Legal Current Affairs for 10 December 2025

Genesis: Launched in 2023 by India for conservation of seven big cat species – tigers, lions, snow leopards, cheetahs, leopards, pumas and jaguars.
Organizational Nature: IBCA is a multi-country, multi-agency coalition comprising of 95 big cat range countries, non-range countries, conservation partners, scientific organizations, business groups and corporates with an interest in big cat conservation.
Secretariat: New Delhi, India.
Members: 18 member countries and three observer countries.
All UN member countries are eligible to become member.
Governance: IBCAAssembly is the apex decision-making body comprising representatives from each member country.

Out of seven, five big cats viz. Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard and Cheetah are found in India.
All big cats live solitary lives except Lions, which live in groups, called prides.
Ecological Significance: They are apex predators vital to maintaining ecological balance and ecosystem health.
These are keystone species which prevents overgrazing, protecting plantlife, seed dispersal and forest regeneration.
Healthy big cat habitats are vital carbon sinks and help combat climate change.
These are flagship species whose conservation provide protection to many other species sharing the same habitat.
Threats: habitat loss from deforestation, urbanization, and land use changes, leading to increased human-wildlife conflicts.

Definition of hate speech: The Bill defines hate speech as any expression causing injury or disharmony against a person or group based on religion, race, caste, gender, sexual orientation, place of birth, or disability.
Collective liability: The Bill introduces organisational accountability, where persons in positions of responsibility can be held guilty if hate speech is linked to their organisation.
Internet regulation: The Bill empowers the state government to block or remove hateful content online, addressing the digital propagation of hate speech

Law Commission: 267th Law Commission Report (2017) recommended adding Sections 153C and 505A to the IPC to criminalise incitement to hatred and provoking violence.
Legal Initiative: In 2022, the Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2022 (Private Member Bill) was introduced in the Rajya Sabha to define hate speech as any expression that incites, promotes, or spreads discrimination, hatred, or violence, but it was not passed.
Committees:
Viswanathan Committee 2015: It proposed adding Sections 153C(b) and 505A to the IPC to punish incitement to offences based on religion, race, caste, community, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, birthplace, residence, language, disability, or tribe, with up to two years imprisonment and a Rs 5,000 fine.
Bezbaruah Committee 2014: It proposed amending Section 153C IPC (promoting acts against human dignity) with up to five years imprisonment and fine, and Section 509A IPC (insulting a particular race) with up to 3 years imprisonment or fine.

Feature & Location: It is a cut-and-cover tunnel (920 metres long, at an altitude of over 12,000 feet), situated on the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DS-DBO) Road in eastern Ladakh, near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
The DS-DBO road provides the only surface link to the Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), India’s northernmost military outpost near the LAC, critical for surveillance and securing paths to the Siachen Glacier.
Purpose: It provides all-weather connectivity to forward areas, bypassing a stretch prone to heavy snowfall, avalanches, and landslides.
Strategic & Military Significance: Drastically reduces winter disruptions, guaranteeing a stable supply chain for troops deployed in the eastern Ladakh sector.
Its importance has surged significantly following the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes and the subsequent military standoff with China.