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Law and Policing Topics for Punjab Police Exams: Constitution, Criminal Procedure and Police Organisation

Punjab Police papers regularly include questions on law and police work hidden inside the General Awareness section. These are some of the easiest marks to secure, because the facts are fixed and come from a small number of laws. This guide collects the topics that are asked again and again.

By PunjabExams Editorial Team · Updated 29 October 2026 · 7 min read · How we prepare guides

Why law questions are high-scoring

General Awareness is the largest section in most Punjab Police papers. Within it, questions on law and policing come from a short, predictable list: the Constitution, the three criminal laws that came into force on 1 July 2024, a handful of special Acts and the structure of the police. Unlike current affairs, these facts do not change every month, so time spent here pays off across Constable, ASI and SI exams.

Constitutional provisions linked to policing

Provision	What it says	Typical question
Article 14	Equality before law and equal protection of laws	Which Article guarantees equality before law?
Article 20	Protection in respect of conviction: no ex-post-facto punishment, no double jeopardy, no self-incrimination	"No person shall be compelled to be a witness against himself"
Article 21	Protection of life and personal liberty	Basis of the right to a fair procedure
Article 21A	Free and compulsory education for children aged 6–14	Added by the 86th Amendment, 2002
Article 22	Protection against arrest and detention	Informing grounds of arrest; production before magistrate within 24 hours
Article 32	Right to constitutional remedies before the Supreme Court	Writs such as habeas corpus
Seventh Schedule	Police and public order are State List subjects	Which list contains "police"?

Writs are a favourite topic. Habeas corpus ("to have the body") is used against unlawful detention; mandamus orders a public authority to perform its duty; prohibition and certiorari are directed at lower courts and tribunals; quo warranto asks by what authority a person holds a public office.

Criminal procedure basics under the BNSS

The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. Learn these concepts in plain words.

Cognizable offence: police can register an FIR and arrest without a warrant (for example, murder, theft, robbery).
Non-cognizable offence: police need the magistrate's permission to investigate (for example, many minor offences).
FIR: the first information about a cognizable offence. Under BNSS Section 173, information can be given orally, in writing or by electronic communication, and it can be recorded at any police station regardless of where the offence happened — this is the Zero FIR. The case is later transferred to the police station with jurisdiction.
Preliminary enquiry: for certain offences punishable with three years or more but less than seven years, the officer may, with permission, conduct a preliminary enquiry within 14 days to see whether a prima facie case exists.
Arrest safeguards: the person must be told the grounds of arrest, has the right to inform a relative or friend, must be medically examined, and must be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours.
Bailable and non-bailable offences: in a bailable offence, bail is a right; in a non-bailable offence, bail is at the court's discretion.
Charge-sheet: the police report after investigation (BNSS Section 193, which corresponds to old CrPC Section 173).
Forensics: for offences punishable with seven years or more, a forensic expert must visit the crime scene.
Audio-video recording: search and seizure must be recorded by audio-video electronic means.

Offences you should be able to name

Offence	New provision (BNS)	Old provision (IPC)
Murder (punishment)	Section 103	Section 302
Theft	Section 303	Section 379
Cheating	Section 318	Section 420
Criminal breach of trust	Section 316	Section 406
Dowry death	Section 80	Section 304B
Organised crime	Section 111 (new)	—
Terrorist act	Section 113 (new in the general penal law)	—
Mob lynching (murder by a group of five or more on grounds such as race, caste or community)	Section 103(2)	—
Snatching	Section 304 (new)	—

Police organisation in Punjab

Police is a State subject. The Punjab Police is headed by the Director General of Police (DGP).
Large cities such as Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana have a Commissionerate system headed by a Commissioner of Police; other districts are headed by a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP).
A police station is headed by the Station House Officer (SHO).
Rank structure from the bottom: Constable, Head Constable, ASI, Sub-Inspector, Inspector, DSP, SP/SSP, DIG, IG, ADGP, DGP.
Chandigarh Police is separate, because Chandigarh is a Union Territory under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Special laws and helplines

Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 — child victims, special courts, mandatory reporting.
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 — very relevant to Punjab; commercial quantity and small quantity distinctions.
Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (amended 2019) — traffic offences and penalties.
Information Technology Act, 2000 — cyber offences such as identity theft (Section 66C) and cheating by personation using a computer (Section 66D).
Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.
Helplines: 112 (emergency response), 1930 (cyber financial fraud), 1098 (children), 181 (women).

Practice questions

Q1. Which writ is issued to secure the release of a person who has been unlawfully detained?
- (a) Mandamus
- (b) Habeas corpus
- (c) Certiorari
- (d) Quo warranto
Show answer
Answer: (b) Habeas corpus — Habeas corpus requires the detaining authority to produce the person before the court and justify the detention.
Q2. Which Article protects a person from being compelled to be a witness against himself?
- (a) Article 19
- (b) Article 20(3)
- (c) Article 21
- (d) Article 22(1)
Show answer
Answer: (b) Article 20(3) — Article 20(3) gives protection against self-incrimination.
Q3. A Zero FIR means:
- (a) An FIR that records no offence
- (b) An FIR registered at any police station irrespective of jurisdiction
- (c) An FIR closed without investigation
- (d) An FIR filed only online
Show answer
Answer: (b) An FIR registered at any police station irrespective of jurisdiction — A Zero FIR can be registered at any police station and later transferred to the police station that has jurisdiction.
Q4. Under the BNS, the punishment for murder is in which Section?
- (a) Section 302
- (b) Section 101
- (c) Section 103
- (d) Section 111
Show answer
Answer: (c) Section 103 — BNS Section 103 prescribes punishment for murder; Section 101 defines murder; IPC Section 302 was the old provision.
Q5. In a city with a Commissionerate system, the police is headed by:
- (a) Senior Superintendent of Police
- (b) Deputy Commissioner
- (c) Commissioner of Police
- (d) Inspector General of Police
Show answer
Answer: (c) Commissioner of Police — Commissionerates such as Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar are headed by a Commissioner of Police.
Q6. Which Act deals with drug offences in India?
- (a) POCSO Act, 2012
- (b) NDPS Act, 1985
- (c) IT Act, 2000
- (d) Arms Act, 1959
Show answer
Answer: (b) NDPS Act, 1985 — The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 governs drug offences.
Q7. For offences punishable with seven years or more, the BNSS requires:
- (a) Arrest only with a warrant
- (b) A forensic expert to visit the crime scene
- (c) Trial by a jury
- (d) Investigation by the CBI
Show answer
Answer: (b) A forensic expert to visit the crime scene — The BNSS makes forensic investigation at the crime scene mandatory for offences punishable with seven years or more.
Q8. Which emergency number is India's single integrated emergency response number?
- (a) 100
- (b) 108
- (c) 112
- (d) 1930
Show answer
Answer: (c) 112 — 112 is the Emergency Response Support System number that integrates police, fire and ambulance services.

Frequently asked questions

Do Punjab Police exams still ask IPC section numbers?

New questions use BNS, BNSS and BSA terms, but many ask which new section replaced an old IPC or CrPC section. Learn both numbers for the most common offences.

Is there a separate law section in the Constable exam?

Recent Constable papers did not have a separate law section, but law and policing questions appear within General Awareness. ASI and SI papers usually go deeper.

Which source is best for the text of the new criminal laws?

The official text is available on India Code (indiacode.nic.in). Use it to check section numbers rather than relying on unofficial lists.

Official sources

Rules, dates and figures can change. Always check the latest official notification or government release before relying on a detail.

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