GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

Context:

As the panel formed for review of recently passed criminal justice code, they ignored to review regarding the abolition of the death penalty and must form the core of any reform in the justice system.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Death Penalty

• Lack of Strong Recommendation: The parliamentary committee examining the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), set to replace the IPC left the matter for the government to consider.
• Judicial Fallibility: The committee acknowledges concerns about the fallibility of the judicial system, leading to the possibility of an innocent person being wrongly sentenced to death.
• Contradictions in Sentencing Trends: While the Supreme Court awarded the death penalty to only seven individuals from 2007 to 2022, all death sentences were either set aside or commuted to life in 2023.

Call for Reform

• Ineffectiveness as a Deterrent: Members dissenting from the committee's report argue that capital punishment has been proven ineffective as a deterrent.
• Redundancy of Proposed Bills: The dissenting voices underscore the redundancy of the three proposed Bills, asserting that they mirror the existing IPC, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Evidence Act.
• Socioeconomic Considerations: The dissenting members further emphasize the socioeconomic aspect of death penalty recipients, pointing out that a significant number hail from underprivileged backgrounds.

Recommendations for Reform and Policy Change

• Default Alternative to Death Sentences: The 'life imprisonment,' defined by the BNS as the term for the remainder of one's natural life, should be the default alternative to death sentences. This recommendation aligns with the dissenting voices urging reconsideration and reform in the justice system.
• Premature Release and Political Controversy: The case for abolition gains strength with a call to address the trend of seeking premature release of life convicts for political reasons.
• Substantive Reform: The editorial concludes by proposing the removal of capital punishment from the statute book and the introduction of a rational and universal remission policy.

Context:

The necessity of a comprehensive, systemic approach to governance, financing, and implementation is emphasized to effectively tackle the escalating air pollution crisis and protect vulnerable groups.

Urgent Need for Coordinated Action

• Magnitude of the Issue: Air pollution, the fifth-largest cause of death in India, claimed 1.6 million lives in 2019, surpassing COVID-19 deaths. Around Rs.7 lakh crore annually, highlighting the crisis severity.
• Systemic Challenges: Despite awareness, responses to air pollution are inadequate. Complex issues include economic factors, diverse emissions sources, and governance problems. Current approaches address symptoms, not root causes.
• Impact on Vulnerable Populations: Two-thirds of air pollution deaths are rural Indians. Disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups necessitates a comprehensive, systemic governance, financing, and implementation approach for effective solutions.

Interventions for Long-Term Solutions

• Integrated Emission Control: Coherent policies needed to limit emissions from power plants, industries, and burning practices. Cross-sectoral solutions require coordinated governance and monitoring systems.
• Green Urban Public Transport: Essential increase in affordable green urban transport. Advocate renewable-powered metro systems, electrified bus services, following successful global models for combatting air pollution.
• Electrification and Regional Approaches: Widespread electrification urged for buildings, vehicles, and production. Emphasis on regional strategies for comprehensive changes in production, transportation, consumption, and waste management systems.

Measures to be taken

• End-to-End Construction and Waste Management: Essential focus on complete construction and waste management to reduce dust and waste release. Involves recycling and addressing construction waste.
• Legislation and Enforcement: Strong, year-round legislation and enforcement essential for air pollution control. Emphasizes court determination and executive resistance to pressure for environmental regulation dilution.
• Citizen Mobilization and Funding: Wide-scale citizen mobilization crucial for awareness and education. Urges substantial funding, extending the Fifteenth Finance Commission's precedent for climate and air pollution interventions.

Context:

The global discourse on military applications of Artificial intelligence, focusing on the recent UN General Assembly vote, and India's evolving stance and strategic imperatives has drawn attention across globe.

International Discourse on AI in Military Domain

• Global Concerns: AI, a major technological advance, raises challenges in responsible civil and military use. International focus on civilian AI is expanding, but military AI, especially autonomous weapons, creates divergent views among major powers.
• UN Resolution: Recent UN General Assembly voting, with a vast majority urging action on lethal autonomous weapons, reflects international concern. However, major powers, including India, are both investing in and debating the legitimacy of autonomous weapons.
• Complex Diplomacy: Diplomatic positions in the UN do not align with actual development. US, China, and India, despite votes, are actively engaged in AI military applications, adding complexity to diplomatic discussions.

Strategic Considerations

• Military Autonomy Trends: Major Powers, including the US and China, are rapidly advancing AI for military autonomy. The US, with initiatives like the Replicator, emphasizes innovation and human control over autonomous weapons.
• China’s AI Focus: China, centralizing AI in its military strategy, deploys AI for diverse functions. Its industrial capacity and state power enable swift development, challenging the US in the AI race.
• US-India Dynamics: India’s negative vote at the UNGA reflects a pragmatic turn. To leverage the US partnership in AI, India must invest in national capabilities for defense and international norm shaping.

India’s Position and Future Strategies

• National Security Balancing Act: India’s UNGA vote signals a balanced approach to national security, ethics, and global governance in AI military applications. Given challenges from China, India needs a robust AI defense strategy.
• Investment Imperative: To benefit from the US partnership, India must invest substantially in core AI sciences, technological capabilities, doctrines, and institutions for effective AI integration in defense management.
• Global Governance Role: Despite developing national AI capabilities, India should continue shaping international norms. Collaborating with like-minded countries, India can influence responsible military AI use and ensure human involvement.