What is NSA, under which Sonam Wangchuk was detained, Pg23.

Key Highlights:

• Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was recently detained under the National Security Act (NSA).
• The NSA of 1980 allows preventive detention to stop individuals from acting prejudicially to national security or public order.
• An Advisory Board of High Court judges must review the detention within three weeks.
• Detention under NSA cannot ordinarily exceed 12 months.

Detailed Insights:

• The NSA empowers both the Central and state governments to detain individuals preemptively.
• The act's stated purpose is to address threats to security, law and order, and essential supplies.
• Detainees can challenge the order, await the Advisory Board's review, or move the High Court or Supreme Court.
• The detainee does not have the right to legal representation before the Advisory Board.
• The NSA has been used against individuals involved in separatist movements, communal violence, and cow slaughter cases.
• Courts have flagged the misuse of NSA, highlighting instances where detentions were deemed unjustified.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Preventive Detention: Holding someone in custody without trial to prevent future crimes or disturbances.
• National Security Act (NSA): Indian law allowing detention without charge to maintain national security.
• Advisory Board: A panel of High Court judges that reviews NSA detentions for legal validity.