1 – Sedition Law in India:

GS II 

Government Policies and Interventions

Context:

The 153-year-old colonial statute of sedition in India has been retained, according to the statute Commission of India.

The Indian Sedition Law:

The IPC’s Section 124A states:

It was written by TB Macaulay and inserted in the IPC in 1870. It deals with the crime of sedition, which is not punishable by bail.

Anyone who incites or seeks to incite hatred, contempt, or disaffection towards the legal government of India through speech, signs, or other forms of visible expression will be penalised.

Penalties under Section 124A: Under the law, penalties range from a fine and three years in prison to a life sentence.

Section 124A is required in order to effectively confront terrorist, separatist, and anti-national groups.

Concerns about Section 124A:

According to Gandhiji, it is intended to restrict citizens’ freedom.

According to Jawaharlal Nehru, it is quite disagreeable and the sooner we get rid of it, the better.

It was designed for a colonial regime and is out of touch with the current social climate.

frequently abused to silence opposition.

low rate of conviction.

In SC’s opinion:

In Kedar Nath Singh v. State of Bihar (1962), the supreme court maintained Section 124A’s legality while also attempting to limit its potential for abuse.

The sedition clause cannot be used to censor free expression since it needs the presence of a malicious intent to incite violence.

Citizens could not be imprisoned by the state merely for choosing to object to its policies.

Views that differ from official government policy cannot be characterised as seditious.

Actions taken:

In 2022, the SC essentially suspended the colonial-era penal clause and ordered the federal government and the states to stop making arrests and bringing legal cases based on it.

The Union administration recently informed the Supreme Court that the “final stages” of the legislative process to review and alter the Sedition Law were already underway.

On sedition law, the Law Commission of India:

A reasonable constraint on the right to free expression is the sedition legislation.

The security and integrity of the nation may suffer significantly if the legislative requirement is repealed.

The simple fact that a certain legal requirement has colonial roots does not make the case for its repeal.

States like the US, UK, and others have combined their anti-sedition laws with anti-terrorism laws.

Amendments to Section 124A of the IPC are suggested:

to match it with the SC’s 1962 ruling and to increase the clarity with which the provision is interpreted, understood, and used.

should demonstrate actual violence or a serious threat of violence in order to replace mere propensity to incite violence or create a public disturbance.

Increasing the alternative sentence to “7 years” will provide the judges more discretion to determine the appropriate punishment based on the seriousness of the offence.

procedural protections to reduce abuse. For instance, Section 154 of the CrPC may be changed to state that a police officer must first undertake a preliminary investigation before registering a FIR under Section 124A.

Source à The Hindu

2 – Lateral Entry in Central Government: 

GS II 

Governance related issues

Context:

The administration has planned to use lateral entry to hire 17 senior executives for the Central government from the private sector.

The government has proposed its fourth such recruiting drive since beginning lateral entry in 2018 to attract new talent and increase the pool of available labour.

Regarding Lateral Entry:

The word “lateral entry” refers to the hiring of specialists, primarily from the commercial sector, in organisations run by the government.

Recommendations from committees about lateral entry:

The Surinder Nath Committee (2003), Hota Committee (2004), and Second ARC (2008) have all supported the notion.

In its three-year Action Agenda (2017–2020), NITI Aayog suggested that middle and senior management employees be hired for the federal government.

Conclusion:

To successfully implement lateral entry, it’s critical to establish a balance between the benefits it offers and the difficulties it presents. The selection procedure should be open and trustworthy, with clear criteria that draw notable people and subject-matter specialists. In order to help lateral entrants navigate the bureaucratic work culture and ensure effective collaboration with current civil officials, adequate training and support should be made available to them.

Source à The Hindu

3 – Li Ion Battery Recycling Technology: 

GS III

Science and Technology

Context:

Nine recycling businesses and start-ups have received cost-effective lithium-ion battery recycling technology from the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) as part of the Mission LiFE’s “Promote circularity campaign.”

With the use of this home grown technology, many types of used lithium-ion batteries may be processed, with over 95% of the lithium, cobalt, manganese, and nickel contents being recovered in the form of purity-approximately 98% oxides/carbonates.

What steps are involved in recycling?

Lithium-ion battery recycling requires a number of procedures.

The batteries are gathered, sorted, and disassembled initially.

The electrodes are then extracted by a process known as leaching, in which the electrodes are immersed in a solvent that dissolves the precious metals lithium, cobalt, manganese, and nickel.

Following this, the metals are cleaned to get rid of impurities, producing compounds of high purity for lithium, cobalt, manganese, and nickel.

Recycling’s purpose:

to minimise the impact on the environment and reduce the need for mining by recovering precious materials from lithium-ion batteries. It supports sustainable production methods for batteries and aids in resource conservation.

Created by:

The government of Telangana and an industry partner worked together to create the technology at the Centre of Excellence on E-waste Management.

About:

India produces around 50,000 tonnes of lithium-ion battery trash per year, with growth rates of between 40 and 80 percent. India now imports 70% of its Li-ion cell needs from China and Hong Kong and all of its Li from Australia and Argentina.

Source à The Hindu

4 – Draft Aircrafts Bill, 2023: 

GS II

Government Policies and Interventions

Context:

To replace the current Aircraft Act of 1934, the Civil Aviation Ministry has released the Draught Aircraft Bill, 2023.

Aim:

A simpler approach to rules (covering design, manufacturing, possession, use, operation, sale, import, and export) is the goal of the draught legislation in order to satisfy the current needs of the civil aviation industry and do away with any redundancies from the 1934 law. Additionally, it aims to harmonise India with the Chicago Convention.

Important provisions:

the establishment of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, two statutory organisations. These organisations would carry out regulatory and supervision duties in addition to being in charge of implementing the Standards and Recommended Practises (SARPs) outlined by the Chicago Convention.

Adequate authority for statutory regulating organisations like the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Regarding the Chicago Convention:

It is a 1944-established international treaty that is also referred to as the Convention on International Civil Aviation. It establishes the fundamental guidelines for international air travel and established the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to supervise its execution. Nine air freedoms are recognised by the agreement, with the ICAO officially recognising the first five. Countries are given the ability to fly over, land in, and transfer people and goods across borders.

Source à The PIB