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Reform with caution

Centre must act on the Malimath report on criminal law revamp, but with due care
Not a bad idea to revisit old committee reports
Centre‟s decision to revisit the 2003 report of the JusticeV.S. Malimath Committee on reforming the criminal justice system needs to be examined through the prism of civil rights
It includes controversial recommendations such as making confessions to a senior police officer admissible as evidence, and diluting the standard of proof required for a criminal conviction.
It also contains valuable suggestions to revamp the administration of criminal law,covering the the justice system from investigation to sentencing, from matters of policy to the nuances of criminal procedure and the law of evidence.
The committee made 158 recommendations, and since then some of these have become law.
Its suggestion on permitting videography of statements has been implemented.
The de•finition of rape has been expanded and
New offences against women have been added.
Its advocacy of substantial witness protection has not been realised,
But victim compensation is now part of law.
Madhava Menon Committee’s „Draft National Policy on Criminal Justice‟ (2007)
• 1)-Popular dissatisfaction arises from the low rate of conviction,
• 2)-The apparent role of money and influence in the outcome of cases,
• 3)-Delayed and denied justice,
• 4)-Lack of protection to witnesses and
• 5)-Inadequate attention to crime victims
Widespread perception that there is corruption
Deep nexus(बंधन) between crime syndicates and politicians on the other,
In the name of revamping the law, investigation and trial should not be altered in a way that
undermines the principles on which the justice system was founded.

Making our roads safe

MotorVehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017, will rectify systemic issues
Process of introducing legislation for road safety has been in the making for the past four years.
The MotorVehicles (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in 2017.
If passed by the Rajya Sabha, it will be the first of its kind to extensively reform existing
legislation on road safety, the MotorVehicles Act, 1988.
Rectifies several systemic issues by providing for
• A uniform driver licensing system,
• Protection of children and vulnerable road users,
• Rationalising penalties, and much more.
Going digital
World Health Organisation (WHO) points out that for effective road safety management , it is imperative to have an institutionalised and sustainable data system.
This includes information pertaining to drivers
Digitised, uniform and centralised driver licensing system will go a long way in ensuring ease
of access, efficiency and transparency in the •filtering process.
Also proposes to introduce digitisation in the monitoring and enforcement of traffic laws
Already be seen in practice in Kerala.
State has a „city surveillance and traffic monitoring system‟,and automated traffic enforcement systems to detect traffic light violations as well as speeding.
The enactment of the Bill will facilitate the replication and creation of such digitised systems
Children in focus
Since 2008, in India, over 55,000 children have lost their lives in road accidents.
In 2016 alone, 7% of road crash deaths were attributed to children below 18 years.
This lacuna has been addressed for the first time.
Introduces a •fine of •1,000 for the driver or guardian for the violation

Penalties

Bill promises to rationalise these •fines.
For instance, the penalty for drunk driving has been increased to •10,000 for the •first offence and 15,000 for the subsequent one.
Speeds, the penalty has been increased to •1,000 for light motor vehicles and
2,000-4,000 for medium and heavy motor vehicles
Nonuse of helmets and seat belts, the fines have been increased from 100 to •1,000
India has committed to reducing, by 2020, number of road crash fatalities
and serious injuries by 50%- Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety
The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017, will serve as the •first and
most essential step towards falling this.

A risky recovery

Countries will need to move beyond monetary stimulus to boost their economies
Recovery in global growth may be gathering steam, but the price the world will
have to pay for it is still unknown.
According to IMF‟s January update of theWorld Economic Outlook, the global economy is all set to clock its best growth rate in seven years in 2018
IMF estimated that the global economy could accelerate to 3.9% in both 2018 and 2019,
an upward revision of 0.2 percentage point
Historic tax cuts in the U.S.
India‟s economy is projected to grow at 7.4% during the •financial year 2019, and at an even faster pace of 7.8% the following year.
China‟s growth is expected to slow from 6.6% this year to 6.4% in 2019
Upward revision in growth forecasts for many countries in Europe, thanks to stronger demand
No secret that since the 2008 •financial crisis
“Troubling” rise in debt levels across countries, including the U.S. which could pose a huge risk to financial stability and drag down economic growth.
In fact, the absence of substantial structural reforms
Such a recovery comes with the inherent risk
While it is hard to predict the next downturn
The IMF is right to urge countries to make use of the current rosy conditions to enact useful
structural reforms.
It is time countries recognise that monetary policy alone won‟t solve all growth problems.

Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis

Page-1-Padmaavat order will not be recalled, declares SC
Page-1,10-PM calls protectionism as dangerous as terrorism
India offers peace with prosperity, Modi tellsWEF
India set to be in top 3: Jaitley
India has moved from the seventh largest to the fith largest economy
Page-1-Don’t probe Hadiya’s choice of partner: SC
The Supreme Court onTuesday asked the National InvestigationAgency (NIA) to
stop prying into Hadiya‟s choice to marry Sha•n Jahan
That‟s her choice,” Chief Justice Dipak Misra observed.
Page-10-Awaiting SC nod on Aadhaar link: CEC
The newly appointed Chief Election Commissioner, O.P. Rawat, onTuesday said the electoral body would resume the exercise of linking voter identity cards to the Aadhaar database when the Supreme Court gave the go ahead.

Page-10-CPI(M) plans impeachment motion against CJI
Opposition parties on the possibility of moving motion in the budget session
„SAARC can learn from ASEAN experience‟
Indian economy can be in top 3: Jaitley
Finance Minister says it‟s likely in the next 25 years
New U.S. tariffs anger Beijing, Seoul
Trump administration imposes protectionist measures on import of washing machines, solar panelsTo protect U.S. producers, triggering an outcry in China and South Korea