Statutory Modernisation: IEA to BSA and CrPC to BNSS Distinctions (UGC-NET Unit I)

UGC-NET Forensic Science Paper II Unit I hard-band drill on the 2023 statutory modernisation of Indian criminal law: the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) 2023 replacing the Indian Evidence Act 1872, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023 replacing the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 replacing the Indian Penal Code 1860, all effective from 1 July 2024. Section renumbering across the three new codes is tested alongside the substantive changes that go beyond renumbering, including expanded electronic evidence under BSA Section 63, mandatory videography of search and seizure under BNSS Section 105, time-bound investigation deadlines, digital communication of FIR copy under BNSS Section 173(1)(ii), and the new offences in BNS covering organised crime, terrorist acts, and mob lynching.

Designed for UGC-NET Paper II aspirants, NFSU MSc Forensic Law and Criminology students, and FACT candidates revising statutory cross-references. Hard-band distractors differ from the correct answer on a single subsection, date, or transitional condition, so the student must know the precise text of both the repealed and the new provision, not just the renumbering map.

Topics covered:

• Section-to-section mapping across IEA, CrPC, IPC and BSA, BNSS, BNS
• Substantive changes beyond renumbering (electronic records, videography, FIR copy)
• Time-bound investigation, custody, and forensic examination deadlines in BNSS
• New offences in BNS: organised crime, terrorist act, mob lynching, snatching
• Transitional provisions, BNSS Section 531 and BSA Section 170 saving clauses
• Cross-statute scenarios involving offences spanning the 1 July 2024 cutover
• Recent judgments interpreting the new codes (Delhi HC, NDTV v. Union of India)
• Forensic implications of mandatory FSL visit and expert summons rules

Calibrated for serious UGC-NET preparation in the run-up to the next cycle and aligned with the current Paper II syllabus references to the Indian Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the new codes effective from 1 July 2024.

Allow 30 minutes.