Name the Indian state assembly that passed an amendment bill awarding the death penalty for convicts involved in the rape of girls below 12 years of age.

Introduction / Context:
Crimes against women and children and the legal responses to such crimes are common themes in general knowledge and current affairs questions. This particular question relates to a state level legislative step in India, where a state assembly passed an amendment bill providing for the death penalty in cases of rape of very young girls. Knowing which state took this step helps you connect law, governance, and social issues, which are important for many competitive exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question refers to an amendment bill awarding the death penalty for convicts who rape girls below 12 years of age.
- It asks you to identify the correct state assembly among Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Bihar.
- We assume the context is around the 2018 time frame, when this issue was heavily discussed in the news.

Concept / Approach:
In 2018, the Rajasthan Assembly passed “The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2018” which introduced specific provisions for the death penalty in cases of rape of girls below 12 years. This made Rajasthan one of the first states to push for such a harsh punishment at the state level. Although other states have also discussed or introduced similar measures, the question is framed around this well known Rajasthan specific amendment, so you need to recall that Rajasthan Assembly is the correct answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the stem carefully and note the key phrase: awarding death penalty for convicts involved in the rape of girls below 12 years of age. Step 2: Recall recent legislative news where particular state assemblies amended criminal law to allow capital punishment for such offences. Step 3: Recognize that the widely reported amendment was passed by the Rajasthan Assembly, through the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2018. Step 4: Check the options and identify Rajasthan Assembly among them. Step 5: Select Rajasthan Assembly as the final answer and eliminate the other states as distractors.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify this in your mind without looking up sources during the exam, connect the state name with headlines you may have seen, such as discussions about capital punishment for child rape in Rajasthan. You may also remember that the bill added special sections to the Indian Penal Code specific to Rajasthan. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Bihar have been in the news for various law and order issues as well, but in the specific context of this early high profile death penalty amendment for rape of girls below 12, Rajasthan is the one most associated with the measure.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- Uttar Pradesh Assembly: While Uttar Pradesh has debated strong measures against crimes, this particular amendment bill about death penalty for rape of girls below 12 in the timeframe referred to by the question is linked to Rajasthan, not Uttar Pradesh.
- Maharashtra Assembly: Maharashtra has passed several legal and social reforms, but it was not the state cited in this widely reported amendment related to death penalty for child rape in this exam question.
- Bihar Assembly: Bihar also legislates on many criminal law issues, but here it is included to test whether you confuse it with other North Indian states; the correct linkage is with Rajasthan.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to rely only on a vague memory that “some North Indian state” passed such a law and then randomly choose Uttar Pradesh or Bihar because they are often in the news. Another pitfall is to confuse this state level amendment with discussions at the central government level, which can blur the distinction between Union laws and individual state amendments. To avoid such errors, tie the keyword “Rajasthan Amendment Bill, 2018” firmly to this fact in your revision notes.

Final Answer:
The state assembly that passed an amendment bill awarding the death penalty for convicts involved in the rape of girls below 12 years of age is the Rajasthan Assembly.