New criminal laws in force; Cr. PC, IPC applicable only for old cases

Provision for Zero FIR allowing filing of a first information report at any police station, regardless of jurisdiction

Online registration of police complaints and mandatory videography of crime scenes for all heinous crimes.

A person can now report incidents by electronic communication, without the need to visit a police station

Judgment in criminal cases has to come within 45 days of completion of the trial

Provisions against false promise of marriage, gang rape of minors and mob lynching

Statement of a woman rape victim will be recorded by a woman police officer in the presence of her guardian or relative

Death sentence or life imprisonment for gang rape of a minor

Sedition has been replaced with 'secession' or 'act against the country's sovereignty, unity and integrity'.

India identified 641 fauna species, 339 taxa of plants in 2023

A new species of turmeric in Manipur and a new kind of bat in Karnataka are among the plant and ani- mal species which were discovered in India in 2023, show data released by Union Environment Minister.

A total of 641 species 442 entirely new to science and 199 newly recorded in the country - were added to Indian fauna in 2023. India added 339 taxa - 326 species and 13 infraspecific taxa - to its plant database. 

Of these, 171 taxa are new to science and 168 new to distributional records from India. Taxa can refer to sub-species or varieties of a Plant Species. 

Carbon derived from coconut husks can power supercapacitors, find researchers

Researchers at the Government College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, have devised a method to produce activated carbon, suitable for supercapacitor fabrication, from coconut husks, which are a major agricultural residue in Kerala.

The coconut husk biowaste-derived carbon holds activated immense promise for sustainable and efficient green solutions for high-performance supercapacitors owing to its availability, low cost, and eco-friendly nature.

Supercapacitors, with significantly higher capacitance and energy storage capacity than conventional capacitors, have emerged as a vital component in the quest for sustainable energy storge solutions. 

Court on climate right and how India can enforce it

Through its recent judgment in M.K. Ranjitsinh and Ors. vs Union of India & Ors., the Supreme Court of India has dropped a large rock into the relatively placid waters of India's nascent climate change jurisprudence. 

It has read into the Constitution of India the right to 'be free from the adverse effects of climate change', identifying both the right to life and the right to equality as its sources. 

As a new government considers its imperatives and agenda, Ranjitsinh provides an intriguing opportunity to think through and possibly enact much more systematic governance around climate change.

On Tamil Nadu's financial distress

The Chennai Metro Rail Project's Phase 2 got the approval as a Central sector project under the equity sharing model in August 2021. It has been awaiting the approval of the Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) since then.

In anticipation of the green signal, the State government is bearing the entire expenditure out of its own funds, which are already under enormous stress.

It has been the contention of Tamil Nadu that the State gets a pittance when it comes to the Central release of funds for natural disasters. 

It had submitted two detailed memoranda to the Union government, seeking around ₹37,906 crore but the latter, according to the State government, released a "meagre sum" of ₹276 crore. 

Should education be brought back to the State list?

The Government of India Act, 1935 during the British rule created a federal structure for the first time in our polity.

During the Emergency, the Congress party constituted the Swaran Singh Committee to provide recommendations for amendments to the Constitution. 

One of the recommendations of this committee was to place 'education' in the concurrent list.

Considering the need for autonomy in view of the lion's share of the expenditure being borne by the States, there needs to be a discussion towards moving 'education' back to the State list. 

Legal community braces for change as new laws take effect

three new criminal laws will come into effect, reshaping the legal landscape in India. This transition has sparked a mix of apprehension and preparedness among the legal community. 

On December 25, 2023, President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023. These will replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr. PC), and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively.

DRDO takes up study on development of indigenous conventional submarine

As the procurement of new submarines under P-751 goes on, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has taken up a preliminary study on the design and development of an indigenous conventional submarine under Project-76.

"DRDO got a go ahead from Defence Ministry to carry out a preliminary study to determine the project contours. It is expected to take up to a year after which a formal case will be put up to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for project sanction," a defence source said.

This will be a continuation of the advanced technology vessel (ATV) project, to build a conventional submarine, under which the Arihant series of nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) are being built and another project for building nuclear-powered submarines (SSN) is currently under way, the source said. 

Sri Lanka summons Indian envoy over sailor's death, voices concern

Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently summoned an official from the Indian High Commission in Colombo and voiced its concern over the death of a Sri Lankan naval sailor, who was part of a patrol unit that had seized an Indian fishing vessel in the early hours of June 25. 

The issue was reportedly raised in New Delhi too, when Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to Kshenuka India Senewiratne called on External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on June 25.

The development has brought the long-persisting fisheries conflict in the Palk Strait back into the spotlight. 

Disregarding the relentless demand of Sri Lanka's northern fishermen that their Indian counterparts stop using the destructive bottom-trawling method of fishing, the fishermen from India have continued the practice for years.

General Dwivedi assumes charge as the 30th Chief of the Army Staff

General Upendra Dwivedi took over as the 30th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) from General Manoj Pande, who superannuated after more than four decades of service.

The change in the post also initiated a series of changes among other senior appointments, including the Vice-Chief of the Army Staff and several Army Commanders.

Modi's visit to Moscow timely, say experts

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow for a standalone state visit on July 8 and 9 to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin will reverse the perception of a "drift" in relations, experts say. The visit is expected to focus on strategic, economic, and military ties.

The Modi-Putin talks are expected to focus on the rise in India-Russia trade due to India's import of oil, smoothing out payment issues arising from Western sanctions, building on previous conversations on the Chennai-Vladivostok maritime route, and concluding the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RE- LOS) agreement that will pave the way for more defence exchanges.

Navy chief Admiral Tripathi begins visit to Bangladesh

Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi began a five-day visit to Bangladesh with an aim to consolidate the bilateral defence engagement and explore new avenues of cooperation in the maritime domain. 

The trip comes more than a week after Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited India during which both sides vowed to expand the overall defence and strategic ties. 

Taliban members meet Afghanistan, UN envoys in Doha

Representatives of Afghanistan's Taliban regime began meetings with UN officials as they attended talks in Doha with special envoys to the Central Asian country for the first time, a UN spokesperson said. 

The two-day, UN-hosted meeting in Qatar is the third of its kind in the gas-rich emirate in just over a year but the first to include Taliban authorities.