Crimeware-as-a-service (CaaS) Model

• CaaS is any computer programme or set of programmes designed to facilitate illegal automated activities online.
• It has become a prominent component of the underground economy.
• CaaS provides a new dimension to cyber crime by making it more organized, automated, and accessible to criminals with limited technical skills.
• Cybercrimes are covered under Information Technology Act (IT Act) and the Indian Penal Code.
• Section 65 – Tampering with Computer Source Documents.
• Penalties if found guilty can be imprisonment up to 3 years and/or up-to Rs 2 lakh fine.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

• SAF stands for sustainable aviation fuel. It’s produced from sustainable feedstocks and is very similar in its chemistry to traditional fossil jet fuel.
• Using SAF results in a reduction in carbon emissions compared to the traditional jet fuel it replaces over the lifecycle of the fuel.
• Some typical feedstocks used are cooking oil and other non-palm waste oils from animals or plants; solid waste from homes and businesses, such as packaging, paper, textiles, and food scraps that would otherwise go to landfill or incineration.
• Other potential sources include forestry waste, such as waste wood, and energy crops, including fast growing plants and algae.

Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)

• At present, the Supreme Court is hearing a batch of petitions in Vijay Madanlal Choudhary & Ors Vs Union of India that are aimed at setting out the scope and applicability, as well as test the constitutional vires of provisions under PMLA.
• It is a norm in criminal jurisprudence that investigations and proceedings that have severe implications for the accused should come with a minimum degree of transparency in line with the fundamental freedoms granted by the Constitution.
• The standard practice of proceeding against an accused by the ED involves the creation of an internal document called Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR).
• The ECIR essentially sets out the basis on which the accused is being investigated.
• In Youth Bar Association Vs Union of India, the Supreme Court mandated that an accused person was entitled to having a copy of the FIR.
• An ECIR may appear to be a document comparable to an FIR lodged by the police personnel at a cursory reading.
• However, there have been cases where despite registering an ECIR, a copy of the same was not provided to the accused on grounds that the ECIR is an “internal document”.
• There have also been cases where the ED handed over a copy of the ECIR to the accused upon filing writ petitions or in proceedings under Sections 5 and 8 of the PMLA. 

Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020 and Reasonable Restrictions

• In September 2020, the government enacted the Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Amendment Act, further restricting the manner in which foreign funds could be received and used.
• It consists of a  mandatory provision that the foreign contributions must be deposited in the FCRA account created in the State Bank of India (SBI), New Delhi branch.
• The Supreme Court in Noel Harper Vs Union of India, endorsed the Centre’s Amendment.
• It stated that accepting foreign donations cannot be an absolute or even a vested right and held that the restrictions placed on Non- Government Organisations’ (NGOs) ability to raise and use foreign donations through the said amendments are constitutional.
• The court observed that free and uncontrolled inflow of foreign funds has the potential to impact the socio-economic structure and polity of the country. 
• The court stated no one can claim that receiving foreign funds was an absolute or fundamental right and it held that the restrictions in the amendments were reasonable.
• The term “reasonable” has not been defined under the Constitution and no tests were laid down either—the role of the Supreme Court to interpret the constitution comes into play.
• Over time, the Supreme Court has laid down, in a plethora of cases, various tests and principles with respect to the concept of ‘reasonable restrictions’.
• In the recent Noel Harper case, the court acknowledged that it is well-established that rights guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution and Article 19 in particular, are not absolute rights.

Anabolic and Cortico Steroids

Anabolic

• Anabolic steroids are essentially lab-made versions of the male hormone testosterone and have a similar effect of increasing muscle mass as the natural hormone does.
• It also increases male characteristics in a person, such as facial hair and a deeper voice.
• Anabolic steroids have limited medical use and are mainly used by doctors to help patients gain weight after a severe illness or injury.
• It could also be prescribed in small doses to the elderly to build muscle mass and in some cases also helps to treat anaemia.

Cortico

• They are ab-made molecules that mimic the action of the hormone called cortisol that controls the body’s stress response, metabolism, and inflammation.
• They lessen swelling, redness, itching, and allergic reactions.
• They are often used as part of the treatment for a number of different diseases, such as severe allergies or skin problems, asthma, or arthritis.