5 Dec CA

1.

British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis called on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday and held discussions on a wide range of issues, including cooperation on sustainability, health and education between the northeastern state and the European country

The chief minister called for closer collaboration between India and the UK to promote a green economy, including electric vehicles and tree plantations. 

Discussions were also held to ensure more opportunities for Assamese students to apply for the Chevening.

Chevening is the name of the UK government’s international awards scheme, founded in 1983 to develop global leaders. While the programme takes its name from the house, the Chevening Secretariat administers the awards on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

The chief minister also stressed on the emotional importance of ‘Vrindavani Vastra’ in Assamese society and suggested enhanced access for scholars and researchers. ‘Vrindavani Vastra’ is a drape woven by Assamese weavers in the 16th century under the guidance of Assam’s Vaishnavite scholar Srimanta Sankardeva, illustrating the childhood activities of Lord Krishna in Vrindavan. Parts of the original drape are presently owned by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and Musee Guimet (the Guimet Museum) in Paris.

2.

Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Assam and Uttar Pradesh together registered over three-fourths of all UAPA cases in India in 2022, while one-fourth of sedition cases were registered in West Bengal alone, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data on ‘offences against the state’.

Altogether, 20 cases of sedition under the Indian Penal Code section 124A were lodged across India in 2022 while 1,005 were registered under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the NCRB, which functions under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, showed in its annual crime report.

Notably, sedition cases have come down since 2020 while those lodged under the UAPA saw a rise in the last three years, according to the data.

In 2021, 76 cases of sedition and 814 cases of UAPA were lodged in the country, while in 2020 the figures for the same were logged at 73 and 796, official data from corresponding years showed.

Among states and Union Territories, the maximum number of UAPA cases were lodged in Jammu and Kashmir (371) followed by Manipur (167), Assam (133) and Uttar Pradesh (101).

The maximum cases of sedition were lodged in West Bengal (five) followed by three each in Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur and Uttar Pradesh, the NCRB report showed.

In 2022 as well as 2021, 55 FIRs were registered under the Official Secrets Act while 39 such offences were registered in 2020, according to the NCRB, which is tasked with the collection and analysis of crime data.

A total of 5,610 cases were registered in 2022 as compared to 5,164 cases in 2021, and 5,613 in 2020 under the wider category of ‘offences against the state’.

Of the total cases in 2022, 78.5 per cent were registered under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act (4,403 cases) followed by 1,005 (17.9 per cent) cases under the UAPA, the NCRB stated in its report.

The crime rate per lakh population in this category was logged at 0.4 while the charge sheeting rate was 80.8 last year, it showed.

The maximum cases under the wider category of ‘offences against the state’ were registered in Uttar Pradesh (2,231) followed by Tamil Nadu (634), Jammu and Kashmir (417), Assam (298) and Kerala (297). The national capital, Delhi, registered 22 such cases in 2022, according to the report.

Across the country in 2022, 48 cases were lodged under IPC sections 121-123, 79 under ‘imputation, assertions prejudicial to national integration’ and 4,524 under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, it showed.

In 2021, a total of 73 cases were lodged under IPC sections 121-123 and 57 under ‘imputation, assertions prejudicial to national integration’ and 4,089 under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, while the figures for the same in 2020 were 99, 82 and 4,524, respectively, the NCRB data showed.

In a note of caution about the annual report, the NCRB said the primary presumption that the upward swing in police data indicated an increase in crime and a reflection of the ineffectiveness of the police was fallacious.

3.

BCPL has won the prestigious “23rd Annual Greentech Environment Award 2023” for outstanding achievement in environment management in the category of “Environmental Excellence”. Environment Team represented BCPL and delivered a presentation on different activities towards improvement of the environment at BCPL. The award reflects BCPL’s commitment towards healthy and protective environment and excellent performance in its conservation through day-to-day activities. BCPL being a corporate citizen, is always committed to operation excellence with a prior focus towards sustainable development. This award created a milestone for BCPL towards the journey of an environment friendly petrochemical production and its commitment toward sustainable social responsibilities as a PSU.

4.

A five-judge Supreme Court bench today commenced hearing on 17 petitions to examine the constitutional validity of section 6A of the Citizenship Act relating to illegal immigrants in Assam.

The Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud is hearing submissions advanced by senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for petitioners, in the matter.

Besides the CJI, Justices Surya Kant, MM Sundresh, JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra are part of the bench.

Divan is presently referring to the historical background of the litigation and the 2014 judgement of the top court by which the pleas were referred to the larger Constitution bench.

Section 6A in the Citizenship Act was inserted as a special provision to deal with the citizenship of people covered by the Assam Accord.

The provision provides that those who have come to Assam on or after January 1, 1966 but before March 25, 1971 from specified territories, including Bangladesh, as per the Citizenship Act amended in 1985, and since then are residents of Assam must register themselves under section 18 for citizenship.

As a result, the provision fixes March 25, 1971 as the cut-off date for granting citizenship to Bangladeshi migrants in Assam.

While hearing the matter in September, the top court had said the title of the proceeding shall be, “In Re: Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955.”

During the course of the hearing, it has been agreed that the contesting parties shall consist of (i) those who are challenging the constitutional validity of section 6A of the Citizenship Act 1955 on the one hand; and (ii) those including the Union of India and the State of Assam who are supporting the validity of the provision

Under the Assam Accord signed by the All Assam Students Union, Assam government and the Government of India on August 15, 1985 to detect and deport the foreigners, Section 6A was inserted to the Citizenship Act to grant citizenship to people who have migrated to Assam.

A Guwahati-based NGO challenged section 6A in 2012, terming it arbitrary, discriminatory and unconstitutional claiming it provides different dates for regularising illegal migrants in Assam.

5.

World Soil Day is observed every year on December 5 and aims to spread awareness about the importance of soil. Soil is an integral part of our lives, providing us with necessary nutrients. It serves as the bed for the growth of food items and is home to diverse species.

The poor condition of soil can lead to degradation, which is a pressing global environmental issue. This day encourages people to come together and think of sustainable ways to manage soil resources. The date of December 5 was chosen because it coincides with the birthday of Thailand’s King, HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who formally sanctioned the event.