13 August 2023

• Parliament: The three landmark criminal law reform Bills (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill) were introduced in the Lok Sabha, proposing to replace the IPC (1860), CrPC (1898), and Indian Evidence Act (1872).
• Polity: The Digital Personal Data Protection Act received Presidential assent on 14 August 2023, completing its legislative journey.
• International: Praggnanandhaa lost to Magnus Carlsen in the FIDE Chess World Cup final in Baku, Azerbaijan, but qualified for the Candidates Tournament. He became the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to reach the World Cup final.
• Conservation: The government declared India's 54th Tiger Reserve: Dholpur-Karauli in Rajasthan.

GS area: Polity, Governance (criminal justice reform)

The Home Minister introduced three Bills to replace the colonial-era criminal laws of India. This was done on 11 August 2023 (Saturday, day of Parliament's sitting).

• Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023: Replaces the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Contains 356 sections. New sections criminalise mob lynching (with enhanced penalties) and organised crime. The sedition provision (Section 124A IPC) is effectively repealed, though a new provision on acts endangering sovereignty is introduced.
• Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023: Replaces the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898. Contains 533 sections. Key changes: a 90-day investigation window after filing a chargesheet, mandatory forensic examination for offences punishable with 7 or more years, and digital integration of evidence and summons.
• Bharatiya Sakshya Bill (BSB), 2023: Replaces the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. Contains 170 sections. Provides for electronic evidence and digital records.
• Common thread: Emphasis on time-bound trials, greater use of technology, and victim-centric justice.
• Concerns raised: Civil liberties groups noted that the sedition repeal is partial. Provisions for 60-day or 90-day police custody in serious cases raised questions about custodial abuse. Marital rape is still not explicitly criminalised except where the wife is under 18.

Static linkage: Criminal law, colonial legislation, parliamentary process (GS Paper 2).

GS area: Environment, Biodiversity

The government notified the Dholpur-Karauli Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, making it the country's 54th tiger reserve and Rajasthan's fifth.

• India's tiger population: India's 2022 tiger census counted 3,682 tigers, up from 2,967 in 2018. This is a significant increase.
• Rajasthan's tiger numbers: Rajasthan had 32 tigers in 2006. This grew to 88 by 2022.
• Project Tiger: Launched in 1973. India's flagship tiger conservation programme. It is administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Ministry of Environment.
• NTCA: Statutory body under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (amended 2006) responsible for Tiger Reserve administration.
• Area: Dholpur-Karauli covers the Chambal landscape, linking to the Ranthambore-Karauli corridor.

Static linkage: Wildlife conservation, protected areas, biodiversity (GS Paper 3).

GS area: Sports (prelims relevance for institutional facts)

R. Praggnanandhaa became the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to reach the final of the FIDE Chess World Cup, held in Baku, Azerbaijan. Magnus Carlsen of Norway won the tournament.

• FIDE: The World Chess Federation (Fédération Internationale des Échecs). Founded in 1924. Governs international chess and manages world ranking and tournament systems.
• FIDE World Cup: A knock-out tournament held every two years. The top two finishers qualify for the Candidates Tournament to determine a challenger to the World Chess Champion.
• Praggnanandhaa's qualification: His runner-up finish earned him a place in the 2024 Candidates Tournament.
• Viswanathan Anand: India's most celebrated chess player. Five-time World Chess Champion. He has held the title at various times from 2000 to 2013.

Static linkage: Sports and international bodies (GS Paper 2).

GS area: Disaster Management, Geography

The Maui wildfire continued to cause devastation. The historic town of Lahaina was largely destroyed.

• Maui geography: Maui is the second-largest island of Hawaii. The Hawaiian archipelago is a chain of islands in the central Pacific Ocean, formed by volcanic activity over a Pacific Plate hot spot. Hawaii is a US state.
• Cause: A combination of dry conditions, low humidity, and strong winds (from Hurricane Dora's outer bands) created extreme fire weather conditions.
• Forest fires globally: August 2023 saw major wildfires in Canada (Yellowknife evacuated), Tenerife (Spain), and Turkey alongside Maui. The frequency and intensity of wildfires are linked to rising temperatures and drought.
• India's vulnerability: India faces wildfire risk in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Odisha during the dry season.

Static linkage: Disasters, climate change, geography (GS Paper 3).

GS area: International Relations, Culture

India's G20 Presidency theme "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (One Earth, One Family, One Future) continued to resonate at preparatory meetings. China had raised objections that the phrase, from the Sanskrit Maha Upanishad, was not in a UN language.

• Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: A Sanskrit phrase meaning "the world is one family." It originates from the Maha Upanishad.
• G20 Presidency: India held the G20 Presidency from December 2022 to November 2023. The Leaders' Summit was to be held in New Delhi on 9-10 September 2023.
• India's use: The phrase reflects India's approach of inclusive multilateralism and South-South solidarity as themes of the G20 year.

Static linkage: G20, India's foreign policy, Indian culture (GS Paper 2).

• Karnail Singh Isru: A freedom fighter from the Goa Liberation Movement who was shot at Patradevi village in 1955 while trying to enter Goa to protest Portuguese rule. He died in 1955 at age 25. His memorial was recognised around this date.
• Mushkbudji rice GI tag: Mushkbudji, an aromatic short-grain rice variety from Kashmir, received a GI tag. It was revived in 2007 after near-extinction due to a fungal disease (rice blast) in the 1970s. Nine J&K products received GI tags simultaneously.
• IMF Quota Review: The IMF's 16th General Review of Quotas was progressing. Quota formula components: GDP 50 per cent, trade openness 30 per cent, economic variability 15 per cent, and reserves 5 per cent.