Three crucial bills that would replace the colonial-era criminal laws were passed in Lok Sabha today, virtually in the absence of the Opposition.

The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023, will replace the Indian Penal Code of 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973 and Indian Evidence Act, of 1872.

The laws were passed amid the suspension of 143 Opposition members following protests over the recent security breach.

The numbers of suspensions in the Lok Sabha reached 97 today, with the suspension of two more MPs.

The issue has snowballed into the latest flashpoint between the government and the Opposition following the mimicry of Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar by a Trinamool MP.

Insisting that the new laws will replace the colonial era rules that are completely unsuitable for this day and age, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said today that the new bills lay “emphasis on Indianness, the Indian Constitution and the well-being of the people”.

“I have gone through every comma, full stop of the new criminal laws,” the minister said, insisting that they were in consonance with the spirit of Constitution.

The bills were withdrawn after the monsoon session and three new bills introduced, as a few changes were to be made, Mr Shah said.

The new bills have been examined by the Standing Committee and instead of coming up with official amendments, it was decided to bring the bills again.

India has so far reported 21 cases of the new coronavirus variant JN.1 from across the country, the government think tank NITI Aayog member (Health) VK Paul said today. Goa has reported 19 cases of the JN.1 variant, and Maharashtra and Kerala one each, sources said.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today reviewed the COVID-19 situation and preparedness of public health systems in view of rising Covid cases in some parts of the country.

“It is important to be on alert and be prepared against new and emerging strains of the coronavirus,” Mr Mandaviya said, according to a statement by the Health and Family Welfare Ministry today.

He asked for smooth coordination between the Centre and the states to ensure efficient management of Covid. “Let us undertake mock drills once every three months at both the central and state levels and share best practices,” the Health Minister said.

The Health Minister reminded the states that Covid is not over yet, so it is essential for the states to monitor emerging evidences of Covid cases, symptoms, and case severity to plan appropriate public health response.

Health Ministry secretary Sudhansh Pant in a presentation on the global and domestic Covid situation said cases in India are significantly less compared to the global numbers. But in the past two weeks, there has been a steep rise in active cases from 115 on December 6 to 614 today.

Of this, 92.8 per cent of the cases are home-isolation, indicating mild illness, and no increase in hospitalisation rates have been seen due to Covid, Mr Pant said during the presentation. The cases that are hospitalised are due to other medical conditions, while Covid is an incidental finding, the Health Secretary said, adding a rise in daily positivity rate has been observed in Kerala, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Karnataka. Positivity rate is the number of confirmed cases per 100 tests.

Mr Pant said the JN.1 variant is under intense scientific scrutiny but not a cause of immediate concern. No clustering of cases due to the JN.1 variant has been observed in India. All the cases were found to be mild, and the patients recovered without any complications.

Pankaj Tripathi is all set to portray the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the upcoming film, Main Atal Hoon, scheduled for a theatrical release on January 19, 2024. The teaser, released on December 19, offered a glimpse into the life of India’s esteemed three-time Prime Minister, and today, the much-awaited trailer was launched with great excitement.

Main Atal Hoon aims to bring to life the legacy of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, resonating his impactful tenure through the portrayal by National Award-winning actor Pankaj Tripathi. The trailer delves into Vajpayee’s interactions with L.K. Advani and traces the genesis of their political journey.

Watch the trailer here:

Directed by Ravi Jadhav and backed by Bhanushali Studios Limited and Legend Studios, the film boasts a script penned by Rishi Virmani and Ravi Jadhav, while Salim-Sulaiman has composed the music with lyrics by Manoj Muntashir. The much-anticipated movie is scheduled for a theatrical release on January 24.

Pankaj Tripathi had earlier shared his excitement about taking on the significant role of portraying the eminent leader, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He emphasised the extensive preparation required, involving intensive reading sessions to deeply understand Vajpayee’s dialect, lifestyle, and visionary perspective for India.