Highlights
- Polity: the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita's Section 106 on hit-and-run cases sparked nationwide truck driver protests.
- Economy: Niti Aayog recommended a 20-30 per cent health tax on sugar- and fat-rich foods, citing global precedents from Mexico and Chile.
- Science: the Square Kilometre Array, the world's largest planned radio telescope, began first construction phase in December 2022 with operations expected by 2029.
- Defence: Exercise Desert Cyclone continued at Mahajan, Rajasthan. The Kalpakkam nuclear site inaugurated a fuel reprocessing plant for fast breeder reactors.
1. Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita: hit-and-run provision triggers protests
GS area: Polity (legislation), Governance
The new Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita triggered a nationwide strike by truck and transport operators. The section imposes up to 10 years in prison or a Rs 7 lakh fine on drivers who cause serious accidents and flee the scene.
- What BNS replaces: the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita replaces the Indian Penal Code of 1860. It was one of three criminal law reform bills passed in December 2023.
- The other two: the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (replaces the Code of Criminal Procedure) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (replaces the Indian Evidence Act).
- Driver concern: the enhanced penalty was seen as criminalising accidents in which a driver might flee out of fear of mob violence rather than culpability.
- Government response: the Centre engaged with the All-India Motor Transport Congress and agreed to consult before enforcement.
The distinction between the old IPC and the new BNS is a live prelims question. Know the three acts, what each replaces, and when they were notified.
Static linkage: criminal law reform, legislation (Polity).
2. Health tax on unhealthy foods: Niti Aayog recommendation
GS area: Economy, Governance (public health policy)
A study commissioned by Niti Aayog and funded by UNICEF recommended imposing a 20 to 30 per cent health tax on foods high in sugar, salt, or fat, and on sugar-sweetened beverages.
- Expected impact: the study projected a 13 to 18 per cent reduction in sugar demand if the tax is implemented.
- Global precedents: Mexico and Chile introduced similar levies. Saudi Arabia, Argentina, and South Africa have also experimented with health taxes on beverages.
- Rationale: diet-related non-communicable diseases impose a substantial burden on public health systems. Fiscal measures can shift consumption patterns.
- Challenge: food processing and retail are large employment sectors in India. The industry lobby has resisted additional levies.
Static linkage: health policy, taxation, non-communicable diseases.
3. Square Kilometre Array (SKA): what it is and India's role
GS area: Science and Technology
The Square Kilometre Array is an international radio telescope project that will be the world's largest when completed. Construction of the first phase began in December 2022, with operations expected by 2029.
- Locations: two sites. SKA-Low (metre wavelength) in Western Australia, and SKA-Mid (centimetre wavelength) in South Africa.
- Science goals: mapping the universe's hydrogen distribution over cosmic time, detecting gravitational waves, searching for biosignatures of extraterrestrial life, and testing general relativity in extreme environments.
- India's role: India has been an associate member since 2012. India joined the SKA Observatory (SKAO) organisation and contributes through the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope near Pune, which feeds design expertise to the project.
- Participating nations: Australia, Canada, China, India, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
Static linkage: space science, international scientific cooperation.
4. Kalpakkam: fuel reprocessing plant for fast reactors
GS area: Science and Technology (nuclear energy), Economy (energy security)
A Demonstration Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant was inaugurated at the Kalpakkam Atomic Power Station in Tamil Nadu. It is the only plant in the world capable of reprocessing both carbide and oxide fuels from fast reactors.
- Fast Breeder Reactor: a reactor that uses fast neutrons and produces more fissile material than it consumes. The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam is India's first of this type.
- India's three-stage nuclear programme: Stage 1 uses natural uranium in pressurised heavy-water reactors. Stage 2 uses plutonium from Stage 1 waste in fast breeder reactors. Stage 3 uses thorium. The Kalpakkam plant supports Stage 2.
- Thorium connection: India holds the world's largest thorium reserves, estimated at 1.07 million tonnes. Stage 3 will eventually convert thorium into fissile uranium-233.
Static linkage: nuclear energy, India's energy policy.
5. Briefly noted
- Reverse Flip: several Indian startups including Pine Labs and Udaan relocated their holding companies from overseas back to India ahead of planned IPOs. Regulatory improvements and the desire to access domestic capital markets drove the trend.
- Slum demographics: in cities with a population of over 10 lakh, more than 29 per cent of residents live in slum settlements. The four largest metro areas have 31 to 34 per cent slum population, per urban surveys.
Practice MCQs