# Data model and citation scheme `data/bns.json` is produced by `python -m bns.parse` from the reconciled page blocks (see `README.md` → Pipeline). It is the only input of the site build. ## Top level ```jsonc { "meta": { "title": "The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023", "short": "BNS", "act": "Act No. 45 of 2023", "assented": "2023-12-25", // date of Presidential assent / Gazette "in_force": "2024-07-01", "commencement": { // from the commencement notification, not the Gazette text "notification": "S.O. 850(E), dated 23 February 2024", "date": "2024-07-01", "not_in_force": ["106(2)"] // node ids excluded by the notification }, "text_as_of": "As enacted (Gazette of 25 December 2023); later amendments, if any, are not incorporated.", "source": { "file": "docs/BNS_2023_Act_45_of_2023_Gazette_English.pdf", "sha256": "…", "gazette": "The Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II—Section 1, No. 53, 25 December 2023 (CG-DL-E-25122023-250883)", "url": "https://prsindia.org/files/bills_acts/bills_parliament/2023/The%20Bharatiya%20Nyaya%20Sanhita%2C%202023.pdf", "pages": 102 }, "generated": "…ISO timestamp…" // changes only when the rest of the file does }, "preamble": { "act_no": "NO. 45 OF 2023", "date": "[25th December, 2023.]", "long_title": "An Act to consolidate and amend …", "enacting_formula": "BE it enacted by Parliament …", "page": 1 }, "chapters": [Chapter, …], // 20, in order "sections": {"1": Section, …, "358": Section}, "order": ["1", "2", …, "358"], // reading order of section numbers "signature": "DIWAKAR SINGH, Joint Secretary & …" } ``` ### Chapter ```jsonc { "id": "chapter-VI", // URL slug "num": "VI", // Roman numeral as printed "n": 6, // integer "title": "OF OFFENCES AFFECTING THE HUMAN BODY", // as printed (small caps → upper) "page": 29, "sections": ["100", …], // all sections of the chapter, in order "groups": [ // centered italic headings inside the chapter {"title": "Of offences affecting life", "sections": ["100", …, "113"]} ] } ``` Sections before a chapter's first group heading belong to no group. ### Section ```jsonc { "num": "103", "id": "103", // = num; anchor `p-103` is the section itself "heading": "Punishment for murder.", // marginal note, verbatim "chapter": "VI", "group": "Of offences affecting life", // or null "pages": [37, 38], // gazette pages the section spans "content": [Node, …], "refs": ["45 of 1860."] // optional: margin Act citations beside the section's opening line } ``` ### Attachment rules The Gazette prints provisos, Explanations, Exceptions and Illustrations at sub-section indentation, so their parent is decided as follows (`bns/parse.py`): - Proviso / Explanation / Exception → the nearest open provision at or above its indentation. An Explanation printed after an Exception belongs to that Exception (Explanation to Exception 4 of s. 101). An Exception closes earlier Exceptions; an Explanation or proviso closes earlier Explanations/provisos. - An Explanation closing the section that speaks of "this section" is section-level (ss. 113, 122, 124, 330); "this sub-section" keeps it with the sub-section (s. 64(2)). - Illustrations → the provision (or numbered Exception), skipping preceding Explanations, provisos and unnumbered Exceptions (ss. 126(1), 249, 309(3), 316(1)) — except when two or more Explanations are each followed by their own Illustrations, which then belong to those Explanations (ss. 2(8), 46, 314, 335). ### Node ```jsonc { "kind": "subsection" | "clause" | "subclause" | "item" // numbered provisions | "text" // unlabelled body text (section opening words, or words // that resume after a list of clauses) | "proviso" // "Provided that …" / "Provided further that …" | "explanation" // "Explanation.—…" / "Explanation 1.—…" | "exception" // "Exception.—…" / "Exception 1.—…" | "illustrations" // the centered "Illustration(s)." heading; children are "illustration" | "illustration", "label": "(1)", // printed label: "(1)", "(a)", "(i)", "(A)", "Explanation 1.—", // "Exception.—", "Illustrations."; null when none "text": "Whoever commits murder shall be punished with death …", // verbatim text after the label (label + " " + text = print) "id": "103(1)", // unique fragment key (HTML id is "p-" + id) "cite": "Section 103(1)",// short citation; null for "text" nodes "page": 38, // gazette page where the node starts "refs": ["45 of 1860."], // marginal Act citations printed beside it (optional) "children": [Node, …] // optional } ``` ## Citation scheme Indian statutes cite as *section → sub-section (1) → clause (a) → sub-clause (i)*; compact form `section 64(2)(a)`. Ids follow that compact form, so the id **is** the citation: | Provision | id | cite | |---|---|---| | Section 103 | `103` | `Section 103` | | Sub-section (1) of section 103 | `103(1)` | `Section 103(1)` | | Clause (f) of sub-section (2) of section 64 | `64(2)(f)` | `Section 64(2)(f)` | | Clause (28), sub-clause (k)(ii) of section 2 (definitions) | `2(28)(k)(ii)` | `Section 2(28)(k)(ii)` | | Explanation 1 to section 2(4) | `2(4)-expl-1` | `Explanation 1 to Section 2(4)` | | The (only) Explanation to section 1(5) | `1(5)-expl` | `Explanation to Section 1(5)` | | First proviso to section 8(5) | `8(5)-proviso-1` | `First proviso to Section 8(5)` | | Exception 1 to section 101 | `101-exc-1` | `Exception 1 to Section 101` | | Illustration (a) to section 3(8) | `3(8)-illus-a` | `Illustration (a) to Section 3(8)` | | Unlettered illustration to section 126(1) | `126(1)-illus` | `Illustration to Section 126(1)` | | Unlabelled text inside section 125 | `125-text-1` | — | Provisos are numbered in order within their parent (`proviso-1`, `proviso-2`, …); a sole proviso is still `proviso-1` but cites as `Proviso to Section …`. Explanations/exceptions use their printed number, or none when unnumbered. Level names: when a section's numbered divisions open on the section-number line (`64. (1) …`) they are **sub-sections** and lettered divisions under them are **clauses**; when the section opens with lead-in words and then lists `(1)`, `(2)` (as in the definitions in section 2) the numbered divisions are **clauses** and letters under them are **sub-clauses**. The long form ("clause (f) of sub-section (2) of section 64 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023") is derived from `kind` + labels along the path. ## URLs | Path | Content | |---|---| | `/` | Act title, preamble, full table of contents (chapter → group → section) | | `/chapter-VI/` | Chapter: groups, sections with full text | | `/section-103/` | One section; paragraph anchors `#p-103(1)` | | `/search/?q=…` | Full-text + citation search; a pure citation (`103(1)`, `s. 64(2)(f)`, `BNS 2(28)`) redirects to the provision | | `/full/` | Whole Act on one page (print / find-in-page) | | `/about/` | Source, method, verification, citation guide | | `/stats/` | Sourced figures and reported changes, from `data/stats.json` (see below) | | `/download/bns.json`, `/download/stats.json`, `/download/DATA_MODEL.md` | The full data behind the site (byte-identical to `data/`), CORS-enabled; listed with sizes and SHA-256 under About → Downloads | | `/source/bns-2023-gazette.pdf` | The source Gazette (`#page=N` deep links) | ## `data/stats.json` Hand-curated, neutral facts *reported* by official sources (PIB/MHA, PRS, Parliament) or the press — not computed from the text. `groups[]` → `{title, note?, items[]}`; each item `{label, value, detail, attribution?, provisions[], verified_text?, sources[{title, publisher, date, url}], note?}`. Counts that are the Ministry's own characterisation carry an `attribution`; conflicting official figures are recorded in `note`, not reconciled. The site build refuses items without an `https` source or with a provision id not in `bns.json`. ISO-date `value`s render as dates.