Parliament

Holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies in 2029 under the Modi government's 'One Nation, One Election' initiative is possible if the Constitution is amended and state governments support the move, according to PP Chaudhary, the chairman of the joint parliamentary panel examining the related bills. The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which aim to synchronise Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, were sent to the 31-member joint committee of Parliament headed by Chaudhary, a BJP MP from Rajasthan, following the Opposition's demand for broader scrutiny. When asked if state assembly elections could be held alongside the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, Chaudhary said on Monday that if the constitutional amendment is approved in Parliament by 2028, the rollout of 'One Nation, One Election' can begin that same year. "Then what is the problem. If the states express their desire in 2029, because we can't give

Ten days after both Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die, the Monsoon session is yet to end formally, giving rise to speculation that the government wants to pass a key legislation without convening a new session. Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned sine die (for an indefinite period) on August 13. Usually, the session is prorogued (formally ended) within the next three to four days. However, the prorogation notification for the Monsoon session had not been issued as of Sunday morning. The Budget session ended on April 18 and was prorogued on April 20. According to constitutional provisions, the president convenes and prorogues the session on the recommendation of the government. There has been strong speculation that the government could bring the bill to amend the women's reservation law to ensure its implementation before the 2029 parliamentary polls. An earlier attempt during the Budget session had failed as the government could not stack up the numbe

More than half of the bills introduced in the 18th Lok Sabha so far have been passed by both Houses in the session of their introduction, with the trend accelerating sharply over the past year, an analysis of data from PRS Legislative Research shows. Of the 64 bills introduced since this Lok Sabha was constituted, 34 or 53 per cent were passed by both Houses in the session in which they were introduced, according to an analysis of PRS' session-wise data. The corresponding proportion was 33 per cent during the 16th Lok Sabha, when 63 of the 189 bills introduced were passed in the session of their introduction. It nearly doubled to about 62 per cent during the 17th Lok Sabha, when 117 of the 190 bills introduced were passed in the same session, an analysis of PRS data shows. The 18th Lok Sabha, however, began slowly on this count, according to records maintained by PRS, an independent, not-for-profit group that researches and tracks the functioning of Parliament and state ...

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday sat on a dharna at the Parliament Street police station here seeking the registration of an FIR over pellet injuries suffered by a youth during the CJP-led July 20 protest. Gandhi, accompanied by the youth, Sahil Lochab, first visited the Mandir Marg police station and sought the registration of the FIR. After his demand was not accepted, he went to the Parliament Street police station and met the deputy commissioner of police (DCP). After the discussions with the DCP failed, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha sat on a dharna at the police station. Lochab suffered pellet injuries to the eyes and abdomen, and later underwent surgery at the AIIMS Trauma Centre.

The Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Amendment Bill has become the 17th draft law to be referred to a joint committee of Parliament by the Narendra Modi government since 2014, according to data. The 18th Lok Sabha has seen a sharp rise in bills being sent to joint committees of the two Houses. So far, nine bills have been referred to joint panels since the present Lok Sabha was formed in 2024, according to available statistics. Comparatively, four bills each were sent to joint committees during the 16th and 17th Lok Sabhas. The 17 bills have involved 14 joint panel exercises, because some were referred together to the same committee. Such 'companion' bills seek to achieve the same purpose together. For example, the bill to lay down a legal framework to hold simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies was accompanied by a bill to implement the proposed law in Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir the three Union territories with legislative assemblies. Such

Disruption & hastily passed laws reflect poorly on MPs

A parliamentary panel has proposed a national authority, common terminal standards and fee-based access for private buses, alongside digital permits and safety reforms

Only 11 Bills were passed in 19 sittings as Parliament's productivity in the monsoon session fell to a two-decade low

The Monsoon Session began on July 20 amid protests over Neet-UG irregularities and student demands; the government had scheduled 19 sittings through August 13

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the government is ready to discuss all issues in Parliament, including students' protests, and asked the opposition to let the House function. Speaking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, Shah also asserted that he will give a reply to the debate and urged the opposition to give a notice to Lok Sabha speaker for a discussion on the topic by 2 pm on Wednesday. "We are ready to discuss all the issues in Parliament, including students' protests; let the House function," the home minister said. "If opposition gives it in writing to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla by 2 pm today, we can start a discussion at 3 pm today until 3 pm tomorrow," Shah said. "If the discussion starts at 3 pm today, I will give a reply tomorrow at 3 pm," the home minister added.

Report of an inquiry committee which investigated allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma -- against whom removal proceedings were initiated over the alleged discovery of unaccounted cash from his official residence -- will be placed before the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. According to the list of business of the Lok Sabha for Wednesday, the secretary general will "lay" the two volumes of the report along with oral evidence in the House. The three-member probe panel had submitted its findings to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in May. The speaker had constituted the inquiry committee on August 12, 2025, to probe the alleged discovery of wads of cash from the judge's Delhi bungalow. The report will be brought before the House in accordance with statutory requirements under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968. A fire broke out in the official residence of Justice Varma on the night of March 14, 2025. Firefighters called to put out the blaze allegedly discovered massive amounts of burnt currency

The Bill proposes a National Tribunals Commission and a data grid, but legal experts say timely appointments and adequate infrastructure will be critical to reform

The Ministry cited the need for "fresh due diligence" of beneficiaries as the reason for the under-utilisation - an explanation the Committee was unconvinced by

The government is considering sending 'The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026' to a joint committee of both houses of Parliament, even as the Congress and some opposition parties have demanded that it be withdrawn, sources said on Tuesday. The Congress and TMC were among the parties which raised the issue during the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the Rajya Sabha, though it was not part of the agenda, asking when the FCRA Bill will be taken up in the House, to which the government said a decision will be taken on it in due course of time. The two parties demanded that the bill be withdrawn, but others like BJD feel the bill could be sent to a joint committee of Parliament for further scrutiny. The DMK also wants the Bill to be withdrawn, the sources said. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 this year and proposes tighter government oversight on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and foreign funding in the country. Government ..

The PMIS was announced in the Budget 2024-25 with a total outlay of Rs 63,000 crore over five years for the main scheme, which is yet to commence

While the complete report was not available at the time of publishing, the panel's recommendations in its statement focused on enhancing bus transport in the country

Parliament's rural development panel has proposed legal recognition for digitally signed land records, automatic online mutation and expanded financial and skilling support for rural women

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday appealed to opposition members to let the House function so that key Bills are passed with a constructive debate, and said Treasury and opposition benches should come on the same page to ensure there are no disruptions. His fresh appeal came a day after the government proposed a response from Home Minister Amit Shah on the use of force by the police on students protesting against NEET paper leak here on July 20. The government had said the opposition should not run away from debate and should listen to the home minister without disruptions. But the opposition has insisted that the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya should also be discussed. As the stalemate continued on Tuesday, Birla said he was anguished that the House had not been able to function and the Question Hour, wherein members hold the government accountable, could not take place. Separately, NDA members on Tuesday morning staged a protest outside the mai

The legislation replaces the colonial-era Bankers' Book Evidence Act of 1891 and provides explicit legal recognition to electronic and digital banking records

Opposition presses Amit Shah for a statement on alleged police excesses, while the RSS and BJP prepare a sustained outreach to Gen Z as the monsoon session winds down