Indian Penal Code (IPC)

• The Indian Penal Code (IPC) is India's primary criminal law code.
• It delineates crimes and specifies corresponding punishments.
• The First Law Commission, led by Thomas Babington Macaulay, drafted it in 1860.
• It was enacted on January 1, 1862.
• Since its inception, the IPC has undergone several revisions.

Key Sections and Offenses

• Section 302 addresses the penalty for murder.
• Section 304B concerns dowry death, specifically the death of a woman within seven years of marriage due to dowry-related harassment.
• Section 375 defines the crime of rape, including its different components.
• Section 376 outlines the punishments for rape.
• Section 420 covers cheating and dishonest property inducement.
• Section 499 defines defamation.
• Section 307 concerns attempted murder.
• Section 309 addresses attempted suicide.
• Section 363 defines kidnapping.

Important Amendments

• The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act of 2013 brought about changes to sexual offenses, in response to the Justice Verma Committee report.
• The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act of 2018 further revised provisions pertaining to sexual offenses.

Structure of the IPC

• The IPC comprises 23 chapters.
• It contains 511 sections.
• The code encompasses a diverse spectrum of offenses, including those against the state, human body, property, and those related to marriage.

General Exceptions

• Sections 76 to 106 of the IPC detail general exceptions.
• These exceptions outline circumstances where an act, typically considered an offense, is not punishable.
• Examples include actions mandated by law, self-defense, and accidental acts.