Public-order and public-servant offences in the BNS (sections 189–226) succeed IPC chapters on unlawful assembly, public tranquillity, and contempt of the lawful authority of public servants.
Unlawful assembly, rioting and affray
An unlawful assembly remains an assembly of five or more with a common object from the statutory list (criminal force against the State or public servants, resistance to law, commission of mischief or other listed objects). Rioting is force or violence by an unlawful assembly. Affray is public fighting that disturbs the peace. The BNS states punishments more explicitly in places (terms of imprisonment and fine spelled out where the IPC was terser).
Liability of members for offences committed in prosecution of the common object continues the IPC section 149 idea under its BNS number—still a major joint-liability engine in riot prosecutions.
Promoting enmity and national integration
Section 196 (IPC 153A lineage) punishes promoting enmity between groups on grounds such as religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community, with modes that include electronic communication. Section 197 (IPC 153B lineage) covers imputations and assertions prejudicial to national integration, again modernised for electronic dissemination.
These sections are speech-and-public-order hybrids. They coexist with IT Act offences and with section 152; charging requires element discipline rather than piling every speech section into every FIR.
Public servants and process offences
Disobedience by public servants, non-treatment of victims where mandated, personating a public servant, and the long list of process offences—absconding from summons, preventing service, non-appearance to proclamation, omission to produce documents, false information to a public servant—are restated with:
- higher fines than colonial IPC amounts in many sections;
- community service as an alternative on several minor defaults;
- cross-references to the BNSS instead of the CrPC where procedure has moved (for example proclamation and medical-treatment duties).
Why police manuals emphasise this chapter
Day-to-day station work runs on summons, warrants and public-order sections as much as on property crime. Under the BNS, a constable who still writes “174A IPC” on a proclamation default is using a retired label. Training transitions focus heavily on 189–226 for that reason.
Selected provisions
BNS section 191 (IPC 146)
Rioting. Added specific punishment terms (2/5 years) and fine options.
BNS section 194 (IPC 159)
Affray. Added specific punishment terms (1 month/1000 fine).
BNS section 195 (IPC 152)
Assaulting or obstructing public servant when suppressing riot, etc. Added mandatory minimum fine of twenty-five thousand rupees.
BNS section 196 (IPC 153A)
Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of b…. Added “electronic communication” and “caste or community” to grounds.
BNS section 197 (IPC 153B)
Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration. Added “electronic communication” to modes of communication for prejudicing national integration.
BNS section 199 (IPC 166A)
Public servant disobeying direction under law. Replaced CrPC 154 reference with BNS 173; added specific offence references for non-recording.
Section-level changes
Material differences (definition, punishment, scope or new offence):
| BNS | IPC counterpart | Subject | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 191 | IPC 146 | Rioting | Added specific punishment terms (2/5 years) and fine options. |
| 194 | IPC 159 | Affray | Added specific punishment terms (1 month/1000 fine). |
| 195 | IPC 152 | Assaulting or obstructing public servant when suppressing riot, etc | Added mandatory minimum fine of twenty-five thousand rupees. |
| 196 | IPC 153A | Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of… | Added “electronic communication” and “caste or community” to grounds. |
| 197 | IPC 153B | Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration | Added “electronic communication” to modes of communication for prejudicing national integration. |
| 199 | IPC 166A | Public servant disobeying direction under law | Replaced CrPC 154 reference with BNS 173; added specific offence references for non-recording. |
| 200 | IPC 166B | Punishment for non-treatment of victim | Replaced CrPC 357C reference with BNS 397 for mandatory medical treatment of victims. |
| 202 | IPC 168 | Public servant unlawfully engaging in trade | Added “community service” as an alternative punishment option for unlawful trade engagement. |
| 204 | IPC 170 | Personating a public servant | Increased maximum imprisonment from two years to three years and added mandatory minimum of six months. |
| 205 | IPC 171 | Wearing garb or carrying token used by public servant with fraudulent intent | Mismatched IPC text provided; BNS 205 retains IPC 171’s structure but increases fine to Rs 5,000. |
| 206 | IPC 172 | Absconding to avoid service of summons or other proceeding | Increased fines from Rs 500/1,000 to Rs 5,000/10,000; added community service as a punishment option. |
| 207 | IPC 173 | Preventing service of summons or other proceeding, or preventing publication the… | Mismatched IPC text provided; BNS 207 retains IPC 173’s elements but increases fines to Rs 5,000/10,000. |
| 208 | IPC 174 | Non-attendance in obedience to an order from public servant | Increased fines from Rs 500/1,000 to Rs 5,000/10,000; added community service as a punishment option. |
| 209 | IPC 174A | Non-appearance in response to a proclamation under section 84 of Bharatiya Nagar… | Added community service as a punishment option; referenced BNSS 2023 instead of CrPC 1973. |
| 210 | IPC 175 | Omission to produce document or electronic record to public servant by person le… | Increased fines from Rs 500/1,000 to Rs 5,000/10,000; added community service as a punishment option. |
| 211 | IPC 176 | Omission to give notice or information to public servant by person legally bound… | Increased fines from Rs 500/1,000 to Rs 5,000/10,000; added community service as a punishment option. |
| 212 | IPC 177 | Furnishing false information | Increased fines from Rs 1,000/2,000 to Rs 5,000/10,000; added community service as a punishment option. |
| 213 | IPC 178 | Refusing oath or affirmation when duly required by public servant to make it | Fine increased from one thousand to five thousand rupees. |
| 214 | IPC 179 | Refusing to answer public servant authorised to question | Fine increased from one thousand to five thousand rupees. |
| 215 | IPC 180 | Refusing to sign statement | Fine increased from five hundred to three thousand rupees. |
| 216 | IPC 181 | False statement on oath or affirmation to public servant or person authorised to… | In punishment or elements. |
| 217 | IPC 182 | False information, with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power t… | Imprisonment increased to one year; fine increased to ten thousand rupees. |
| 218 | IPC 183 | Resistance to taking of property by lawful authority of a public servant | Fine increased from one thousand to ten thousand rupees. |
| 219 | IPC 184 | Obstructing sale of property offered for sale by authority of public servant | Fine increased from five hundred to five thousand rupees. |
| 220 | IPC 185 | Illegal purchase or bid for property offered for sale by authority of public ser… | In punishment or elements. |
| 223 | IPC 188 | Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant | Maximum imprisonment increased from one month to six months; fine increased from Rs. 200 to Rs. 2,500. |
| 224 | IPC 189 | Threat of injury to public servant | In punishment or elements 189. |
| 225 | IPC 190 | Threat of injury to induce person to refrain from applying for protection to pub… | In punishment or elements 190. |
| 226 | — | Attempt to commit suicide to compel or restrain exercise of lawful power | New offense; adds community service as punishment option for suicide attempt to coerce public servants. |
Citation map (renumbered only)
These provisions keep IPC substance under new numbers:
BNS 189 ← IPC 141, BNS 190 ← IPC 149, BNS 192 ← IPC 153, BNS 193 ← IPC 154, BNS 198 ← IPC 166, BNS 201 ← IPC 167, BNS 203 ← IPC 169, BNS 221 ← IPC 186, BNS 222 ← IPC 187.