BNS Section 113: Terrorist Act — First Time in India's General Penal Code (2024)

Since independence, India's terrorism laws have lived exclusively in special statutes — TADA, POTA, and currently UAPA. The BNS changes this by codifying terrorism in the general penal code. Section 113 defines a terrorist act as one that: uses bombs, explosives, firearms, or hazardous substances against persons or property; causes or threatens damage to critical infrastructure or India's monetary or economic security; or creates terror in any section of society through any means. The inclusion of economic terrorism (attacking payment systems, stock markets, financial infrastructure) and implied cyber terrorism (digital attacks on critical systems) makes BNS 113 a modern provision. BNS 113 does not replace UAPA — the two operate in parallel. UAPA retains its broader framework: designation of terrorist organisations, preventive detention up to 180 days, financial sanctions, and special courts. BNS 113 gives ordinary police and Sessions Courts a direct tool for terror-adjacent conduct without needing the full UAPA machinery.