GS PAPER: II

Women’s quota to Puducherry, J-K assemblies

Why in the news?

• Recently the Lok Sabha passed two Bills to extend the provisions of the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act – that grants 33% reservation for women in Parliament and State legislatures – to the Union Territories of Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir.
• The two Bills seek to enable greater representation and participation of women as public representatives in law-making processes in the legislative assemblies of Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir.

About the Bill

• President’s order (CO 273) abrogating the special status of Jammu and Kashmir upheld.
• Article 370 is a temporary provision.
• J&K retained no sovereignty.
• CO 272 (which changed the definition of ‘J&K Constituent Assembly’ as ‘J&K Legislative Assembly’) is invalid. But this is of no consequence since the Court held that the President can declare 370 inoperative even without any recommendation of J&K Constituent Assembly.
• Court did not decide whether the conversion of J&K as State was invalid since Union undertook to restore the statehood to J&K as soon as possible. Court upholds the creation of Ladakh UT.
• Court directs that elections to the J&K Assembly be held by September 30, 2024.
• Justice Kaul recommends that a Truth and Reconciliatory Commission be set up to investigate and report on the human rights violations by both State and non-State actors carried out in Kashmir valley since 1980s.

‘No MLA for six years’

• Jammu and Kashmir had no MLA for the last six years and that “four officers” were running the Union Territory. Noting that the Supreme Court verdict spoke of conducting elections and restoration of statehood.
• It will be some time before the women’s reservation law can be implemented as the next census (likely late 2024) and the subsequent delimitation exercise – redrawing of the Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies in 2026 – will ascertain the particular seats to be earmarked for women.
• The quota for women in the Lok Sabha and Assemblies will continue for 15 years and Parliament can later extend the benefit period.

GS PAPER – II

Rajya sabha passes Bill for appointment of CEC, ECs

Why in the news?

• Recently the Rajya Sabha passed the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, the legislation that will guide the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the Election Commissioners (EC) in future.

About the Bill

• Moving the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023 for consideration and passage, the legislation has been brought in view of the Supreme Court judgement of March this year while hearing a PIL.
• The Bill was introduced in the Upper House on August 10 to replace the 1991 Act and was pending for consideration and passage. The 1991 Act did not have a clause related to appointment of CEC and other ECs.
• Until now, the names of the appointees were decided by the Government but now a search and selection committee has also been constituted, and the matter related to salary has also been introduced through an amendment in the Bill.
• it is in accordance with the direction of the apex court judgement and also to ensure the separation of power as enshrined in the Constitution.
• A clause related to protection from initiation of legal proceedings against the CEC and ECs for actions taken while carrying out their duties has also been introduced through the Bill.
• Several Opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha expressed apprehension that the new Bill to regulate the appointment of election commissioners will allow the ruling party to appoint ‘yes men’ and influence their conduct which would harm democracy.
• “It completely negates and subjugates the Election Commission to the authority of the Executive and it does away willingly, maliciously the judgement of the Supreme Court and that is why this law is per se like a stillborn child.

GS PAPER – II

Union Home Minister tabled three proposed criminal law bills:

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,Bharatiya Sakshya Bill and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita

Why in news?

• Recently Union Home Minister tabled three proposed criminal law bills–the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita–with amended versions, following various recommendations made by a parliamentary panel.

About the Bill

• These bills seek to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC) of 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872, respectively.
• In a significant change in Section 73, the bill now makes it punishable to publish the proceedings of a court, which may reveal the identity of victims of rape or that of similar offences without the court’s permission.
• The new bill also said that organised crime resulting in death of any person, will get death or imprisonment for life or fine not less than Rs 10 lakh.

What’s in, what’s out

• Threatening economic security of the nation and damage or destruction of any property in India or in a foreign country used or intended to be used for the defence of India added to the definition of terrorism.
• Officer of the rank of SP can decide whether to file a case UAPA.
• ‘Mental illness’ phrase out as it is too wide in import; ‘unsound mind’ in.
• Death penalty retained. House standing committee had left it to the govt to take the call.
• Definition of cruelty against women expanded to include harming a woman’s mental and physical health.
• Publishing proceedings of a court that may reveal the identity of victims of rape or similar offences without the court’s permission made punishable.

GS PAPER – III

Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit

Why in news?

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will recently inaugurate the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit at the Bharat Mandapam , with discussions on AI issues like safety and development challenges.

About Global Conversation on AI Regulation (GPAI)

• GPAI is a multi-stakeholder initiative with 29 member countries that aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice on artificial intelligence by supporting cutting- edge research and applied activities on AI-related priorities.
• India is the lead chair of GPAI in 2024.
• Multiple sessions on diverse topics like AI and global health, education and skilling, AI and data governance, and ML Workshop, among others will be organised during the summit.
• Other attractions of the summit include Research Symposium AI Game Changers Award and India AI Expo.
• The summit will witness participation of more than 50 GPAI experts and over 150 speakers from across countries.
• Further, top AI game changers from across the world will be  participating in different events including Intel Reliance Jio, Google, Meta, AWS, Yotta, Netweb, Paytm, Microsoft, Mastercard, NIC, STPI, Immerse, Jio Haptik and Bhashini etc.
• Besides, students who are winners under the YUVA AI initiative and start-ups will be showcasing their AI models  and solutions.

GPAI and India

• Founding Member: India joined GPAI as a founding member in June 2020, aiming to bridge the gap between AI theory and practice.
• International Collaboration: The initiative fosters collaboration among scientists, industry professionals, civil society, governments, international organizations, and academia.
• Previous Summits: Prior GPAI summits were held in Montreal, Paris, and Tokyo.
• India’s Stance: IT Minister highlighted India’s focus on sustainable agriculture and collaborative AI, building on the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) approach used in Aadhaar and UPI systems.

Content of the Proposed Declaration

• Themes and Focus: The declaration is expected to cover AI’s use in sustainable agriculture, healthcare, climate action, and building resilient societies.
• Regulatory Aspects: It will align with past agreements and global ideas on AI regulation.
• India’s Contribution: India’s emphasis is on evaluating AI in sustainable agriculture and promoting collaborative AI.

Global Conversation on AI Regulation

• EU’s AI Act: The European Union passed the AI Act, introducing safeguards and guardrails for AI use, especially in law enforcement, and setting up mechanisms for complaints against violations. It imposes strong restrictions on facial recognition and AI’s potential to manipulate human behavior.
• AI Safety Summit in the UK: Major countries agreed on a declaration for global action to address AI risks, acknowledging the dangers of misuse, cyber security threats, biotechnology, and disinformation risks.
• US Executive Order: The Biden Administration issued an order to safeguard against AI threats and oversee safety benchmarks for generative AI bots like ChatGPT and Google Bard.