TEN CRITICAL QUESTIONS ON CURRENT GEOPLOITICAL AND NATIONAL ISSUES – 147

PRERNA FOR IAS

(ASSOCIATE OF SAMKALP)

TEN CRITICAL QUESTIONS ON CURRENT GEOPLOITICAL AND NATIONAL ISSUES – 147

1. Should peaceful student protests ever attract criminal proceedings?

Answer: In my view, peaceful protest is an essential democratic right, particularly when students raise genuine concerns about examinations and their future. The Supreme Court's decision to consider quashing FIRs against NEET-UG protesters correctly distinguishes peaceful participation from serious criminal conduct. Police should certainly act against violence, destruction of property or identifiable offences, but criminal law should not become a tool for discouraging dissent. The correct principle is individual responsibility rather than collective criminalisation. A democracy becomes stronger when citizens can question institutions peacefully while remaining accountable for genuinely unlawful behaviour.

2. Can facial-recognition technology improve policing without creating a surveillance State?

Answer: Yes, but only under a clear legal and accountability framework. Facial recognition can help identify genuine suspects in large crowds, but indiscriminate scanning of peaceful protesters can affect privacy, dignity and freedom of expression. It may also discourage citizens from participating in lawful demonstrations. I would therefore apply the tests of legality, necessity and proportionality. There should be purpose limitation, accuracy standards, independent oversight and remedies for wrongful identification. Technology should assist investigation, not replace evidence. The real question is not whether police should use technology, but whether democratic safeguards remain effective when technology becomes more powerful.