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Draft Indian Nutrition Rating (INR)

About:

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has released a draft notification for front-of-pack labelling to discourage consumers from buying packaged food high in sugar, salt, and fat.

Indian Nutrition Rating (INR):

• The regulation requires pre-packaged food to carry a star graphic, ranging from ½ to 5, next to the brand name. The unhealthiest food items carry a ½-star rating and the healthiest carry a 5-star rating.

Criteria for Scoring:

• The rating is based on the contribution of energy, content of saturated fat, sugar, sodium, fruit and vegetables (FV), nuts, legumes, and millets (NLM), dietary fibre, and protein per 100 gm of solid or 100 ml liquid foods. Solid food with a score of more than 25 will be given 0.5 stars, and those with a score less than minus 11 (-11) will get 5 stars.

Similar to Energy Efficiency rating:

• The system is similar to the one that is being used by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency for assessing the energy efficiency in electrical devices.

Exempted Products:

• Food such as milk and milk products, whey, butter oil, ghee, vegetable oil and fat, fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables, fresh and frozen meat, egg, fish, flour, and sweeteners will not have to display the star rating. Carbonated beverages without any energy or sugar will also not be eligible for declaring the rating.

Procedure for Companies:

• Although not mandatory, food businesses may add interpretive information next to the star-rating logo, giving details of energy, sugar, saturated fat, and salt content. To generate the star-rating logo for the product, food businesses have to submit nutritional profiles of the products concerned on FSSAI’s FoSCoS (Food Safety Compliance System) portal.

Global Experience:

• Several Latin American countries have implemented such warning labels, resulting in a change in consumption patterns. Chile reported a 24% drop in sugary drink consumption. A meta-analysis of 100 studies published last year indicated that nutrient warning labels are more effective than traffic lights and nutri-score labels.

Importance of Nutrition Rating

• Alerting Customers: The use of warning symbols on food products that are high in sugar, salt, and fat can effectively alert consumers and discourage them from consuming unhealthy foods.
• Encouraging Healthy Choices: The presence of warning labels on food items educates consumers about the harmful ingredients present in them and encourages them to make healthier food choices.
• Educating Consumers: Nutrition rating systems, such as the proposed Indian Nutrition Rating (INR), can educate consumers about the nutritional value of the food they are consuming.
• Making Informed Decisions: Consistent use of warning symbols can help consumers make more informed decisions, even while purchasing street food or cooking at home.

Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022

Why in News

• The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 has become effective after being passed by the Parliament in April 2022.
• This act replaces the colonial era Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920.
• The new act empowers police officers to take measurements of individuals who have been convicted, arrested, or are undergoing trial in criminal cases.

What is the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022?

The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 is a legal framework that enables the police to collect physical and biological samples from convicts and accused individuals. Here are the key points and subpoints related to this act:

• Legal Sanction for Data Collection
  • The act provides legal sanction to the police for collecting data from individuals accused of crimes or those who have been convicted.
  • The police can collect data under section 53 or section 53A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973.
• Types of Data That Can Be Collected
  • Finger-impressions
  • Palm-Print impressions
  • Footprint impressions
  • Photographs
  • Iris and Retina scan
  • Physical and Biological samples and their analysis
  • Behavioural Attributes, including signatures, handwriting or any other examination
• CrPC and Procedural Aspects of Criminal Law
  • CrPC is the primary legislation that covers the procedural aspects of criminal law.
• Requirements for Providing Measurements
  • Any person who has been convicted, arrested, or detained under any preventive detention law will be required to provide "measurements" to a police officer or a prison official.
• Storage and Preservation of Data
  • The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) will store, preserve, share, and destroy the record of measurements at a national level.
  • The records can be stored for up to 75 years.
• Aims and Objectives
  • The act aims to ensure the unique identification of individuals involved in crimes and to help investigating agencies solve cases.

Background and Reasons for Replacing the Previous Act

The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 replaces a previous act that was in place since 1898. Here are the key reasons and background for this replacement:

• Law Commission Recommendations
  • In 1980, the 87th Report of the Law Commission of India reviewed the previous act and recommended several amendments.
  • The State of UP vs Ram Babu Misra case highlighted the need for amending this law.
• Need for Expanding the Scope of Measurements
  • The first set of recommendations focused on expanding the scope of measurements to include "palm impressions", "specimen of signature or writing", and "specimen of voice".
• Need for Allowing Measurements for Other Proceedings
  • The second set of recommendations emphasized the need to allow measurements to be taken for proceedings other than those under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
• Numerous Amendments Made by States
  • The Law Commission Report also notes that the need for an amendment is reflected by the numerous amendments made to the Act by several States.
• Advancements in Forensics
  • With advancements in forensics, it was felt that there is a need to recognize more kinds of "measurements" that can be used by law enforcement agencies for investigation.

Significance of the Act

The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 has significant importance in the following ways:

• Use of Modern Techniques:
  • The act allows for the use of modern techniques to capture and record appropriate body measurements.
  • The existing law only permitted the taking of fingerprint and footprint impressions of a limited category of convicted persons.
• Help for Investigating Agencies:
  • The act seeks to expand the "ambit of persons" whose measurements can be taken to help investigating agencies gather sufficient legally admissible evidence and establish the crime of the accused person.
• Making Investigation More Efficient:
  • The act provides legal sanction for taking appropriate body measurements of persons who are required to give such measurements.
  • This will make the investigation of crime more efficient and expeditious and will also help in increasing the conviction rate.

Issues with the Law

The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 has some issues that need to be addressed:

• Violation of Privacy:
  • The proposed law undermines the right to privacy of every ordinary Indian citizen, not only persons convicted of crime.
  • The act has provisions to collect samples even from protestors engaged in political protests.
• Ambiguous Provisions:
  • The proposed law considerably expands its scope and reach, replacing the 1920 Identification of Prisoners Act.
  • The phrase 'biological samples' is not clearly defined, which could involve bodily invasions such as drawing of blood and hair, collection of DNA samples, which currently require the written sanction of a magistrate.
• Violation of Article 20:
  • The act enables coercive drawing of samples and possibly involves a violation of Article 20(3), which protects the right against self-incrimination.
  • The Bill's implied use of force in collecting biological information could also lead to narco analysis and brain mapping.
• Handling Data:
  • The records will be preserved for 75 years, and the means by which the data collected will be preserved, shared, disseminated, and destroyed raises concerns.
  • Collection can result in mass surveillance, with the database under this law being combined with other databases such as those of the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS).
• Unawareness among Detainees:
  • Although the act provides that an arrested person may refuse the taking of samples, not all detainees may know that they can decline to let biological samples be taken.
  • It may be easy for the police to ignore such refusal and later claim that they did get the detainee's consent.

Proposal for Progression

• The issue of safeguarding privacy and securing data is undeniably crucial. Procedures that involve gathering, retaining, and eradicating sensitive personal information should only be implemented after implementing a robust data protection legislation, with severe consequences for violations.
• Denying law enforcement authorities access to the latest technologies would be a significant disservice to crime victims and the country as a whole. In addition to improved scrutiny and data protection laws, there is a need for better law implementation.
• The solution is to recruit more experts to collect evidence from the crime scene, establish additional forensic labs, and acquire equipment to examine it and identify potential suspects involved in a criminal investigation.

ECI Seeks Limit on Cash Donations

Why in News

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) has proposed several changes to the RP (Representation of People Act) Act of 1951 in order to improve the transparency and accountability of candidates.

Issues of Interest

• The Election Commission has discovered that certain political parties reported no donations, but their audited financial statements showed significant cash transactions that were below the Rs 20,000 threshold limit.
• Another matter that has piqued the interest of the EC is the breach of foreign exchange rules.

ECI's Key Proposals

The ECI recommends reporting donations above Rs 2,000 to improve funding transparency. Political parties are required to disclose donations above Rs 20,000 in their contribution report submitted to the EC.

• Mandatory Digital/Cheque Transactions:
  • Expenses over Rs 2,000 to a single entity/person should be made only through digital transactions or account payee cheque transfers.
• Limit on Cash Donations:
  • Cash donations for a political party should be restricted to 20% or at most Rs 20 crore, whichever is lower, out of the total funds received.
• Candidate's Separate Bank Account:
  • Each fielded candidate must establish a separate bank account for election purposes and channel all expenditures and revenues through it, as well as report these expenditures in their election expenditure account.
• Segregation of Foreign Donations:
  • The ECI calls for "electoral reforms" to ensure that foreign donations do not infiltrate party funds, as stipulated by the RP Act and FCRA 2010. There is presently no mechanism to separate foreign donations from the initial stages and the current contribution report format.

What is the Election Commission of India?

Overview:

• The Election Commission of India is an independent constitutional body responsible for managing the electoral processes of both Union and State elections in India. 
• This includes conducting elections for the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies, as well as for the President and Vice President of India. Originally, the commission had only one election commissioner, but it became a multi-member body after the Election Commissioner Amendment Act of 1989. 
• Currently, the commission consists of one Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.

Constitutional Provisions:

• Part XV of the Indian constitution outlines the provisions related to elections and establishes a commission to oversee these matters. 
• The Election Commission was created in compliance with the Constitution on January 25, 1950. The constitution's Article 324 to 329 specifies the commission's powers, functions, tenure, eligibility criteria, and other relevant details concerning the commission and its members.

Prison Reforms

Why in News

• The Union Home Minister has recently urged all states to upgrade their prison systems and has announced the upcoming enactment of a new law focused on prison reforms.

More Information on the News

• Colonial Prison System:
  • The Union Home Minister stated that India's prison system is prone to abuse because it was established by the British to subjugate political prisoners.
• Modernization Required:
  • The Union Home Minister also emphasized the need to modernize and equip prisons with advanced technology and stringent security measures. It is also necessary to introduce better living and health facilities, libraries, and training programs to promote the mental development of prisoners and help them integrate back into society.
• Model Prison Manual:
  • To address these issues, the government introduced the "Model Prison Manual" in 2016, which aims to replace the current prison manual. The new manual is focused on human rights, rehabilitation of prisoners into society, the rights of female prisoners, laws for prison inspection, and the right to education for death row convicts.
• State Government's Role:
  • As per the Constitution of India, prisons are a State subject under the State List of the Seventh Schedule. Therefore, the management and administration of prisons are solely the responsibility of the State Governments. Only 11 states and Union territories under the Centre have adopted the new "Model Prison Manual," and the Union Home Minister urged other states to adopt the manual for prison reforms.
• Upcoming "Model Act for the Prison System":
  • The government is in talks with the states to introduce a "Model Act for the Prison System" to reform the prison system further.
• Overcapacity Issues:
  • According to the National Crime Records Bureau's 2021 statistics, there were 5,54,034 people in prisons across India, exceeding the capacity of 4,25,609. A similar trend of overcapacity was observed in 2020 and 2019.

Issues faced by prisoners

• Overcrowding is a major issue faced by prisoners.
• Under-trial prisoners are often detained for prolonged periods, and even those charged with minor offences like theft may spend over a year in jail without trial, especially if they cannot afford bail.
• Living conditions in many prisons are unsatisfactory.
• There is a lack of treatment programs for prisoners.
• Critics have repeatedly drawn attention to allegations of indifferent or even inhuman treatment by prison staff.

Recommendations for Prison Reforms

Recommendations by Law Commission of India in its 268th report:

• The Commission suggested that individuals detained for crimes that carry a punishment of up to seven years of imprisonment should be released after completing one-third of that period, and those charged with offences that carry a longer jail term should be released after completing half of that period.
• Additionally, the Commission recommended that the police should refrain from making needless arrests, while magistrates should avoid mechanical remand orders.

Justice Amitava Roy Committee Recommendations:

• In 2018, the Supreme Court established a committee led by former apex court judge Amitava Roy to examine jail reforms across the country and make recommendations on various issues, including overcrowding in prisons. The committee suggested:
• Establishment of special fast-track courts to handle petty offences that have been pending for over five years.
• Releasing accused individuals who are granted bail for petty offences, but who are unable to provide surety, on a Personal Recognizance (PR) Bond.
• Launching a National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms.

Open prisons:

• The All-India Committee on Jail Reform, established in 1980, suggested that the government establish and develop open prisons in each state and union territory, similar to the Sanganer open camp in Rajasthan. The committee also recommended that life convicts who offer a good prognosis should be moved to semi-open and open prisons.

Right to Life and Personal Liberty For Prisoners

• Article 21 of the Constitution:
  • The Supreme Court has ruled in several cases that medical care falls under the purview of Article 21 of the Constitution.
  • Article 21 guarantees the right to personal liberty and prohibits any form of inhuman, cruel or degrading treatment, regardless of nationality.
• Article 39A of the Constitution:
  • Article 39A stipulates that the state must provide free legal aid to prisoners who cannot afford a lawyer to defend themselves against criminal charges, both inside and outside the prison.

Open Prisons

• Open prisons are institutions that are less restrictive than traditional, controlled prisons.
• These types of prisons are also known as minimum-security prisons, open-air camps or prisons without bars.
• The key feature of open prisons is that they have minimal security and rely on the self-discipline of the inmates to maintain order.
• The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Nelson Mandela Rules, outlines the objectives of open prisons as providing conditions that are conducive to the rehabilitation of carefully selected prisoners, without necessarily providing physical security against escape.

Ramakrishna Mission’s Awakening Programme

Why in News:

• The 'Awakening' Programme for school students, initiated by the Ramakrishna Mission, was launched by the Union Minister for Education in recent times.

About the Programme:

• The Awakening Programme is an initiative aimed at promoting the overall personality development of primary school children, in accordance with the principles of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• The programme is designed for students from classes I to V.

Background of the Programme:

• The Delhi branch of the Ramakrishna Mission has been conducting the Awakened Citizen Program (ACP) for middle school students since 2014, which helps students to develop self-esteem and make responsible choices. The success of the ACP has led to the demand for a similar programme for primary school students, which has led to the development of the Awakening Programme.
• The Awakening Programme has been designed and piloted in 126 schools.

The Need for the Programme:

• Social transformation is a key objective of education, and imparting values and wisdom is more important than material wealth.
• The Awakening Programme aims to provide value-based education to build a socially conscious and future-ready generation.

Know about Ramakrishna Mission

About:

• Ramakrishna Mission is a society that is actively involved in extensive philanthropic and educational work, and espouses a modern interpretation of Advaita Vedanta, a school of Indian philosophy.
• The society was founded near Kolkata by Vivekananda in 1897 with the aim of propagating the teachings of Vedanta and improving the social conditions of the Indian people.
• The organization was created by Sri Ramakrishna, a saint from Bengal who lived in the 19th century and is considered as the Prophet of the Modern Age, and his chief disciple Swami Vivekananda.

Motto:

• Ramakrishna Mission's motto is "ATMANO MOKSHARTHAM JAGAD HITAYA CHA," which means "For one's own salvation and for the welfare of the world."

About Swami Vivekananda

(i) Birth: Swami Vivekananda was born on 12th January 1863 as Narendranath Datta. National Youth Day is celebrated annually on his birth anniversary.
(ii) Contributions: Swami Vivekananda introduced Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the world. He believed in combining spirituality with material progress and emphasized on education for the regeneration of India. His speech at the World Parliament of Religion in Chicago in 1893 and his writings on attaining moksha through Raja-yoga, Karma-yoga, Jnana-yoga and Bhakti-yoga are famous. He is also known as the “maker of modern India”.
(iii) Associated Organisations: Swami Vivekananda was the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa and established the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897. He also established Belur Math in 1899, which became his permanent residence.
(iv) Nationalism: Swami Vivekananda's nationalism is based on humanism and universalism, deeply rooted in Indian spirituality and morality. He believed in selfless service and karma yoga as a means to attain both political and spiritual freedom. His writings and speeches established motherland as the only deity to be worshipped in the minds and hearts of Indians.
(v) Death: Swami Vivekananda passed away at Belur Math in 1902.