NEW CRIMINAL LAWS

• Three new criminal codes — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) 2023 — replace IPC 1860, CrPC 1973, Indian Evidence Act 1872.
• Represents the first comprehensive overhaul of India's colonial-era criminal justice architecture; explicitly citizen-centric, technology-enabled and victim-focused.
• High UPSC salience: Polity (GS-II), Internal Security (GS-III), Ethics/Governance (GS-IV), Essay.