 318 in full before drafting a charge or a reply.
What are the BNS sections for IPC 376 and IPC 498A?
Rape is defined in BNS 63 (old IPC 375) and punished under BNS 64 (old IPC 376); gang rape, the old 376D, is BNS 70(1). Cruelty by a husband or his relatives, the old IPC 498A, is BNS 85, with cruelty defined in BNS 86. BNS 69, sexual intercourse by deceitful means, is a new offence with no IPC equivalent.
What is IPC 34 (common intention) in the BNS?
Common intention, IPC 34, is now BNS 3(5), placed inside the general explanations in section 3. Do not cite BNS 34: that section deals with things done in private defence, the old IPC 96. Criminal conspiracy, IPC 120B, is BNS 61(2), and common object, IPC 149, is BNS 190.
What is IPC 506 (criminal intimidation) in the BNS?
Criminal intimidation is defined in BNS 351(1), the old IPC 503, and the punishment in old IPC 506 is split across BNS 351(2) and 351(3), the latter for threats to cause death, grievous hurt or similar. Intentional insult to provoke a breach of the peace, IPC 504, is BNS 352. Check which sub-section matches the threat alleged.
Which law applies to an offence committed before 1 July 2024?
The IPC. An offence committed before 1 July 2024 stays an IPC offence, because BNS section 358 saves earlier liabilities and Article 20(1) bars a heavier penalty with retrospective effect. Procedure is separate: under BNSS section 531(2)(a), trials, appeals and investigations pending on 1 July 2024 continue under the CrPC. High Courts have differed on new filings in older cases, so check your High Court.
Which IPC sections have no BNS equivalent?
Sedition (IPC 124A), unnatural offences (IPC 377) and adultery (IPC 497) have no BNS equivalent, and the NCRB table marks attempt to suicide (IPC 309) as deleted. BNS 152 punishes acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, but it is a new, differently worded offence, not sedition renumbered. The Supreme Court struck down section 497 and read down section 377 in 2018.
Sources
- Ministry of Home Affairs: The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Act No. 45 of 2023), text. Checked 28 September 2026.
- Ministry of Home Affairs: Notification S.O. 850(E), 23 February 2024 (commencement, except section 106(2)). Checked 28 September 2026.
- NCRB: Corresponding Section Table of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 (PDF copy hosted by UP Police). The PDF credits its source as the NCRB Sankalan portal. Checked 28 September 2026. Supports the sub-section column.
- IndiaCode by eCourtsIndia: BNSS section 531 (repeal and savings). Checked 28 September 2026.
- IndiaCode by eCourtsIndia: BNS section 358 (repeal and savings). Checked 28 September 2026.
- LiveLaw: High Courts on CrPC vs BNSS for proceedings after 1 July 2024 (20 July 2024). Checked 28 September 2026.
- IndiaCode by eCourtsIndia: IPC to BNS, section by section (553 provisions; similarity scores). Checked 28 September 2026.