CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -Orissa was the first state to bring such law named as ‘Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, 1967’. It was followed by Madhya Pradesh in 1968 and Arunachal Pradesh in 1978.

Detailed explanation-2: -Referring to the first anti-Conversion bill that was passed by Odisha government in 1967, Cynthia Stephen in her EPW paper Anti-Conversion legislation in Karnataka notes when the state passed the bill, the Christian population of the state was around 2 lakhs, 1.1% of the population in comparison to 1.7 crores Hindus.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, 1967, provides that no person shall convert or attempt to convert, either directly or otherwise, any person from one religious faith to another by the use of force or by inducement or by any fraudulent means.

Detailed explanation-4: -H.R. 1308 - 103rd Congress (1993-1994): Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress.

Detailed explanation-5: -Odisha was the first State to enact anti-conversion legislation, the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, 1967. Madhya Pradesh enacted the same the following year.