Section 63A of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) is a new provision that deals with **aggravated rape**. It defines aggravated rape as rape committed by a person who is in a position of trust, authority, or influence over the victim, such as a public servant, police officer, armed forces personnel, management or staff of a hospital, educational institution, religious institution, or correctional home³. The punishment for aggravated rape is rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than **ten years**, but which may extend to **imprisonment for life**, and shall also be liable to fine. The BNS is a proposed legislation that aims to replace the existing Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and Indian Evidence Act (IEA) with a single, comprehensive, and modern code of criminal law. The BNS was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 22, 2023 by the Minister of Home Affairs, and is currently pending before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs. The BNS claims to be more gender-neutral, victim-centric, and human rights-oriented than the IPC.