New Delhi Apr 19 PTI President Ram Nath Kovind has given his assent to the Criminal Procedure Identification Bill which empowers police to obtain physical and biological samples of convicts and those accused of crimesThe Act which replaces the Identification of Prisoners Act 1920 was passed by Lok Sabha on April 4 and Rajya Sabha on April 6The following Act of Parliament received the assent of the President on the 18th April 2022 and is hereby published for general information- The Criminal Procedure Identification Act 2022 No11 of 2022 a gazette notification issued by the government saidApart from providing legal sanction to police to obtain physical and biological samples of convicts and detainees for investigation in criminal matters the legislation also empowers a magistrate to order measurements or photographs of a person to be taken to aid the investigation of an offenceIn case of acquittal or discharge of the person all material must be destroyedThe Act explained the types of data that may be collected people from whom such data may be collected and the authority that can authorise such collectionIt also provides for the data to be stored in a central databaseBoth the 1920 Act and the 2022 legislation clarified that resistance or refusal to give data will be considered as an offence of obstructing a public servant from doing his dutyWhile participating in the debate on the legislation in Rajya Sabha Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said the biometric data of political detainees would not be collected and the proposed law would exclude brain mapping and polygraph test from its ambitUnder section 3 the government of India has the right to make rules We will define it and ensure that no person involved in a political agitation has to give physical and biometric measurements only for political agitation But if a political leader is arrested in a criminal case then he will have to be at par with a citizen Shah saidSeveral opposition parties slammed as unconstitutional and draconian the legislation and claimed it could be misusedShah said no measurements will be taken of any political person for violation of prohibitory orders promulgated by policeHe said the legislation is aimed at improving the conviction rateIt is aimed at building capacity for the police and forensic teams he said PTI ACB RHL

New Delhi Mar 30 PTI Over 2000 personnel belonging to the Central Armed Police Forces like the CRPF and BSF died in action in the last three years the Rajya Sabha was informed on WednesdayUnion Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said among those who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2019 2020 and 2021 were 1995 non-gazetted officers and 47 gazetted officersAmong the central armed police forces the Central Reserve Police Force CRPF lost the highest 950 personnel the Border Security Force BSF lost 728 personnel while the Indo-Tibetan Border Police ITBP lost 103 personnel he said replying to a written questionRai also said the Central Industrial Security Force CISF lost 25 personnel the Sashastra Seema Bal SSB 24 personnel and the Assam Rifles 13 personnel PTI ACB RHL

New Delhi Mar 24 PTI The Union home ministry on Thursday extended till June 30 the validity of all FCRA registered NGOs whose licences are going to expire at the end of this month and those whose applications are pending for approvalIn a notification the home ministry said the decision has been taken in public interestAccording to the home ministry the validity of the registration certificates of such entities whose validity was extended till March 31 and whose renewal application is pending will stand extended till June 30 or till the date of disposal of renewal application whichever is earlierThe validity of those FCRA entities whose five years validity period is expiring during April 1 to June 30 and which have applied or apply for renewal before expiry of 5 years validity period will stand extended up to June 30 or till the date of disposal of renewal application whichever is earlier it saidThe home ministry advised all FCRA registered associations to take note that in case of refusal of the application for renewal of certificate of registration the validity of the certificate shall be deemed to have expired on the date of refusal of the application of renewal and the association shall not be eligible either to receive foreign contribution or utilise foreign contribution receivedThe government has cancelled FCRA registrationof nearly 1900 NGOs for violating various provisions of law in the last five years There were 22762FCRA-registered organisations till December-end 2021Officials said theFCRAlicence of 18778 organisations expired between September 29 2020 and December 31 2021 Of them as many as 12989 organisations have applied for the renewal of theFCRA licence between September 30 2020 and December 31 2021Since 5789 organisations did not apply for the renewal of the FCRA license last month they deemed to have ceased to be FCRA registered organisations an official saidRegistration under theFCRAis must for any NGO to receive funds from abroad PTI ACB RHL