LEGAL NEWS

Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024 Passed by Lok Sabha

• The Lok Sabha passed the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024 on April 3, aiming to create a legal framework for coastal trade.

• The bill seeks to provide affordable, reliable, and sustainable maritime transport, easing congestion on road and rail networks.

• It regulates vessels engaged in trade within Indian coastal waters, including territorial waters and adjacent maritime areas.

• The bill aims to consolidate and amend laws related to coastal navigation, promote coastal trade, and encourage domestic participation.

• The bill will help India build a coastal fleet for both national security and commercial needs, owned and operated by Indian citizens.

• It introduces provisions for licensing and regulating foreign vessels in India's coastal trade and sets penalties for violations.

• A National Coastal and Inland Shipping Strategic Plan will be formulated, with updates every two years to improve route planning and traffic forecasting.

• The bill removes the General Trading License requirement for Indian ships, reducing compliance burdens and enhancing ease of doing business.

• Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal highlighted a 103% growth in cargo handling capacity from 800 million metric tonnes in 2014 to 1,630 million metric tonnes.

• India's ports have improved rankings, with the Indian port moving from 54th to 38th place, and nine Indian ports now in the top 100 globally.

Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025 Considered by Rajya Sabha

• The Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025 has been introduced in Rajya Sabha for consideration after being passed by the Lok Sabha on March 27, 2025.

• The Bill aims to modernise immigration laws in India, granting the central government authority over passports, visas, and travel documents.

• It establishes a framework to track the entry and exit of foreigners in real time, enhancing immigration control.

• Carriers, service providers, and institutions must share detailed passenger data with immigration authorities.

• Immigration officers are empowered to inspect travel documents at entry, transit, and during the stay of foreigners (Clause 3(3)).

• The Bill centralises visa-related matters, placing full control in the hands of the central government (Clause 3(5)).

• Transport providers are required to share real-time passenger information for air, sea, and land travel.

• District magistrates and police commissioners can request additional details about passengers or crew (Clause 17(7)), and carriers cannot depart without immigration clearance (Clause 17(12)).

• Accommodation providers must report foreign guests to local authorities, and universities must notify authorities of foreign students (Clause 8(1), Clause 9).

• Hospitals are obligated to report foreign patients to authorities under Clause 10.

• The Bill introduces stringent penalties for violations such as using forged documents or overstaying visas, with fines up to Rs 10 lakh or up to seven years in jail.

• Penalties are also imposed for entering restricted areas without valid documents, carrying fines of up to Rs 5 lakh or up to five years in jail.

• The Bill proposes to repeal four existing laws: the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920; the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939; the Foreigners Act, 1946; and the Immigration (Carriers’ Liability) Act, 2000.

DEFENCE

Indian Army Launches Mount Everest and Mount Kangchenjunga Expeditions

• On April 3, 2025, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh launched expeditions to Mount Everest and Mount Kangchenjunga.

• The Mount Everest expedition includes 34 climbers from the Indian Army, led by Lieutenant Colonel Manoj Joshi.

• The team will ascend via the South Col Route.

• A joint Indo-Nepal team, consisting of 12 Indian Army climbers and 6 Nepali Army climbers, will attempt to scale Mount Kangchenjunga.

• Colonel Sarfaraz Singh will lead the Kangchenjunga expedition.

• A joint NCC expedition to Mount Everest will also be undertaken, led by Colonel Amit Bisht.

• The expeditions will begin this month with a goal to reach the summits by May 2025.

• These expeditions aim to showcase India’s leadership in mountaineering and highlight the Armed Forces’ resilience and spirit.

RANKING AND REPORTS

Copernicus Report: January 2025 Records Hottest Temperatures

• January 2025 was the hottest month on record, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

• Global surface temperatures in January 2025 were 0.79°C above the 1991-2020 average.

• In India, the average temperature was the second highest since 1901, exceeding the 1991-2020 average by 0.98°C.

• The rise in temperatures is primarily due to global warming, which is driven by human activities like fossil fuel combustion.

• Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases, which trap heat and raise the Earth’s temperature.

• La Niña typically brings above-average rainfall to the Indian summer monsoon, but neutral ENSO conditions are present this year.

• The eastern and far western Pacific Oceans have higher-than-average sea surface temperatures, while the central Pacific is cooler than average.

• Neutral ENSO conditions are expected to continue through the 2025 Southwest monsoon, with no La Niña impact on India’s monsoon.

• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) will release the initial Southwest monsoon rainfall forecast by mid-April.

• IMD monitors global sea surface temperatures and uses the Monsoon Mission Climate Forecasting System to generate forecasts and advisories.

• IMD provides monthly ENSO and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) reports and offers agriculture-specific advice to help farmers cope with extreme weather.

Odisha Tops the Fiscal Health Index (FHI) by NITI Aayog

• NITI Aayog developed the Fiscal Health Index (FHI) to assess the fiscal health of Indian states.

• The FHI evaluates eighteen major states based on factors like GDP contribution, demographics, public expenditure, revenue, and fiscal stability.

• Odisha ranked first, followed by Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand, and Gujarat.

• States contribute significantly to India’s fiscal performance, with two-thirds of public expenditure and one-third of total revenue.

• The index uses data from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for the year 2022-23.

• The goal is to enhance transparency, accountability, and fiscal sustainability by offering a comparative analysis.

• Key indicators for FHI 2025 include:

• Revenue Generation and Mobilization
• Expenditure Management and Prioritization
• Debt Management
• Fiscal Deficit Management
• Overall Fiscal Sustainability

Record-Breaking Growth in Coal Production and Dispatch for FY 2024-25

• The Ministry of Coal achieved historic growth in production and dispatch during FY 2024-25.

• Coal production reached 190.95 million tonnes (MT) by March 31, 2025, marking a 29.79% increase from last year's 147.11 MT.

• Coal dispatch also saw a significant rise, reaching 190.42 MT, up 33.36% from 142.79 MT in FY 2023-24.

• These results highlight the sector's resilience and efficiency in supporting India's energy needs, including industries like power, steel, and cement.

• Captive mines saw a 24.72% increase in production and a 27.76% rise in dispatch, ensuring stable coal supply for essential industries.

• Commercial mines experienced impressive growth, with production up 67.32% and dispatch up 76.71%, demonstrating rapid expansion and increased efficiency.

• Important Coal Mines in India:

• Choritand Tiliaya – Jharkhand
• Jogeshwar & Khas Jogeshwar – Jharkhand
• Rohne – Jharkhand
• Rabodih OCP – Jharkhand
• Urtan North – Madhya Pradesh
• North of Arkhapal Srirampur – Odisha

MISCELLANEOUS

DoT Strengthens Anti-Spam Measures to Combat Unsolicited Commercial Communications (UCC)

• To combat spam calls and cyber fraud, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has disconnected 1.75 lakh landline/DID numbers misused for unauthorized promotional and illegal activities.

• A notable increase in spam calls has been detected, particularly from telecom identifiers like 0731, 079, and 080.

• These spam calls exploit telecom resources such as PRIs, lease lines, SIP, and IPLC for illegal purposes.

• Citizens are encouraged to report spam and fraud calls via the Chakshu module of the Sanchar Saathi platform under the Jan Bhagidari initiative.

• The DoT has directed Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) to strictly follow Unified License conditions and prevent misuse of telecom infrastructure like PRIs and Internet lease lines.

• Cybercrime Handling in India:

• • Cybercrime matters are handled by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), under the Ministry's jurisdiction per business rules.
• • The DoT works to prevent misuse of telecom infrastructure for cyber fraud.
• • Cybercrime enforcement is supported by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), set up by the MHA to assist law enforcement agencies.
• • The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) allows citizens to report various cybercrimes via a centralized platform.