Short title, commencement and application
What this section does
This section establishes the short title of the Act, delegates commencement to the Central Government by notification, and sets out the territorial and extra-territorial reach of the Sanhita. It makes every person liable for acts or omissions contrary to the Sanhita committed within India, and extends liability to Indian citizens abroad, persons on Indian-registered ships or aircraft, and persons outside India targeting Indian computer resources. It expressly preserves special and local laws dealing with military offences.
AI-generated plain-language summary. For the binding statutory text, see India Code (official).
Practitioner note
Sub-section (5)(c) is a new addition with no direct IPC equivalent — it extends jurisdiction to cyber-offences targeting computer resources located in India, regardless of where the offender is situated.
Derived from IPC s.1.
Read the official text
For the binding statutory text of BNS Section 1, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.
Why this matters
BNS Section 1 forms part of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita which replaced the Indian Penal Code 1860 on 1 July 2024. Any new filing, FIR, charge sheet, or bail application made on or after that date should cite the new section number. References to the old act in legacy documents remain valid for matters that arose before the changeover.