Offences against the State Questions and Answers

Q: Under which specific provision of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, has the definition of a 'Terrorist Act' been formally integrated into India's general penal legislation for the first time ?

The provision is Section 113 of the BNS.Section 113 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita defines a 'terrorist act' as an act done with intent to threaten the unity, integrity, sovereignty, security or economic security of India, or to strike terror in the people, and prescribes its punishment. Until the BNS, terrorism was defined only in special laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, not in the general penal code.Section 152 punishes acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, Section 109 is attempt to murder, and Section 121 deals with voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter a public servant from his duty.

Q: The offence of defamation against the established Government is known as :

The offence is sedition.Section 124A IPC defined sedition as bringing or attempting to bring into hatred or contempt, or exciting or attempting to excite disaffection towards, the Government established by law, by words, signs or visible representation. It has been described as a form of defamation of the established Government. The Supreme Court suspended its use in 2022, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has replaced it with a different offence.Waging war (section 121) needs actual hostilities, ordinary defamation (section 499) protects persons, and conspiracy needs an agreement.

Q: Which section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita criminalizes acts endangering the sovereignty of India?

The keyed answer is Section 150.The offence of acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, which replaced sedition, appears in the enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 as section 152. In the first Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill introduced in Parliament in August 2023, the same provision was numbered 150, and that is the number the paper keys; the option list does not include 152.Section 124A is the old sedition offence of the IPC, which the BNS does not carry over. Section 377 is the IPC's unnatural offences provision, and section 275 is not the sovereignty offence.

Q: Under Section 113 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, who is authorized to decide whether a case should be registered under this section or the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 ?

The decision rests with an officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police.Because the terrorist act defined in Section 113 of the BNS overlaps with offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the Explanation to the section provides that an officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police shall decide whether to register the case under the BNS or under the UAPA.The law does not leave this to any officer on duty or to an Inspector, and the Chief Minister has no role in registering cases.

Q: Which of the following is NOT an essential ingredient to constitute an offence under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 ?

The answer is The act must involve criticism of government policies to demand lawful change.Section 152 of the BNS punishes acts that purposely or knowingly excite or attempt to excite secession, armed rebellion or subversive activities, or encourage separatism, or endanger the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, whether by words, signs, electronic communication, financial means or otherwise.Its Explanation expressly excludes comments that disapprove of government measures with a view to their alteration by lawful means. Criticism seeking lawful change is therefore not an ingredient of the offence at all; options A, C and D describe its elements and means.

Q: Which of the following offences under IPC has been altered in the BNS ?

The offence altered is Sedition.The offence of sedition under Section 124A of the IPC, which punished bringing the Government into hatred or contempt or exciting disaffection towards it, has no counterpart by that name in the BNS. It has been replaced by Section 152, which punishes acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, a substantially different offence.Rape, theft and murder are carried into the BNS with essentially the same definitions, renumbered and with some changes in punishment.

Q: Which section of Indian Penal Code defines sedition ?

Sedition is defined in Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code.Section 124A punishes bringing or attempting to bring into hatred or contempt, or exciting or attempting to excite disaffection towards, the Government established by law, by words, signs or visible representation.Section 124 punishes assaulting the President or a Governor to compel or restrain the exercise of a lawful power. Section 122 covers collecting arms with intent to wage war against the Government of India, and Section 123 concealing a design to wage war.

Under which specific provision of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, has the definition of a 'Terrorist Act' been formally integrated into India's general penal legislation for the first time ?

A.Section 152
B.Section 109
C.Section 113
D.Section 121

Exam Year(s)

AIBE - 2026,

Answer: C

The provision is Section 113 of the BNS.

Section 113 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita defines a 'terrorist act' as an act done with intent to threaten the unity, integrity, sovereignty, security or economic security of India, or to strike terror in the people, and prescribes its punishment. Until the BNS, terrorism was defined only in special laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, not in the general penal code.

Section 152 punishes acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, Section 109 is attempt to murder, and Section 121 deals with voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter a public servant from his duty.

Discuss in Forum

The offence of defamation against the established Government is known as :

A.Waging war against the Government of India
B.Defamation
C.Sedition
D.Conspiracy

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2023, SET Exam - 2023,

Answer: C

The offence is sedition.

Section 124A IPC defined sedition as bringing or attempting to bring into hatred or contempt, or exciting or attempting to excite disaffection towards, the Government established by law, by words, signs or visible representation. It has been described as a form of defamation of the established Government. The Supreme Court suspended its use in 2022, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has replaced it with a different offence.

Waging war (section 121) needs actual hostilities, ordinary defamation (section 499) protects persons, and conspiracy needs an agreement.

Discuss in Forum

Which section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita criminalizes acts endangering the sovereignty of India?

A.Section 124A
B.Section 150
C.Section 275
D.Section 377

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: B

The keyed answer is Section 150.

The offence of acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, which replaced sedition, appears in the enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 as section 152. In the first Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill introduced in Parliament in August 2023, the same provision was numbered 150, and that is the number the paper keys; the option list does not include 152.

Section 124A is the old sedition offence of the IPC, which the BNS does not carry over. Section 377 is the IPC's unnatural offences provision, and section 275 is not the sovereignty offence.

Discuss in Forum

Under Section 113 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, who is authorized to decide whether a case should be registered under this section or the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 ?

A.Any police officer on duty
B.An officer not below the rank of Inspector
C.An officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police
D.The Chief Minister of the State

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: C

The decision rests with an officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police.

Because the terrorist act defined in Section 113 of the BNS overlaps with offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the Explanation to the section provides that an officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police shall decide whether to register the case under the BNS or under the UAPA.

The law does not leave this to any officer on duty or to an Inspector, and the Chief Minister has no role in registering cases.

Discuss in Forum

Which of the following is NOT an essential ingredient to constitute an offence under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 ?

A.The act must purposely or knowingly attempt to excite secession or rebellion.
B.The act must involve criticism of government policies to demand lawful change.
C.The act may be committed through spoken words, writing, signs, electronic means, or financial support.
D.The act must endanger the sovereignty, unity, or integrity of India.

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: B

The answer is The act must involve criticism of government policies to demand lawful change.

Section 152 of the BNS punishes acts that purposely or knowingly excite or attempt to excite secession, armed rebellion or subversive activities, or encourage separatism, or endanger the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, whether by words, signs, electronic communication, financial means or otherwise.

Its Explanation expressly excludes comments that disapprove of government measures with a view to their alteration by lawful means. Criticism seeking lawful change is therefore not an ingredient of the offence at all; options A, C and D describe its elements and means.

Discuss in Forum

Which of the following offences under IPC has been altered in the BNS ?

A.Sedition
B.Rape
C.Theft
D.Murder

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2025,

Answer: A

The offence altered is Sedition.

The offence of sedition under Section 124A of the IPC, which punished bringing the Government into hatred or contempt or exciting disaffection towards it, has no counterpart by that name in the BNS. It has been replaced by Section 152, which punishes acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, a substantially different offence.

Rape, theft and murder are carried into the BNS with essentially the same definitions, renumbered and with some changes in punishment.

Discuss in Forum

Which section of Indian Penal Code defines sedition ?

A.Section 124
B.Section 124A
C.Section 122
D.Section 123

Exam Year(s)

Tripura Public Service Commission - 2019,

Answer: B

Sedition is defined in Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code.

Section 124A punishes bringing or attempting to bring into hatred or contempt, or exciting or attempting to excite disaffection towards, the Government established by law, by words, signs or visible representation.

Section 124 punishes assaulting the President or a Governor to compel or restrain the exercise of a lawful power. Section 122 covers collecting arms with intent to wage war against the Government of India, and Section 123 concealing a design to wage war.

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