Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
BNS Section 63
Rape
In one line
BNS Section 63 deals with rape and replaces IPC 375.
Bare act text — BNS 63
63. Rape.
A man is said to commit “rape” if he— (a) penetrates his penis, to any extent, into the vagina, mouth, urethra or anus of a woman or makes her to do so with him or any other person; or (b) inserts, to any extent, any object or a part of the body, not being the penis, into the vagina, the urethra or anus of a woman or makes her to do so with him or any other person; or (c) manipulates any part of the body of a woman so as to cause penetration into the vagina, urethra, anus or any part of body of such woman or makes her to do so with him or any other person; or (d) applies his mouth to the vagina, anus, urethra of a woman or makes her to do so with him or any other person, under the circumstances falling under any of the following seven descriptions:— (i) against her will; (ii) without her consent; (iii) with her consent, when her consent has been obtained by putting her or any person in whom she is interested, in fear of death or of hurt; (iv) with her consent, when the man knows that he is not her husband and that her consent is given because she believes that he is another man to whom she is or believes herself to be lawfully married; (v) with her consent when, at the time of giving such consent, by reason of unsoundness of mind or intoxication or the administration by him personally or through another of any stupefying or unwholesome substance, she is unable to understand the nature and consequences of that to which she gives consent; (vi) with or without her consent, when she is under eighteen years of age; (vii) when she is unable to communicate consent. Explanation 1.—For the purposes of this section, “vagina” shall also include labia majora. Explanation 2.—Consent means an unequivocal voluntary agreement when the woman by words, gestures or any form of verbal or non-verbal communication, communicates willingness to participate in the specific sexual act: Provided that a woman who does not physically resist to the act of penetration shall not by the reason only of that fact, be regarded as consenting to the sexual activity. Exception 1.—A medical procedure or intervention shall not constitute rape. Exception 2.—Sexual intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under eighteen years of age, is not rape.
What changed from the IPC
- IPC 375 → BNS 63: Age of Consent: 15 years is replaced by 18 years in BNS.
- IPC 375 → BNS 63: Exception 2 of Section 63 states that "sexual intercourse or acts by a man with his wife, the wife not being under 18 years of age, is not rape".
Frequently asked
What was BNS Section 63 in the IPC?
BNS Section 63 (Rape) replaces Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. IPC 375 is now BNS 63.
Still citing the IPC? Convert any old section in seconds, or keep the whole case — dates, clients and sections — in one diary.
Nearby BNS sections
- BNS 58 — Concealing design to commit offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life
- BNS 59 — Public servant concealing design to commit offence which it is his duty to prevent
- BNS 60 — Concealing design to commit offence punishable with imprisonment
- BNS 61 — Criminal conspiracy
- BNS 62 — Punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment
- BNS 64 — Punishment for rape
- BNS 65 — Punishment for rape in certain cases
- BNS 66 — Punishment for causing death or resulting in persistent vegetative state of victim
- BNS 67 — Sexual intercourse by husband upon his wife during separation
- BNS 68 — Sexual intercourse by a person in authority
