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Narcotics, Election Amendment Bills Passed In Parliament, President Approves

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind has given his assent to the Narcotic medicine and psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2021, and Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 which were passed throughout the recently concluded Winter Session of Parliament amid the unprecedented uproar.

With President’s approval, the 2 Bills are turned into Acts. The President gave his assent to each of the Bills on Wednesday.

As per a gazette notification, the Narcotic medicine and psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Act,2021, and Elections Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021 have received the assent of the President.

Narcotic drugs and psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Act, 2021 amends the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and rectifies a drafting “anomaly” created by a 2014 change to the parent legislation.

It replaces the Narcotic drugs and psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021. The Act regulates certain operations (such as manufacture, transport, and consumption) relating to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

The 2021 amendment contains a legislative declaration about what one section refers to. It says Section 2 clause (viii a) corresponds to clause (viii b) in Section 27, since 2014 once the availability was 1st brought in. Section 27A of the NDPS Act, 1985, prescribes the penalization for funding illicit traffic and harboring offenders.

below the Act, financing certain illicit activities (such as cultivating cannabis or producing narcotic drugs) or harboring persons engaged in them is an offense.

Persons found guilty of this offense are punished with rigorous imprisonment of a minimum of 10 years (extendable up to twenty years) and a fine of at least one hundred thousand rupees.

However, the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021 permits electoral registration officers to seek the Aadhaar variety of individuals who want to register as voters for the purpose of creating identity.

it permits the electoral registration officers to ask for Aadhaar numbers from “persons already enclosed within the electoral roll for the needs of authentication of entries in the electoral roll, and to spot registration of the name of the same person in the electoral roll of quite one body or more than once in the same constituency.”

The change makes it clear that “no application for inclusion of name in the electoral roll shall be denied and no entries in the electoral roll shall be deleted for the inability of an individual to furnish or intimate Aadhaar variety thanks to such enough cause as could also be prescribed.

” Such folks are allowed to furnish different various documents as may be prescribed. within the Bill, it had been notified that various sections of the illustration of the folk’s Act will be amended.

The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill states that Section twenty-three of the RP Act will be amended to permit linking of electoral roll information with the Aadhaar ecosystem “to curb the menace of multiple enrolments of the same person in numerous places.

” As per the change to Section fourteen of the RP Act, it’ll permit having four “qualifying” dates for eligible folks to register as voters.

As of now, Gregorian calendar month one of every year is that the sole qualifying date. folks that turn eighteen on or before January 1 will register as voters.

Those turning 18 subsequently have to be compelled to wait for one whole year to register as voters. Now, “the 1st day of January, 1st day of April, 1st day of July, and 1st day of October in an exceedingly calendar year” are the qualifying dates in relation to the preparation or revision of electoral rolls.

change to Section 20 of the RP Act, 1950 and Section sixty of the RP Act, 1951 will allow the elections to become gender-neutral for service voters. The amendment will also help replace the word “wife” with the word “spouse” making the statutes “gender-neutral.

” While, an Armyman’s spouse is entitled to be listed as a service voter, but a girl Army officer’s husband is not, in line with provisions within the electoral law. With “wife” being replaced by the term “spouse,” this can change.

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