IPC §49 → BNS §2

“Year”. “Month”

ModifiedConfidence: mediumStatus: cross checkedconsolidation context(precautionary)
View government sourcemha.gov.in(opens the Indian Penal Code, 1860 PDF on mha.gov.in in a new tab)
Last updated 2026-05-01 · Input coverage: full

Compiled by AI-assisted tools. Text verified against official sources where indicated. Field-level labels (AI-indicated / AI-inferred / Text-verified) apply per edge metadata. Verify current bail/cognizable status against official sources before relying on procedural claims. Last updated: 2026-05-02.

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Comparison

Old law
IPC §49
“Year”. “Month”

49. “Year”. “Month”.—Wherever the word “year” or the word “month” is used, it is to be understood that the year or the month is to be reckoned according to the British calendar.

New law
BNS §2
Definitions

In this Sanhita, unless the context otherwise requires,—

What changedAI-inferred

BNS Section 2(20) names the calendar explicitly: the year and month are reckoned according to the Gregorian calendar. The temporal-reckoning standard is unchanged.

Old position

IPC Section 49 anchored year and month to the British calendar — which, in the 1860 IPC drafting context, referred to the post-1752 Gregorian system.

New position

BNS Section 2(20) names the calendar explicitly: the year and month are reckoned according to the Gregorian calendar. The temporal-reckoning standard is unchanged.

Editorial deltaAI-indicated (source-linked)

IPC Section 49 anchored year and month to the British calendar — which, in the 1860 IPC drafting context, already referred to the post-1752 Gregorian system Britain had adopted. BNS Section 2(20) makes the referent explicit by naming the Gregorian calendar. The label shift is colonial-era terminology cleanup, not a change in the temporal-reckoning standard. Drafting expansion (The word X or word Y is to be understood as denoting → Wherever the word X or word Y is used, it is to be understood that) and order swap (year-or-month → month-and-year) are stylistic / structural, not semantic.

Transitional note (repeal & savings)

For matters initiated before 1 July 2024, IPC 49 continues to apply. For matters from that date forward, BNS 2 applies. The transition is governed by the repeal-and-savings clause in the new code (BNS 358 / BNSS 531 / BSA 170 as the case may be); pending proceedings under the old code carry forward in their existing frame.

Frequently asked

BNS Section 2, sub-clause (20). The temporal-reckoning standard (Gregorian calendar) is unchanged.

Government source

The statutory text above is compiled from the Act as published by the Government of India. The links open the full Act; use the PDF's search to find the section number. The linked government pages offer no link to a single section.

Newlaws.in is an independent site, not a government body. The mappings and notes on this page are its own AI-assisted comparison and are not published or endorsed by any government body.

Sources

Cite this page

Newlaws.in, IPC §49 → BNS §2 Mapping Page, last updated 2026-05-01, accessed 2026-10-29, https://newlaws.in/ipc/49.

Compiled using AI-assisted tools · Source-linked · Last updated 2026-05-01

Not legal advice. Verify against the bare act and consult a qualified advocate for any specific matter.