Uniform Civil Code (UCC)

• Recently, the Uttarakhand Cabinet accepted the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) draft report.

Background:-

• It was presented as a bill for enactment in the state legislature.
• About:-
  
  The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is a general collection of laws that apply to all citizens without regard to their religion.
  Article 44 of the Constitution mandates that the State work toward providing a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for all Indian nationals. Article 44 (Uniform Civil Code):”The State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India,” states this article.
  
  Background:
  
  In 1985, the Supreme Court ordered the Parliament to draft a UCC for the first time in the case of Muhammad Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum.
• In this instance, Shah Bano used Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to sue her husband for support after he had issued her triple talaq.
  The Muslim Women (claim to Protection on Divorce) Act, 1986, however, limited a Muslim woman’s claim to maintenance under Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, overturning the Shah Bano case ruling.
  
  Need of UCC:-
  
  Gender Justice:–
  
  It is a well-known fact that nearly all religious personal laws discriminate against women.
  When it comes to inheritance and succession, men typically have the upper hand.
  Muslim women are not permitted to have more than one spouse, but males are permitted to marry more than one wife.

Simplifying the law: It will do away with the need for many laws.


India has distinct codified and uncodified personal laws:-

Hindu Individual Law
The Hindu Marriage Act, Hindu Succession Act, Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, and Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act are the four statutes that codify Hindu personal law.
For the purposes of these regulations, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists are also referred to as “Hindus.”
In 1956, the Parliament codified it.

Islamic individual laws

• Muslims would be subject to British personal law, or the Shariat, according to an Act passed in 1939.
  The 1937 Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Act is a brief statute of five sections.
  It addresses issues like dissolution of marriage, intestate succession, child custody, and inheritance.

• Secular’ laws:-
  
  These laws completely disregard religion. Among them are:
  The Guardians and Wards Act lays forth the responsibilities and rights of guardians, whereas the Special Marriage Act is for interfaith unions.
  
  

Additional statutes:

• There are about 200 tribes in the Northeast, and each has a unique set of customary laws.
  In addition, Christians and Jews are governed by distinct personal laws.
  A UCC will therefore combine these laws into a single standard.

National Terrorism Data Fusion & Analysis Centre (NTDFAC)

• The National Terrorism Data Fusion & Analysis Centre (NTDFAC) was recently created by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
  
  Background:-
  
  It forced the government to gather data from multiple sources about terrorists and their allies.
  
  About National Terrorism Data Fusion & Analysis Centre (NTDFAC):-
  
  First open in January 2024.
  The NIA’s National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) and the National Integrated Database on Arrested Narco-Offenders, which gathers information about drug offenders’ funding sources, available photos, and information plagiarized from the internet, are just two of the many sources of data that the National Terrorism Data Fusion & Analysis Center (NTDFAC) will gather.
  The different databases when combined will provide Indian intelligence access to the social media profiles, videos, photographs, fingerprints, histories, and affiliations with terror groups of the people.
• NAFIS currently has 9.2 million biometric records, and the Integrated Monitoring of Terrorism system is adding data from over 22,000 terrorism instances.
  It also has a facial recognition technology to look for suspects’ faces in CCTV footage.
  It is modeled after the United States’ Global Terrorism Database (GTD).
  
  Significance:-
  
  It will act as a central repository and hub for analysis of data about terrorism and terrorist organizations active in the nation.

GHAR – GO Home and Re-Unite Portal

• The Re-Unite Portal and GHAR – GO Home have just been released.
  
  Background:-
  
  A platform called GHAR – GO Home and Re-Unite (platform for Restoration and Repatriation of Child) has been created and launched by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).
  
  About GHAR – GO Home and Re-Unite Portal:-
  
  It is a digital gateway for tracking and monitoring children’s return and restoration in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and its rules.(The 2021 Amendment Bill for Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children))
  The goal is to digitally trace and monitor children’s restoration and repatriation in accordance with protocol.
  Ministry: Development for Women and Children.

• Important Features:-
  
  Children in the juvenile justice system who must be deported to another nation, state, or district are tracked and monitored digitally.
  digital transfer of child cases to the relevant State Child Welfare Committee and Juvenile Justice Board.
  It will facilitate the children’s prompt return home.
  The relevant State Government will be contacted in cases where a translation, interpreter, or expert is needed.
  By digitally tracking the development of the child’s case, Child Welfare Committees and District Child Protection Officers can guarantee the appropriate restoration and rehabilitation of children.
• In order to identify the children who are difficult to repatriate or who are not receiving the appropriate compensation or other financial benefits, a checklist format will be included in the forms.
  The Child Welfare Committees will be given a list of government-implemented programs so they can connect the child with these initiatives to fortify the family and guarantee the child stays with them upon restoration.

Soda Lake

• Scientists have recently found evidence of a shallow “soda lake” in western Canada.
  
  Background:-
  
  It would fit well with Darwin’s theory of “warm little ponds” as the origin of life on early Earth.
  
  About Soda Lake:-
  
  It is a lake with an average pH of nine to eleven.
  A soda lake, sometimes known as an alkaline lake, is a lake that is on the highly alkaline side of neutrality; its pH usually ranges from 9 to 12.
  The alkalinity of the water is caused by high carbonate concentrations, particularly sodium carbonate.
  Lakes must meet specific geological, climatic, and geographic characteristics in order to develop.
  It takes a topography that restricts the lake’s water outflow.
• Because of the dissolved carbon dioxide, these are the most productive aquatic habitats on Earth.
  Both semi-arid and arid regions are where they naturally occur.
  Prokaryotes, such as bacteria and archaea, predominate in these, particularly in lakes with greater alkalinity levels.

Exercise Vayu Shakti-24

• Exercise Vayu Shakti-24 was held recently.
  
  Context:
  
  The event will be conducted by the Indian Air Force.
  
  Regarding:-
  
  
  Location: Around Jaisalmer, in Pokhran Air to Ground Range.
  Joint operations with the Indian Army will also be demonstrated during the drill.
  This year, 121 aircraft, including the native Tejas, Prachand, and Dhruv, will take part in the exercise.
  Additional aircraft involved in the exercise include the Rafale, Mirage-2000, Sukhoi-30 MKI, Jaguar, Hawk, C-130J, Apache, Chinook, and Mi-17.
  Akash and Samar, two indigenous surface-to-air weapon systems, will show off their capacity to locate and down an unauthorized aircraft.
  Exercise Vayu Shakti will serve as a showcase for the IAF’s capacity to operate from several air bases and deliver conventional and long-range, precision weapons precisely, on schedule, and with deadly impact.
• Vayu Shakti, Gagan Shakti, and Tarang Shakti are the three major war games that the Indian Air Force is scheduled to conduct.
  There will also be displays of special operations by the Indian Air Force’s transport and helicopter fleets, which include the use of Garuds and Indian Army components.

Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) scheme

• Five officers were recently suspended by the Karnataka government for neglecting their duties in carrying out the Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) program.
  
  Context:
  
  22 NGOs and 56 department personnel are the targets of a formal complaint.
  
  About Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) scheme:-
  
  The Ministry of Education was established.
  Goal: To provide an inclusive and supportive environment for all students with disabilities to pursue a further four years of secondary education following their completion of eight years of elementary schools.

• Historical Background:-
  
  The Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC) plan has been replaced by the plan of Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS), which offers support for the inclusive education of disabled students in grades IX-XII.
  Since 2013, this program has been a part of the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA).
  The process of becoming an RMSA subsumed scheme includes the States and UTs as well.

• Salient Features:-
  
  As defined by the Persons with Disabilities Act (1995) and the National Trust Act (1999) in classes IX to XII, the program covers all secondary-age children enrolled in government, local body, and government-aided schools who have one or more disabilities. These include blindness, low vision, leprosy that has been cured, hearing impairment, locomotory disabilities, mental retardation, mental illness, autism, and cerebral palsy. In the future, it may also cover speech impairment, learning disabilities, etc.
  Girls with impairments are given extra attention in order to facilitate their entry into secondary education and to provide them with resources and direction for realizing their full potential.
  Under the plan, model inclusive schools are to be established in each state.

• Components:-
  
  Components that are focused on the needs of the students, like medical and educational evaluations, books and stationery, uniforms, stipends for girls, support services, assistive devices, boarding at the lodging facility, therapy services, teaching-learning materials, etc.
  The hiring of special education instructors, allowing general education teachers to teach these kids, teacher preparation, acclimating school officials, setting up a resource room, creating a barrier-free atmosphere, etc. are additional elements.
  
  Implementing Agency:-
  
  The implementing agencies are the departments of school education of the Union Territory (UT) Administrations and State Governments.
  When implementing the plan, they could involve non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with expertise in the field of education for the disabled.
• Financial Assistance:-
  
  For every item covered by the program, 100% central aid is provided.
  The State governments need merely set aside an annual sum of Rs. 600/-for each impaired child’s scholarship.