On 28 December 2018, the Union Cabinet approved amendments to strengthen the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The new amendment includes the death penalty for sexual assault on children.
It provides for punishments for other crimes against those below 18 years of age.
The Act defines a child as any person below the age of 18 years.
It is gender-neutral legislation.
On 28 December 2018, the Union Cabinet approved the draft National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine (NCIM) Bill, 2018.
The bill seeks to replace the existing regulator Central Council for Indian Medicine (CCIM) with a new body to ensure transparency.
The draft bill provides for the constitution of the Board of Ayurveda and Board of Unani, Siddha, and Sowarigpa.
The Union Cabinet approved the submission of India’s second Biennial Update Report (BUR) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
As per the report, India emitted around 2.607 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent of Green House Gases in 2014.
India had submitted its first BUR in 2016.
The scope of BUR is to provide an update to India’s 1st BUR to UNFCCC.
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