Syllabus: GS-II
Subject: Current Affairs
Topic: Indices & Reports .
Issue: Law Commission Report.
Context: The Law Commission stresses urgent legal reforms for future epidemics post-COVID-19. Critising Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, as outdated and insufficient for modern challenges.
- The immediate response to COVID-19 such as the imposition of a lockdown was invoked under the Disaster Management Act, 2005,
Key Recommendations:
- Advocates creating a coordinated Epidemic Plan and regular review, revision, and creation of Standard Operation Procedure (SOP).
- Epidemic Plan to include provisions for quarantine, surveillance, etc.
- Prioritizes citizen rights and privacy.
 Prelims Connect:
| The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897:
It does not define “dangerous epidemic diseases.” It is a colonial-era law used to address outbreaks of diseases like swine flu, dengue, and cholera. It grants special provisions necessary for implementing containment measures during such outbreaks. Epidemic Diseases Act(Amendment) 2020 has made violence toward healthcare workers punishable by 7 years of imprisonment. |
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