Budget Session

Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die, marking the end of budget session

Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday, marking the end of the Budget Session that began on January 31. In his concluding remarks at the end of the 267th session of Rajya Sabha, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the House passed key legislations, including the Waqf Amendment Bill, and discussed several important issues during its sittings. "The productivity of this session stood at 119 per cent. On April 3, the Rajya Sabha began proceedings and etched its name in the annals of legislative history with an unprecedented sitting from 11 am on that day until 4.02 am the following day, ie, this day, the longest in its history," Dhankhar said. He added, "This would send a very great message to the people at large and enhance belief in this great institution." Dhankhar appreciated members for participating in the debates and discourses with enlightened inputs and varying opinion shades. "After a long gap, the house witnessed welcome wit, humour, sarcasm and repartee, apart from ...

Situation in Manipur under control but can't be termed satisfactory: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the situation in Manipur is largely under control as there has been no death in the last four months but it can't be considered satisfactory as the displaced people are still living in relief camps. Replying to a short debate in Lok Sabha, which adopted a Statutory Resolution confirming the imposition of President's rule in Manipur, Shah also said that after the imposition of President's rule in Manipur, discussions were held with the Meiteis and the Kukis and separate meetings were conducted with different organisations from both the communities. The Ministry of Home Affairs will soon convene a joint meeting, he said, adding while the government is working to find a path to end the violence, the top priority is to establish peace. President's rule in Manipur was imposed on February 13 after the then chief minister N Biren Singh resigned on February 9 following months of ethnic violence which started in May 2023. Shah said the oppositi

Highlights: Lok Sabha clears Waqf Amendment Bill after marathon debate

Parliament Budget Session updates: The government has decided to table the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Lok Sabha today. Catch all the updates here

Waqf Bill in Lok Sabha: What is a whip and how does it work in Parliament?

As parties issue three-line whips for the Waqf Bill, here's a look at what a whip means in India's parliamentary system and what happens if MPs defy it

Parl panel flags 'low success rate' in bringing back Indian prisoners

Eight Indian prisoners were transferred from foreign countries to India between 2023 and February 13 this year, according to data shared in a report by a Parliamentary panel. It asserted that the "low success rate" in bringing back Indian prisoners "calls for an assessment" of the efforts taken for it. Citing information from the Ministry of Externa Affairs (MEA), the report said that at present, 10,152 Indian prisoners (in 86 countries) including under-trials are lodged in foreign prisons. The report of the Committee of External Affairs, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, on 'Indian Diaspora Overseas including NRIs, PIOs, OCIs and Migrant Workers: All Aspects of their Conditions and Welfare, including the Status of the Emigration Bill' was presented in Parliament on Tuesday. In its report, the panel also shared data on foreign prisoners transferred from India to their native countries over the same period, whose cumulative number stood at three. The MEA has informed the Committee

Fix liability for loss in electrification contracts: Parl panel to Railways

A parliamentary committee has directed the Railway Ministry to fix responsibility of officers for a financial loss of Rs 9 crore in electrification work contracts in the South East Central Railway Zone in 2017-18. It has also favoured bringing in a provision for the recovery of financial loss to the exchequer along with penal interest consequent to the fixing of responsibility. The matter pertained to the execution of Overhead Equipment (OHE) work in the SCR zone, for which two contracts were awarded worth Rs 35.36 crore in 2017-18. However, the audit report found that the prerequisite civil works were not ready before awarding the contract because of a lack of coordination between the civil and electrical departments of the SECR, leading to inefficiencies and financial losses. It noticed that the contractors supplied materials worth Rs 9.0 crore during the contract period (2017-18) but could not execute works due to the non-availability of a clear worksite. "This led to the short

Nalco draws Parl panel flak for spending under 50% of targeted capex

A parliamentary panel has criticised state-owned Nalco for spending less than 50 per cent of the targeted capex of Rs 2,000 crore in the first 10 months of 2024-25. "Against the targeted capex of Rs 2,000 crore by Nalco for the year 2024-25, the end of January 2025, the capex stood at Rs 879 crore, i.e. less than 50 per cent of the targeted amount. "The committee would like to be apprised of the slow pace of capex in the first 10 months of the year...," the Standing Committee on Coal, Mines and Steel has said report submitted to Parliament. It further said the company is neither availing nor proposes to avail any budgetary support from the Centre. The plan outlay is being managed entirely through internal resources only. The company has achieved its targeted expenditure in 2020-21, 2022-23, and 2023-24. "In FY 21-22 there was only marginal shortfall and achievement was 99.2 per cent of its targeted capex. In FY 19-20, the company achieved 93.2 per cent of targeted capex," it ...

Parliament approves Finance Bill 2025, completes Budget FY26 exercise

The Rajya Sabha on Thursday returned the Finance Bill 2025 to the Lok Sabha, along with 35 government amendments, including one that abolishes a 6 per cent digital tax on online advertisements, thus completing the 2025-26 budgetary exercise that started on February 1. The House also returned the Appropriation Bill (3) with a voice vote. Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had moved the two bills in the House. The Lok Sabha had passed the Finance Bill on March 25 and passed the Appropriation Bill on March 21. Replying to the debate later in the evening, she said the tendency of the finance ministry would be to exercise caution and not let go of revenues. "But, here we wanted to use this opportunity to show our respect for Indian taxpayer. We have moved towards setting Rs 12 lakh as threshold up to which no one will have to pay any tax," Sitharaman said. The Union Budget 2025-26 envisages a total expenditure of Rs 50.65 lakh crore, an increase of 7.4 per cent ov

Parl panel flags non-contribution by pvt sector employers in employees' PF

A Parliamentary Committee on Thursday pointed out non-payment of contribution by private sector employers towards their employees' provident fund and asked the government to take up the matter with EPFO in case any such grievances are received. The observation was recorded by the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice in its 146th report, tabled in Parliament on Thursday, on the Demands for Grants (2025-26) pertaining to the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) and Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare. "It has come to the notice of the Committee, that in the form of public grievances a large number of employees who work in private sector where funds are under the watch of EPFO, the employer do not pay their share of contribution and even sometimes do not even pay the employees' contribution as well," the report said. The panel said some of the private sector organisations have made

House panel 'dismayed' at avoidable expenditure on GSAT-18 satellite

Parliament's Public Accounts Committee has expressed "dismay" at the avoidable expenditure totalling Rs 17.27 crore on the launch of GSAT-18 communication satellite, which had six extended C-band transponders for use in 2027. The committee, chaired by Congress member K C Venugopal, noted that the satellite with 48 transponders (24 C Band, 12 Extended C Band and 12 Ku Band) was launched on an urgent basis in October 2016 to meet the immediate requirement of protecting the existing users/services of INSAT-3C in its C and Extended C Band and INSAT4CR in its Ku Band which were reaching their end of life in Nov 2016 and June 2019, respectively. "Consequent to the launch of GSAT 18, the committee found that it replaced 24 C band transponders and 6 extended C Band transponders of INSAT 3C and balance, six extended C-Band transponders of GSAT-18 satellite were not put to use since its launch as these transponders were already available in GSAT-14 satellite," said the report that was tabled i

Parl Panel urges AI airfare regulation, stronger DGCA powers on pricing

A parliamentary panel has recommended a new Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven "stringent" airfare pricing regulation mechanism for monitoring airfares, saying the current regulatory framework under the DGCA "lacks" the capacity to proactively regulate them. The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture in its 375th report "Demands for Grants (2025-26) Of Ministry of Civil Aviation" also recommended that the DGCA be empowered with quasi-judicial authority to impose temporary price caps or penalties on airlines engaging in "exploitative" practices. The panel, headed by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, in its report, has also recommended developing a mobile application, "Airfare Vigil," on the lines of the cVIGIL mobile app of the Election Commission, to empower citizens to report instances of "arbitrary airfare pricing". The timeline for implementation should span 18-24 months, with Phase I focusing on high-traffic routes within six months and .

Opposition accuses Centre of writing off loans of wilful defaulters

Opposition members in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday accused the government of writing off crores of rupees owed by wilful defaulters who have fled the country while crushing banks under the burden of non-performing assets. Participating in the discussion on the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the Upper House, Shaktisinh Gohil (Congress) said the government has written off Rs 87,000 crore owed by 50 wilful defaulters till 2024 citing official data. "People, including Mehul Chokshi and Rishi Agarwal are in the list of those wilful defaulters. The government has written off loans to those people who looted this country and fled abroad. But when poor, small traders and farmers default on loans the government auctions their assets," he said. Expressing similar views, Saket Gokhale (TMC) said by the government's own admission, consumption is down in the economy and people are not taking loans to buy any new products or to consume something new but they are taking loans to service their

Stopping funds of states not implementing 'PM SHRI' unjustified: Parl panel

Not releasing funds to states which have not agreed to implement the PM SHRI schools scheme is not factual and justified, a parliamentary panel has noted. The observations by the committee come amid an ongoing war of words between the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government over stoppage of funds worth over Rs 2100 crore after the state refused to implement new National Education Policy (NEP) objecting to the three-language formula. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education,Women, Children, Youth and Sports, headed by Congress' Digivjay Singh, recommended that the Ministry of Education should re-evaluate Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funding allocations and ensure that none of the states are placed in disadvantageous positions for not accepting NEP 2020 or PM SHRI scheme. "The Committee has taken serious note of the non-release of SSA funds to certain states which have not signed MoUs for implementation of PM SHRI scheme. The total funds pending under this scheme to the states a

RRBs earned record profit of Rs 7,571 cr in FY24: Govt tells Rajya Sabha

Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) have earned a record profit of Rs 7,571 crore during 2023-24, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. "Financial health of RRBs has improved in the recent years as they have posted highest ever consolidated net profit of Rs 7,571 crore during 2023-24. Also, the RRBs have shown consistent improvement in key financial parameters like CRAR, deposits, advances, NPA, CD ratio etc," Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. The key financial parameters of RRBs have improved consistently in past years, he said, adding that the total balance sheet size of RRBs have increased from Rs 7,04,556 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 8,40,080 crore in 2023-24. Further, the net NPA has declined from 4.7 per cent in 2021-22 to 2.4 per cent in 2023-24, he said. Also, the credit-to-deposit ratio has increased from 64.5 per cent in 2021-22 to 71.4 per cent in 2023-24, he added. "The government has also reviewed the progress made by RRBs in .

Five-day budget session of Delhi Assembly begins with 'kheer' ceremony

The five-day Budget session of the Delhi Assembly began on Monday with a 'Kheer' ceremony with BJP leaders saying that "sweetness symbolises progress". Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who also holds the finance portfolio, will table the first budget of a BJP government in Delhi in more than 26 years. At the ceremony, Minister Kapil Mishra said the budget session holds a historical significance. "Today, people from diverse backgrounds, including businessmen, auto drivers, Dalit brothers and sisters, will share 'Kheer' (pudding) together. The budget will be presented tomorrow," he said. BJP leader Satish Upadhyay extended his wishes the chief minister, and said budget represents a message of progress for Delhi. He emphasised that CM Gupta has engaged with a broad spectrum of people, from women and youths to business owners and residents of colonies, gathering suggestions to shape the budget. "Sweetness symbolises progress. The CM is sending a message that Delhi's development is on track

Auto drivers join BJP's sweet start ahead of Delhi Assembly budget session

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta arrived at the Delhi Assembly this morning ahead of the commencement of proceedings

Delhi Assembly budget session begins today, 3rd CAG report set to be tabled

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will move a motion for the election of financial committees, marking an important step in the assembly's financial governance

Parliament LIVE highlights: Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha adjourned amid ruckus

Parliament Budget session latest updates: Catch all the news developments related to proceedings in the Parliament here

Believe in 'Make in India', it's giving good results: FM to Oppn in RS

FM Nirmala Sitharaman said that production-linked incentive schemes attracted investments worth Rs 1.5 trillion so far, created 950,000 jobs

Dept of Future to ₹2100 for women: Highlights of Haryana's ₹2.05 trn budget

CM Saini made various announcements in the budget, including earmarking Rs 5,000 crore for 'Lado Lakshmi Yojana' under which Rs 2,100 will be given to the state's women