The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in force across the country since the announcement of Lok Sabha elections on March 16, law enforcement agencies are on high alert for the movement of cash, liquor, jewellery and other freebies that could be used to influence voters.
About rule
The rules for carrrying cash and other items
The EC’s efforts are meant to keep an eye on campaign expenditure by candidates, which is capped at Rs 95 lakh per constituency in bigger states, and Rs 75 lakh per constituency in smaller ones. However, this adversely affects citizens as well.
At check-posts controlled by the surveillance teams, the EC makes it clear that “if cash of more than Rs 10 lakh is found in a vehicle, and there is no suspicion of commission of any crime or linkage to any candidate, agent or party functionary, then the SST shall not seize the cash, and pass on the information to the Income-Tax authority, for necessary action under Income Tax Laws.”
However, if a vehicle carrying a candidate, or his/her agent or party worker is found with over Rs 50,000 in cash or drugs, liquor, arms, or gift items worth over Rs.10,000, then the cash or other items will be seized. If during checking, there is any suspicion of a crime, the seizure will be done under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and an FIR will be filed within 24 hours.
When it comes to carrying liquor across state borders, the excise laws of the respective state apply. For instance, some states allow two bottles of sealed liquor to be carried in.
What happens after a seizure?
In case any cash or other items are seized, authorities are meant to return them if they are not related to any candidate or a crime.
After seizure, the seized amount shall be deposited in such manner as directed by the Court and a copy of seizure of cash, in excess of Rs 10 lacs shall be forwarded to the Income Tax authority, engaged for the purpose.
A district-level committee will look at grievances, “in order to avoid inconvenience to the public and genuine persons”.
The Committee, comprising the district election office’s nodal officer for expenditure monitoring, and the district treasury officer, shall suo-motu examine each case of seizure where no FIR/complaint has been filed, or where the seizure is not linked with any candidate, political party or election campaign. Moreover, it shall take immediate steps to return any cash seized, as per SoP given by the EC.
Lok sabha candidate can officially spend
Time to Read :🕑 7 Mins
Why in news?
The Election Commission’s (EC) key responsibilities is monitoring poll expenditure, both by parties and individual candidates, through its own observers and state and Central enforcement agencies.
About News
There is no cap on how much parties can spend, candidates are limited to Rs 95 lakh for Lok Sabha constituencies and Rs 40 lakh for Assembly seats.
In some smaller states and Union Territories, the cap is Rs 75 lakh and Rs 28 lakh for the Lok Sabha and Assemblies, respectively.
The spending limits have been increased over the years, including from 2019, when these were Rs 70 lakh for Lok Sabha candidates and Rs 28 lakh for Assembly contenders.
Expenditure
The expenditure limit refers to the amount a candidate is allowed to legally spend on election campaigning, including public meetings, rallies, advertisements, posters and banners, and vehicles.
All candidates are required to submit their expenditure statement to the EC within 30 days of completion of an election.
Political parties are required to submit detailed election expenditure reports to the EC within 90 days of completion of Lok Sabha elections.
India, China agree on ‘regular contact’ to resolve border standoff
Time to Read :🕑 5 Mins
Why in news?
The 29th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs”. recently, the meeting was held in Beijing.
About
The WMCC was established in 2012 as an institutional mechanism for consultation and coordination for management of India - China border areas, as well as to exchange views on strengthening communication and cooperation, including between the border security personnel of the two sides.
The both sides had an in-depth exchange of views on how to achieve complete disengagement and resolve the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control.
In the interim, both sides agreed to maintain regular contact through diplomatic and military channels and on the need to uphold peace on the ground in border areas in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and protocols.
The last meeting of the WMCC was held on November 30 last year.
Measuring internet freedom in India in the last 10 years
Time to Read :🕑 11 Mins
Why in news?
The Indian government imposed a total of 780 shutdowns between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2023, according to data collected by the Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC).
Background
For five straight years, India has topped the global list of countries imposing internet bans, with about 60% of all blackouts recorded in the world, between 2016 and 2022 having been in India.
State-imposed shutdowns in the last decade have cited national security and threats to public order. However, rights groups have argued that these shutdowns also violate court directives.
Law for Shutdowns
Shutdowns were up during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in 2019, the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, and the introduction of Farm Bills in 2020. Internet disruptions in India accounted for more than 70% of the total loss to the global economy in 2020. Data shows India shut down the internet for over 7,000 hours in 2023.
Indian States and Union Territories can impose an internet shutdown only in case of a “public emergency” or in the interest of “public safety”, according to the Indian Telegraph Act. However, the law does not dene what qualies as an emergency or safety issue.
The Supreme Court, in the landmark Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India case, reiterated that internet shutdowns violate fundamental rights to freedom of expression and shutdowns lasting indenitely are unconstitutional.
Moreover, Courts have asked governments to make shutdown orders public, a provision poorly complied with, experts have noted.
Shutdowns data
Regionally, Jammu and Kashmir saw the highest number of shutdowns — at 433 — in the last 12 years.
The longest blackout in 2023 took place in Manipur from May to December, amid ethnic clashes.
As of February 15 this year, internet shutdowns were active in Haryana amid the farmers’ protests.
The Union government invoked powers under a British-era law to suspend mobile internet as Punjab farmers are holding protests in Delhi.
Activists have pointed out that India failed to meet the ‘three-part test’ in imposing blackouts in J&K and Manipur.
Under international law, to block any access to content or invoke coercive measures that violate people’s fundamental rights, countries should check if the action is provided for by law; pursues a legitimate aim; and follows standards of necessity and proportionality.
The majority of internet outages in the last decade were localised to specic districts, cities and villages.
The trends dier globally: protests are the most common reason for internet shutdowns, followed by information control and political instability.
Between 2015 and 2022, more than 55,000 websites were blocked, according to SFLC data.
The biggest share of content censored was done under section 69A of the IT Act, by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
URLs were blocked due to links to organisations banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Recently, the Ministry ordered news outlet The Caravan to take down a story which alleged abuse, torture, and murder of civilians by the Indian Army in Jammu’s Poonch district.
On social media, almost 30,000 social media URLs (including accounts and posts) were blocked between 2018 and 2022, with the majority of requests sent to X.
A commonly cited reason for blocking websites is the escalating threat of cybercrime. As compared to 5,693 cases in 2013, India recorded more than 65,000 cases last year. Cases have risen by almost 434% between 2016 and 2022, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.
India and global trends
Global Internet freedom has declined for the 13th consecutive year, and the environment for human rights online has deteriorated in 29 countries, according to the latest Freedom House report.
India’s ranking has hovered around the same benchmark in the last three years.
This is a dip from 2016 and 2017, when India scored 59 points, to 50 points in 2023.
The Food Waste Index Report 2024
Time to Read :🕑 7 Mins
Why in news?
Recently, the food waste index report realeased by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme).
More details about news
The Food Waste Index tracks the global and national generation of food and inedible parts wasted at the retail and consumer (household and food service) levels.
UNEP is its custodian.
Key finding
In 2022, there were 1.05 billion tonnes of food waste generated (including inedible parts), amounting to 132 kilograms per capita and almost one-fifth of all food available to consumers.
Out of the total food wasted in 2022, 60% happened at the household level, with food services responsible for 28%, and retail 12%.
The report stressed the importance of expanding and strengthening data infrastructure to enable the tracking and monitoring of food waste, pointing out that “many low- and middle-income countries continue to lack adequate systems for tracking progress to meet Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 of halving food waste by 2030, particularly in retail and food services.”
At present, only four G-20 countries (Australia, Japan, U.K., U.S.) and the European Union have food waste estimates suitable for tracking progress to 2030.
Contrary to popular perception, food waste was not a ‘rich country problem’, the report stated, with observed average levels of household food waste for high-income, upper-middle, and lower-middle-income countries differing by just 7 kg per capita.
Hotter countries appear to generate more food waste per capita in households, potentially due to higher consumption of fresh foods with substantial inedible parts and a lack of robust cold chains.
Detailing the link between food waste and climate change, the report found that food loss and waste generated “8-10% of annual global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – almost 5 times that of the aviation sector – and significant biodiversity loss by taking up the equivalent of almost a third of the world’s agricultural land.”
It estimated the toll of both food loss and waste on the global economy at $1 trillion.
Another trend revealed by the data was that compared to urban areas, rural ones generally wasted less food, due to “greater diversion of food scraps to pets, livestock, and home composting”.
AFSPA extended in parts of Arunachal, Nagaland for six more months
Time to Read :🕑 5 Mins
Why in news?
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in parts of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for another six months.
About
The AFSPA gives unbridled power to the armed forces and the Central Armed Police Forces deployed in “disturbed areas” as specified under the Act to kill anyone acting in contravention of law, arrest and search any premises without a warrant and ensures protection from prosecution and legal suits without the Central government’s sanction.
Both the State and Union government can issue notification regarding the AFSPA.
For the States of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, the MHA issues periodic “disturbed area” notifications.
About Notification
As per the latest notification, the AFSPA has been extended in whole of eight districts and 21 police stations in five other districts of Nagaland for another six months.
The notification issued under Section 3 of the AFSPA for a period of six months with effect from April 1, “unless withdrawn earlier,” will be effective in Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek and Peren districts and in Khuzama, Kohima North, Kohima South, Zubza and Kezocha police stations in Kohima district;
Mangkolemba, Mokokchung-I, Longtho, Tuli, Longchem and Anaki ‘C’ police stations in Mokokchung district
Yanglok police station in Longleng district
Bhandari, Champang and Ralan police stations in Wokha district
Ghatashi, Pughoboto, Satakha, Suruhuto, Zunheboto and Aghunato police stations in Zunheboto district.
The last time the AFSPA was extended in these areas was on September 26, 2023.
In another notification, the Ministry extended the AFSPA in Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts in Arunachal Pradesh and the areas falling within the jurisdiction of Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham police stations in Namsai district of the State along the Assam border for another six months.
NASA's SOHO mission
Time to Read :🕑 5 Mins
Why in news?
NASA's SOHO mission reaches a milestone, capturing its 5,000th comet while orbiting the Sun.
About SOHO
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a joint project of the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA, launched in 1995, is designed to study the Sun, its atmosphere, and the solar wind.
It has provided knowledge into the structure of the Sun, including its magnetic field, solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and solar variability.
Now, the SOHO mission has achieved a milestone in its journey by capturing its 5,000th comet as it traverses around the solar star in our cosmic neighbourhood.
The mission has 12 instruments, including telescopes and spectrometers, which observe the Sun in various wavelengths of light, from ultraviolet to visible X-rays.
These observations help scientists better understand solar phenomena and their impact on space weather, which can affect satellites, power grids, and communication systems on Earth.
The latest comet, named SOHO-5000, belongs to the Marsden group.
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