The Centre has designated 18 key operatives and leaders of extremists groups as individual terrorists under the recently-amended Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

Try this question for mains:

Q.“Anti-terror laws should not be used as a tool to silence the critics of the government.” Discuss in context to the recent amendments to the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

About UAPA

• The UAPA is aimed at effective prevention of unlawful activities associations in India.
• Its main objective was to make powers available for dealing with activities directed against the integrity and sovereignty of India
• It is an upgrade on the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act TADA, which was allowed to lapse in 1995 and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) was repealed in 2004.
• It was originally passed in 1967 under the then Congress government led by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
• Till 2004, “unlawful” activities referred to actions related to secession and cession of territory. Following the 2004 amendment, “terrorist act” was added to the list of offences.

Recent amendments

• The Centre had amended UAPA, 1967, in August 2019 to include the provision of designating an individual as a terrorist.
• Before this amendment, only organisations could be designated as terrorist outfits.

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