Law Commission to brief joint committee of Parliament on simultaneous polls on Thursday
New Delhi (PTI): The Constitution amendment bill that seeks to lay down a legal framework to hold simultaneous polls does not require ratification by at least 50 per cent of the state legislatures to come into force, the Law Commission has told a joint committee of Parliament examining the draft legislation.
In a brief opinion rendered to the joint committee on November 28, the law panel said the bill falls under Parliament's power to make laws which does not entail ratification by states.
The brief opinion is a follow-up of a detailed opinion given by the Law Commission to the parliamentary panel in October.
The fresh document was given to the parliamentary committee ahead of its meeting on Thursday when Law Commission chairman Justice Dinesh Maheshwari (retd), Member Secretary Anju Rathi Rana and Joint Secretary Varsha Sinha will brief members on the finer legal points.
The joint committee of Parliament is examining bills on holding simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
The law panel said the proposed amendment does not disturb the basic structure of the Constitution in any way.
"...the Law Commission is clearly of opinion that any curtailment of the term of the House(s) by the proposed amendment does not violate the basic structure of the Constitution," it asserted.
On the issue of federalism, the commission said federalism as envisaged and formulated in Indian Constitution is not that of compartmentalisation of different units; it is rather of weaving different units together with a strong Centre as the pivot.
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Bill to regulate deepfakes tabled in Lok Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): A Private Member's Bill seeking a clear legal framework for regulation of deepfakes has been introduced in the Lok Sabha.
The Regulation of Deepfake Bill, introduced by Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde in the House on Friday, aims to protect citizens by mandating prior consent from individuals depicted in deepfake content.
"Misuse of deepfakes for harassment, deception and misinformation has escalated, creating an urgent need for regulatory safeguards," Shinde said.
The Bill also lists penalties for offenders creating or disseminating deepfake content with malicious intent.
"With advancements in artificial intelligence and deep learning, deepfake technology has emerged as a significant tool for media manipulation. While the technology has potential applications in education, entertainment and creative fields, it also poses severe risks when misused, threatening individual privacy, national security and public trust," Shinde said in the statement of objects and reasons in the Bill.
The proposed Bill seeks to establish a clear legal framework to govern the creation, distribution and application of deepfakes in India, said Shinde, a three-term Lok Sabha member from Kalyan.
The Bill also seeks to establish the Deepfake Task Force, a dedicated body to combat national security implications and evaluate the influence of deepfakes on privacy, civic participation, and potential election interference.
The task force will collaborate with academic and private sector institutions to develop technologies that detect manipulated content, thereby promoting credibility in digital media.
The Bill also proposes to establish a fund to support public and private sector initiatives in the detection and deterrence of advanced image manipulation.
A Private Member's Bill is a procedure of Parliament that enables lawmakers, who are not ministers, to draw attention to issues that might not be represented in Government Bills or to highlight the issues and gaps in the existing legal framework that require legislative intervention.
