Whatsapp 93125-11015 For Details
The Lok Sabha passed three amended Bills that seek to repeal and replace criminal laws which date back to colonial times.
This criminal law reform brings terrorism offences into a general crime law for the first time, drops the crime of sedition, and makes mob lynching punishable by death.
The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita Bill (BNSS) will replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860; the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill (BSS) will replace the Indian Evidence Act, 1872; and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita Bill (BNSSS) will replace the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898.
All three were discussed and passed with a voice-vote, in the absence of the majority of Opposition members from INDIA bloc parties, as 97 of them have been suspended during this session.
Home Minister Amit Shah said that the three Bills stressed justice rather than punishment, and have been designed to last for the next century, keeping technological advancements in mind.
Editorial
A security breach that must lead to sweeping changes (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 3, Internal Security)
At first glance, the incident, on December 13, of two young men jumping into the chamber of the Lok Sabha from the visitors’ gallery, shouting slogans against dictatorship and releasing canisters that emitted yellow smoke, strikes you as yet another form of democratic dissent.
But, this breach of security, on the same day, in 2001, when nine personnel of Parliament — of the Delhi Police, Parliament security personnel and a gardener — lost their lives defending the same citadel of democracy from terrorists – has a much wider impact and ramifications.
It is unimaginable that there has been an incident like this in what is now a security fortress especially after the beefing up of security in Parliament House following the attack in 2001.
There are spike barriers, bollards, drop gates with the latest technology, scanners, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices, anti-explosive checks, and additional manpower that form the layers of security.
A phalanx of men and women from the central police forces are deployed in the outer precincts, while plainclothes men from the Parliament Duty Group, and the Delhi police manning the various stations and checkpoints in the inner environs.
India’s defence budgeting and the point of deterrence (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 3, Defence)
The Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) programme of the Indian Air Force (IAF) earned the sobriquet of being the ‘mother of all procurements’ due its cost, pegged at around $10 billion in 2007.
A decade later, the purchase of 36 Rafale jets was of limited value because the requirement was for 126 aircraft.
Consequently, many IAF chiefs have spoken of the depleting squadron strength in the IAF, which is now an abysmal 32.
It would take another 10 years before it reaches 35 squadrons, as stated by the current IAF chief. The Indian Army and the Indian Navy fare no better either with the media reporting major deficiencies with them too.
With India in election mode and sops being showered on the electorate (even more certain before the general election in 2024), the allocation for defence in Budget 2024-25, which starts getting planned now, could take a hit. This could impact India’s deterrence posture, which defence preparedness is all about.
The question is whether ‘affordable defence’ — due to the perennial guns versus butter dilemma — will be the driving factor.
Or, will ‘affordable effectiveness’ drive the defence Budget allocation? This is best illustrated by the IAF going in for 97 more Tejas Mk1A fighters to overcome the deficit in squadron strength, though this was to be achieved by the 114 multi role fighter aircraft project that the IAF has been pushing for.
So, to rephrase the question, should Budget (allocation) be allowed to determine defence potency (remember General V.P. Malik’s quip during the Kargil conflict: “We will fight with what we have”)? Or, should the required potency drive allocations for defence?
Opinion
Climate action needs an updated lexicon (Page no. 11)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Multiple districts in south Tamil Nadu received an astonishing amount of rainfall earlier this week. In 24 hours from 6 a.m. on December 17, Thoothukudi recorded 361.4 mm and Tiruchendur 679 mm.
What was until December 16 a northeast monsoon deficit for the State swung overnight to a 5% excess. That these areas didn’t suffer as much damage as Chennai (although the final picture isn’t yet clear) is only because they’re smaller and less built-up. Chennai received 500 mm from noon on December 2 to pre-dawn on December 5, due to Cyclone Michaung, and suffered greatly.
The question of what we consider to be ‘devastating’ is deceptively simple because of the shifting baseline syndrome.
A syndrome is a collection of symptoms, and this one exemplifies those pertaining to memory, community knowledge, and language.
For example, a community may consider a particular amount of forest cover — defined, say, by the knowledge handed down to them — to be the ‘original’. But the community may be unaware that at an earlier time, there was greater forest cover.
Text & Context
Outcomes of the COP-28 climate summit (Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
The 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) — an annual convening of countries signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) — happened in Dubai this year, with high expectations that countries would take concrete steps to address the climate crisis.
The negotiations encompassed mitigation efforts, adaptation strategies, financing mechanisms, and the role of developed countries versus developing nations in climate action. The summit ended with progress on certain fronts but lingering challenges on others.
Following the agreement reached at COP-27 to create a ‘Loss and Damage’ (L&D) fund, the last year was dedicated to negotiations on fund-management and financing. In a historic decision, the fund was operationalised at COP-28.
News
Lok Sabha passes Telecom Bill 2023 to replace 138-year-old Telegraph Act (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 2, Governance)
The Lok Sabha passed the omnibus Telecom Bill, 2023, which will replace existing laws, including the 138-year-old Indian Telegraph Act.
The Bill seeks to reform and simplify the regulatory and licensing regime for telecommunications and remove bottlenecks in creating telecom infrastructure.
It also allows the government to temporarily take control of telecom services in the interest of national security and provide a non-auction route for the allocation of satellite spectrum.
The Bill was passed by a voice vote after a short discussion. Most of the Opposition members did not attend the House following their suspension.
New criminal Bills have provisions for time-bound probe, trial: Shah (Page no. 16)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Constitution)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in the Lok Sabha that after the implementation of the three new criminal Bills, there would be a uniform justice system throughout the country.
The Minister said the proposed laws were victim-centred and fixed the accountability of the police. He said an independent Director of Prosecution would be appointed at the district and State levels, where the role of the police would be advisory.
The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita Bill (BNSS), 2023; the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill (BSS), 2023; and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita (BNSSS) Bill, 2023.
Sahitya Akademi announces awards; Requiem in Raga Janki best English work (Page no. 16)
(GS Paper 1, Culture)
Tamil author Rajasekaran (Devibharathi), Telugu writer T. Patanjali Sastry and Malayalam writer E.V. Ramakrishnan are among those named for the Sahitya Akademi awards for 2023.
Nine books of poetry, six novels, five short story collections, three essays and one literary study have won the awards. In the English language category, Neelum Saran Gour has been selected for her novel Requiem in Raga Janki, and in Hindi, writer Sanjeev has been named for his novel Mujhe Pahachaano.
The awards recommended by the jury in 24 languages were approved by the Executive Board of the Akademi at its meeting on Wednesday. Madhav Kaushik, President of the Akademi, chaired the meeting. The awards are given to books first published during the five years immediately preceding the year of the award — that is between January 2017 and December 31, 2021.
Mr. Rajasekaran was chosen for his novel Neervazhi Padooum, Mr. Sastry for his short story collection Rameshwaram Kaakulu Marikonni Kathalu, and Mr. Ramakrishnan for his literary study Malayala Novelinte Deshakalangal.
Business
World Bank sets up task force on MDB reform plan (Page no. 17)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
The World Bank has set up a task force to study the recommendations for strengthening multilateral development banks (MDBs) laid out by an independent experts’ group formed during India’s G20 presidency, the development bank’s group president Ajay Banga said.
Mr. Banga’s comments came at an interaction with Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman where she suggested that the World Bank, which other MDBs looked up to, take the lead in carrying forward the reform roadmap for MDBs — to make these global lenders bigger, better and bolder.
Mr. Banga also informed Ms. Sitharaman about eight unique global challenges that the Bank had identified as focus areas for the next few years as they affect many countries and require attention, the Finance Ministry said in a statement, without elaborating on the challenges. Ms. Sitharaman had assured the lender of India’s support in the endeavour.
World
EU reaches deal to reform bloc’s migration laws (Page no. 18)
(GS Paper 2, International Relatio)
EU countries and lawmakers reached an agreement on an overhaul of the bloc’s laws on handling asylum-seekers and migrants, officials said.
The reform includes speedier vetting of irregular arrivals, creating border detention centres, accelerated deportation for rejected asylum applicants and a solidarity mechanism to take pressure off southern countries experiencing big inflows.
Spain, which chaired the lengthy negotiations in its role holding the EU presidency, said on X, formerly Twitter: “A political agreement has been reached on the five files of the EU new Pact on Migration and Asylum.”
European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas said: “It’s been a long road to get here. But we made it. Europe is finally delivering on migration.”
Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen added that “migration is a common European challenge — today’s decision will allow us to manage it together”.
Science
Volcano in Iceland erupts after being preceded by thousands of earthquakes (Page no. 20)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Constitution)
A volcano that had rumbled for weeks erupted in south-western Iceland, spewing semi-molten rock into the air in a spectacular show of the earth’s power in the land known for fire and ice.
The eruption that started on December 18 occurred about 4 km from the town of Grindavik, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said.
The town near Iceland’s main airport was evacuated in November after thousands of earthquakes damaged homes and raised fears of an imminent eruption.
The next day, fountains of orange lava shot into the darkened sky from a fissure in the ground. Iceland, which sits above a volcanic hotspot in the North Atlantic, has about 20 hours of darkness a day in December.
Icelandic broadcaster RUV showed a live feed of the eruption on its website as Christmas carols played in the background.