Page 4 - Budget Session

Bill to streamline services related to immigration introduced in LS

A bill seeking to streamline various services related to immigration and foreigners, including their entry, exit and stay in the country was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday with opposition dubbing it to be violative of constitutional provisions. Rejecting suggestions that Parliament lacked the legislative competence to bring the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the central government has all the rights under the Union list to bring legislations on the subject. He asserted that while tourists were welcome to come to India, it was the government's responsibility to ensure peace and sovereignty of the nation remain intact. Opposing the bill at the introduction stage, Manish Tewari (Congress) said the bill is violative of multiple provisions of the Constitution and various laws. He said the bill violates the principle of fundamental rights and the government may use the provisions of the proposed law to deny entry to those who

Oppn moves adjournment motions on voter discrepancies, tariff reductions

Tagore raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process, especially in states like Maharashtra and Haryana, where irregularities in the voter rolls have triggered alarm

Nishikant Dubey to present reports on Communications and IT in LS today

On Monday, Opposition MPs walked out of the Rajya Sabha during the second part of the Budget session over the issues of delimitation and the New Education Policy

Opposition accuses govt of trying to control Railway Board via new Bill

Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha on Monday accused the government of trying to take control of the Railway Board through the Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and alleged that it was avoiding scrutiny by a parliamentary panel. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw moved the Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024, for consideration in the Upper House. The bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha in December last year, seeks to enhance the functioning and independence of the Railway Board. With the inclusion of the Railway Board under the 1989 Railway Act, the appointment, qualifications, tenure and criteria for the Chairman and members of the Board will be the responsibility of the central government. The Bill also includes provisions to appoint an independent regulator that will oversee matters like fare determination and ensure the competitiveness of the Railways. "You have just gone for 'governmentalisation' of the Railway Board," Congress member Vivek K Tankha said while initiating ...

Ganga water was fit for bathing during Maha Kumbh: Govt tells Parliament

The central government on Monday cited a new report from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in Parliament and said the water in the Ganga at Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj was fit for bathing during the recently concluded Maha Kumbh. Triveni Sangam is where the Ganga meets the Yamuna and Saraswati rivers. The government also said it had provided a total of Rs 7,421 crore to the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) for cleaning the river in 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 (until March 9). In response to a question from Samajwadi Party MP Anand Bhadauria and Congress MP K Sudhakaran, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said that according to the CPCB report, the median values of pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and faecal coliform (FC) at all monitored locations were within the permissible limits for bathing. DO refers to the amount of oxygen in water, BOD measures the oxygen needed to break down organic matter and FC is an indicator of sewage ..

Speaker urges smooth functioning of Question Hour as Budget session resumes

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present a statement of Manipur's estimated receipts and expenditures for the year 2025-26

Budget session set for 'EPIC' showdown; Budget, Waqf bill govt's priority

Parliament's Budget session resumes on Monday amid indications of an 'EPIC' showdown between the government and the opposition which is planning to raise issues such as the alleged manipulation of electoral rolls, the fresh bout of violence in Manipur and India's handling of the Trump administration. The focus of the government will be on getting Parliament nod for the demands for grants, completion of the budgetary process, seeking approval for the Manipur budget and passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill. Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to move a statutory resolution seeking Parliament approval for the proclamation of President's Rule in Manipur. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is also scheduled to table the budget for Manipur on Monday. Manipur has been under President's Rule since February 13 after the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh. The opposition said it is set to corner the government over the issue of duplicate Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers.

Andhra Pradesh govt unveils Rs 3.22 trn welfare-focused Budget for FY26

The Andhra Pradesh budget for the fiscal 2025-26 tabled on Friday by the TDP-led NDA government accorded top priority to welfare schemes, promising to dole out Rs 20,000 per annum for farmers, doubling of financial relief for fishermen during a ban period and Rs 15,000 to school going children up to the intermediate level under "Talliki Vandanam" scheme. The "Talliki Vandanam" scheme is one of the Super Six promises made by the ruling bloc during the 2024 Assembly polls. Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav tabled the Rs 3.22 lakh crore budget and proposed Rs 20,281 crore for the Scheduled Caste (SC) component, Rs 8,159 crore for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) component, Rs 47,456 crore for the Backward Classes (BC) component and Rs 5,434 crore for the welfare of minority communities. "I take pride in announcing that the government is launching the Talliki Vandanam scheme, to provide financial support of Rs 15,000 in the academic year 2025-26. The scheme will cover children enrolled in ...

Waqf Bill likely to come up before House during 2nd part of Budget Session

The Waqf bill is likely to come up before Parliament during the second half of the Budget Session after the Union Cabinet approved the amendments proposed by the joint committee of Parliament, sources said. During its meeting on February 19, the Cabinet is learnt to have given its nod to the 14 amendments proposed by the panel examining the Bill, they said. The report of the panel, headed by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, was tabled in Parliament on February 13 amid uproar and a walkout by the opposition parties. The Bill aims to streamline the registration of Waqf properties, besides preventing their misuse. With the Cabinet nod, the Bill is likely to come up before Parliament during the second part of the session -- scheduled to be held from March 10 to April 4. Several top BJP leaders have claimed that the Bill was likely to be passed during this session itself. The 31-member panel on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, after multiple sittings and hearings, had suggested several amendments to

Parliamentary panel examining Income Tax Bill holds first meeting

The Finance Ministry on Monday briefed the members of a Select Committee of Lok Sabha on various aspects of the Income Tax Bill as the panel headed by BJP MP Baijayant 'Jay' Panda held its first meeting. Sources said the finance secretary told the parliamentarians that the Bill will simplify the existing Act, enacted over six decades back, and make it more user-friendly. Lok Sabha sent the Bill to the committee on the request of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman after she introduced it in the House in the first half of Parliament's Budget Session. Sitharaman had said the new I-T Bill will carry forward the spirit of "Nyaya" (justice) based on the concept of "trust first, scrutinise later". The Bill seeks to replace terminologies such as assessment year and previous year with the easier-to-understand tax year as part of a move to simplify language while removing provisos and explanations. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had constituted the 31-member Select Committee on February ...

Making Budget 2025 reforms work: The road to effective implementation

The FM has proposed some interesting regulatory reforms. The announcements need to be nuanced before implementation

Parliament session updates: FM says Congress-ruled states not spending their funds on capex

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

New I-T Bill more complicated than previous one: Congress MP Manish Tewari

The new Income Tax Bill is set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday

JPC on Waqf Bill to present report today after 6 months of consultations

Speaking to ANI, the JPC Chairman emphasised the committee toured the country to collect inputs before finalising the report, which included the adoption of 25 amendments across 14 clauses

Cong MPs give notice for adjournment in LS over price rise, Manipur crisis

In his notice, Vijay Kumar said that the continuous rise in the prices of essential goods, especially milk, vegetables, cooking oils, and other daily-use items is affecting millions of citizens

Cong MP moves adjournment motion over safety of women passengers in trains

He cited a recent incident where a pregnant woman was allegedly thrown out of the Coimbatore-Tirupati Intercity Express train after resisting an rape attempt

Parliament Budget Session Highlights: Sonia Gandhi urges govt to conduct Census at earliest

Parliament Budget Session: Catch all the Parliament updates here

Opposition targets govt over rising inequality, inflation, lack of jobs

Opposition parties on Monday attacked the Union government on various issues, including rising inequality in terms of income amid rising inflation and joblessness in the country. Participating in the discussion on Union Budget 2025-26 in the Rajya Sabha, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said the Union Budget shows the government's priorities and intent. "The Budget is not merely a statement of accounts, but one of intent. Our Prime Minister has described this Budget as a roadmap for Viksit Bharat. But the numbers reveal that the path seems only a mirage," he stated. He noted that the Budget was presented as a proclamation of progress but it conveniently hides the realities of the time like stagnant growth, growing inequality, and a sizable demographic dividend slipping off the fingers. "This government's policies have only enriched the privileged few, leaving behind a section of people with joblessness, inflation, and shrinking opportunities," Siva said. He noted that 1 per cent of people in t

Indians received 72% of all H-1B visas issued from Oct 2022-Sept 2023: Govt

Indian nationals received 72.3 per cent of all H1B visas issued by the US for the period October 2022 to September 2023, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday citing the US Citizenship and Immigration Services data. The government also told the Upper House that there were 21,928 Indian students before the start of the conflict in Ukraine, but as on November 01, 2024, only 1,802 students were enrolled in various Ukrainian universities. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha said the government of India is "closely engaged with the US administration" and other stakeholders on all issues pertaining to the H1B visa programme through relevant bilateral dialogue mechanisms. The Ministry of External Affairs was asked whether it is in talks with the US government regarding the possible restrictions on the H1B visa programme, and if so, the details and steps taken in this regard. "Mobility of skilled Indian ..

Despite Kanishka bombing lessons, Canada gave space to extremists: Govt

Despite lessons learnt from the terrorist act of the 1985 Kanishka bombing, space has been provided by the Canadian government for "violent extremists and secessionists" to continue their activities in the name of charter freedoms, the government said on Thursday. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said this in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha. The government was asked the current status of India's engagement with the Canadian government and other partners, regarding the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the 1985 Kanishka bombing and the details thereof. The AI-182 Kanishka bombing was planned and executed in Canada. The dastardly attack claimed the lives of 329 innocent people (largely of India-origin), including 24 Indian nationals, the minister said. In May 2006, the government of Canada appointed a Commission of Inquiry to examine the events surrounding the bombing; the subsequent investigation carried out by the relevant