What is Sec 124 A of IPC?
Section 124 (A) deals with sedition and was introduced by the British colonial government in 1870.
It says that the act of Sedition is to bring hatred or contempt towards the Government established by law in India.
In this case, the punishment may be imprisonment for life and a fine, or imprisonment for 3 years and a fine.
It was actually brought to suppress the freedom struggle prevalent then.
What does the previous Law Commission report say?
In an earlier report in 1968, the Law Commission had rejected the idea of repealing the Section.
In 1971, the panel wanted the scope of the section to be expanded.
It called for covering the Constitution, the legislature, and the judiciary, in addition to the ‘government to be established by law’.
It meant that ‘disaffection’ against all these institutions should not be tolerated.
The only dilution it mooted was to modify the wide gap between the two jail terms prescribed (either three years or life).
It called for fixing the maximum sanction at seven years’ rigorous imprisonment with fine.
Flag of India, Evolution, Rules & Regulations
Context:Recently, the Government of India announced that the national flag can now remain hoisted through the night if it is in the open and hoisted by a member of the public.
Earlier, the tricolor could be hoisted only between sunrise and sunset.
The government had earlier amended the flag code to allow for machine-made and polyester flags to be used.
As the government launched a Har GharTiranga campaign, the Ministry of Home Affairs amended the Flag Code of India 2002 to allow for the national flag to be flown even at night.
What is the Flag Code of India?
It allowed the unrestricted display of the Tricolour as long as the honor and dignity of the flag were being respected.
The flag code did not replace the pre-existing rules governing the correct display of the flag.
It was, however, an effort to bring together all the previous laws, conventions, and practices.
It is divided into three parts –
- General description of the tricolor.
- Rules on the display of the flag by public and private bodies and educational institutions.
- Rules for the display of the flag by governments and government bodies.
It mentions that the tricolor cannot be used for commercial purposes and cannot be dipped in salute to any person or thing.
Moreover, the flag should not be used as a festoon, or for any kind of decoration purposes.
For official display, only flags that conform to the specifications as laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards and bear their mark can be used.
Evolution of India’s National Flag
History:
1906:The first national flag, which consisted of three horizontal stripes of red, yellow, and green, is said to have been hoisted on 7th August 1906, at the Parsee Bagan Square, near Lower Circular Road, in Calcutta (now Kolkata).
1921:Later, in 1921, freedom fighter PingaliVenkayya met Mahatma Gandhi and proposed a basic design of the flag, consisting of two red and green bands.
1931:After undergoing several changes, the Tricolour was adopted as our national flag at a Congress Committee meeting in Karachi in 1931.
1947:The Indian flag was adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly held on 22nd July 1947.
Rules Governing the Tricolour:
The Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950:
It restricts the use of the national flag, the coat-of-arms used by a government department, the official seal of the President or Governor, the pictorial representation of Mahatma Gandhi and the Prime Minister, and the Ashoka Chakra.
The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971:
It prohibits the desecration of or insult to the country’s national symbols, including the national flag, the Constitution, the national anthem, and the Indian map.
A person who is convicted for the following offenses under the Act is disqualified to contest in the elections to the Parliament and state legislature for 6 years.
The offense of insulting the National Flag,
The offense of insulting the Constitution of India,
The offense of preventing the singing of the National Anthem.
Part IV-A of the Constitution:
The Part IV-A of the Constitution (which consists of only one Article 51-A) specifies the eleven Fundamental Duties.
According to Article 51A (a), it shall be the duty of every citizen of India to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem.
Read Also: What Is The FCRA?
Section 124(A),Section 124(A),Section 124(A)
