The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act

• The Act came into force on November 14, 2012
• To deal with offences including child sexual abuse and child pornography.
• Act includes punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault to be increased to include the death penalty.
• The punishment has increased including the minimum punishment for penetrative sexual assault, which has been increased from seven years to 10 years — and, if the child is below 16 years of age, the minimum punishment has been increased to 20 years.

The Competition Act, 2002

• It should be noted that on the recommendations of the Raghavan committee, the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969 (MRTP Act) was repealed and replaced by the Competition Act, 2002.
• The Competition Act, 2002, as amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007
• In accordance with the provisions of the Amendment Act, the Competition Commission of India and the Competition Appellate Tribunal have been established
• he government of India replaced Competition Appellate Tribunal (COMPAT) with the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) in 2017.
• The provisions of the Competition Act relating to anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant position were notified on May 20, 2009

Source: The Indian Express

Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)

• To regulate the acceptance and utilization of foreign contribution 

Provision

• To open a bank account for the receipt of foreign funds in the State Bank of India, Delhi.
• To utilize those funds only for the purpose for which they have been received, and as stipulated in the Act.
• They must not transfer the funds to another NGO.

Registration

• apply online
• MHA makes inquiries through the Intelligence Bureau 
• The MHA is required to approve or reject the application within 90 days.
• FCRA registration is valid for five years.
• NGOs are expected to apply for renewal within six months of the date of expiry of registration.

Cancellation

• violation of the Act
• Once the registration of an NGO is canceled, it is not eligible for re-registration for three years.
• All orders of the government can be challenged in the High Court.

Add on

• https://iassaheb.blogspot.com/2022/06/fcra.html

Source: The Indian Express

PESA Act

The Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA  Act), 1996

• Fifth Schedule Areas
• Except for these States: Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram
• Bhuria Committee recommendations

 Types of powers have been given to a Gram Sabha under PESA:

• Developmental
• Dispute resolution
• Ownership and management of natural resources

State governments are expected to amend their respective Panchayati Raj Acts without making any law that would be inconsistent with the mandate of PESA.

Source

• The Indian express

Flag Code of India 2022

 The Constituent Assembly of India adopted the National Flag on July 22, 1947.

Information Technology Act, 2000

• Section 69(A): allows the Centre to issue blocking orders to social media intermediaries

The Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999

 Reference

• legislative.gov.in

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019

Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)

• Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) was established in July 2020.
• To promote, protect, and enforce the rights of consumers as a class, and to investigate, prosecute, and punish violators.

Recent Updates

1. The new guidelines against service charges.

For Reference

1. The Indian Express

Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 2021

•  US Supreme court declared abortion is not a fundamental right.

Context of India

• Abortion is legal but with conditions.

Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 2021

• permissible up to 24 weeks 
• Opinion of a medical practitioner
• For pregnancies between 20-24 weeks old, the opinion of two doctors is required.
• beyond 24 weeks, only on the ground of fetal abnormalities can be taken by a Medical Board.

Juvenile Justice (Care and Protections) Amendment Act 2021

 Non-Cognisable

• A police officer has no authority to arrest without a warrant.

Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)

• enacted during the Emergency in 1976
• An amended FCRA was enacted in 2010 to “consolidate the law” on the utilization of foreign funds, and “to prohibit” their use for “any activities detrimental to the national interest”.
• The law was amended again in 2020, giving the government tighter control and scrutiny over the receipt and utilization of foreign funds by NGOs.

Law

1. registered under the Act
2. to open a bank account for the receipt of the foreign funds in State Bank of India, Delhi
3. to utilize those funds only for the purpose for which they have been received and as stipulated in the Act.

Source: IE

Visit

1. https://indianexpress.com/

What is AFSPA?

THE ARMED FORCES (SPECIAL POWERS) ACT,1958

An Act to enable certain special powers to be conferred upon members of the armed forces in disturbed areas in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura.

Power to declare areas to be disturbed areas

The Governor of that State or the Administrator of that Union territory or the Central Government, as the case may be, may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare the whole or such part of such State or Union territory to be a disturbed area.

Arrested persons to be made over to the police

Any person arrested and taken into custody under this Act shall be made over to the officer in charge of the nearest police station with the least possible delay, together with a report of the circumstances occasioning the arrest.

Protection to persons acting under Act

No prosecution, suit or other legal proceeding shall be instituted, except with the previous sanction of the Central Government, against any person in respect of anything done or purported to be done in exercise of the powers conferred by this Act.

Present :

• Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Assam, Parts of Manipur and Parts of Arunachal Pradesh

Source:https://legislative.gov.in/

News

• AFSPA extended  in Nagaland