The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the course of life in many ways. It has forced everyone to adjust to the new normal, which has led to an inevitable surge in the use of digital technologies from work to socialization. We also have found various ways online to entertain ourselves, such as the OTT platforms and [...]
The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022 has been passed by the Indian Parliament on April 6, 2022. It is the replacement of Colonial Law, i.e., the Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920. The newly introduced Bill asks for collection of biometric data from convicted prisoners. It allows police officers and prison officials to collect biometric data [...]
What the bill is all about The brave and ever-evolving “digital world” is transforming our lives today. As a corollary, biometric technology is regarded as an effective, accurate, and dependable way for flawless identification, verification, and authentication of a person. In the same parlance, the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022 (“the Bill”), has received a nod [...]
When Vladimir Putin decided to invade Ukraine in February, the international community responded with “unprecedented” and “severe” sanctions against Russia. Their expansive scale essentially leads to Russia’s economic and even political isolation. The purpose of the sanctions is clear: to punish Putin’s regime for the violation of international law and stop its military aggression against [...]
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) is increasingly being referred to as the ‘future of money,’ which is also evident from the fact that 87 countries representing 90% of the global GDP are currently exploring digital currencies. China was the first major economy to create its own digital currency in April 2021 and the Chinese Central [...]
The conversation about crypto regulation in India has come alive over the last two months, initially following rumors that a bill regulating private crypto-assets was set to be introduced by the central government in parliament and then as a result of the proposal by the Finance Minister to tax crypto-assets in the union budget. The [...]
Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) is becoming a buzzword globally and within India, among debates centering around AI ethics and high-tech surveillance. FRT is a collective nomenclature for any system that conducts 1:1 verification functions, or 1:n monitoring and identification functions of individuals, using facial mapping and/or sensitive biometric data. While the technology conceptually can have [...]
Introduction “National Security lies not in protecting our borders but in reversing the substantial erosion of civil liberties.” – Theresa May The Indian Government, to deal with the 1958 Naga insurgency, enacted the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958. AFSPA aims to protect armed forces and carry out operations in conflict prone areas. The [...]
The year 2022 began on a torrid note with the news that profiles of several Muslim women had been surreptitiously created on an app called Bulli Bai hosted on Git Hub for the purposes of putting the women up for ‘auction’. This was not the first instance when Muslim women were targeted through this online [...]
Introduction The Indian government has tabled the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Lok Sabha, a bill aimed at increasing the minimum legal age of marriage for girls from 18 to 21 years. This bill will amend the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, which prohibits child marriages in India. The 2006 act provides a different minimum [...]
