Reforming Sexual Violence Laws Under the BNS:Progress, Pitfalls, and Persisting Gaps
Keywords:
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita; Decolonisation; Section 377 IPC; Section 63 BNSAbstract
This article examines the reforms introduced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), which replace the IPC, CrPC, and IEA, respectively. Focusing on provisions related to sexual violence, the article undertakes a doctrinal and comparative analysis to assess the extent of legal transformation. While the new codes incorporate structural improvements such as uniform provisions for minors, enhanced penalties, and greater procedural clarity, they largely retain the substance and substantive contents of the previous laws. The continued exemption of marital rape and absence of inclusive protections for gender-diverse individuals reveal the persistence of patriarchal assumptions. Though the reforms signify a step forward in legal organisation, they do not completely succeed in fulfilling the stated objective of decolonisation. The article argues that meaningful reform and decolonisation must go beyond a mere renaming and rearranging exercise and thus must embrace a survivor-centric, constitutionally grounded, and inclusive legal framework.
References
1. Bajpai A, Gupta A. The imperative of gender neutrality in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and a global comparative examination of gender-neutral laws in sexual offences. Statute Law Rev. 2025;46(1).
2. Verma A, Prakash A. The many Nirbhayas of India: a socio-psychological analysis of rape. Learn Curve. 2020;9(1):12–19.
3. Tangirala K. Law without order: rape and its sentencing in India. Econ Polit Wkly. 2016;51(48):52–57.
4. Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013. Act No. 13 of 2013 (India).
5. Hanspal M. Navigating legal changes in BNS, BNSS, and BSA, 2023: a new era for women's safety in India. Int J Law Soc Issues. 2024;6:802-816. doi: 10.10000/IJLSI.112168.
6. Annavarapu S. Hetero-normativity and rape: mapping the construction of gender and sexuality in the rape legislations in India. Int J Crim Justice Sci. 2013;8(2):248–260.
7. Supra note 1.
8. Singh P. Offences against women and children under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. SSRN [Internet]. 2024 Jul 15.
9. Uma S. Why the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita is a missed opportunity for gender justice. The Wire. 2024 Jul 1.
10. Banerjee D, Sathyanarayana Rao TS. The dark shadow of marital rape: need to change the narrative. J Psychosex Health. 2021. doi: 10.1177/26318318221083709.
11. Agnes F. Section 498A, marital rape and adverse propaganda. Econ Polit Wkly. 2015;50(23):12.
12. Singh H. No means no: marital rape exception in India. Econ Polit Wkly. 2022;57(22).
13. RIT Foundation v. Union of India. WP(C) 284 of 2015 (Del HC May 11, 2022).
14. Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India. 2018 INSC 790.
15. Kulshreshtha N. An assessment of the arguments against gender inclusivity in rape law in India. Oñati Socio-Legal Ser. 2025;1:1.
16. BNS report; dissent note by N R Elango to the report no. 246 of the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs on the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; Derek O'Brien intervention. Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs. 2023.
