Page 119 - Lok Sabha

As both houses pass IIM (Amendment) Bill, here's a look at major changes

The Bill grants the President the role of Visitor to the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), bestowing upon the office powers to audit their functioning, order investigations

Six bills, including Data Protection Bill listed in Rajya Sabha today

The focus of the Bill is to protect internet users from online harm and create a safe and trusted digital ecosystem as India is a digital economy powerhouse today

India's grain stockpiles crucial to PM Modi's pre-election strategy

Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, campaigning to be re-elected for a third term, are facing widespread frustration about rising prices, a concern that has brought down past governments

Heartless govt: Oppn lashes out at govt over Manipur during no-trust debate

Echoing the refrain, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule demanded the resignation of the Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh for failing to rein in the runaway violence

LIVE: Pak's Imran Khan barred from politics for 5 yrs, says local media

Catch all the latest updates from across the globe here

Over 11.3 mn MGNREGA workers' bank accounts yet to be seeded with Aadhaar

Bank accounts of around 1.13 crore workers under the rural job scheme MGNREGA are yet to be seeded with their Aadhaar numbers, Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh informed Lok Sabha on Tuesday. In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, the minister said wage payment to beneficiaries under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) may be made either using Aadhaar-based payment bridge systems or national automated clearing house depending upon the status of a beneficiary in the Aadhaar-based systems. He said that bank accounts of 1,13,86,599 workers, or 8.93 per cent of the total active workers, are yet to be seeded with their Aadhaar numbers. The minister said northeastern states are lagging behind in the process, with accounts of more than 42 per cent workers in Assam, around 23 per cent in Arunachal Pradesh, over 70 per cent in Meghalaya, and 37 per cent in Nagaland not being seeded with Aadhaar numbers. To a question on "whether it is also a f

No-confidence motion news LIVE: Lok Sabha adjourned till Wednesday 11am

Catch all the latest news updates live related to the no-confidence motion that will be taken up in Lok Sabha today

Monsoon Session: Parliament clears inter-services organisations bill

The Parliament on Tuesday passed a bill which seeks to provide the commander-in-chief and officer-in-command of inter-services organisations disciplinary and administrative powers over personnel from other forces serving in such establishments. The bill was cleared in Rajya Sabha with a voice vote. Lok Sabha had had given its nod to the legislation on August 4. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India is fully prepared to face any type of warfare and the country's defence spending can be increased to 5-6 per cent of GDP if needed. In his reply to discussion on The Interservices Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill, 2023, Singh said also said filling vacancies in the armed forces is a continuous process. The country's maritime interest is fully protected and there is no reason for the house to worry about it, he said, adding "Also, we are fully prepared for any type of warfare." This preparedness will continue going forward, Singh asserted. On low defence spendin

Over 400,000 hectares brought under natural farming in 8 states: Govt

About 4.09 lakh hectares have been brought under natural farming in eight states with Andhra Pradesh leading the group, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said in Parliament on Tuesday. The eight states are Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Tamil Nadu, the minister said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. The Centre is promoting natural farming since 2019-20 through a sub-scheme, Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP), under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana. "So far, 4.09 lakh hectare area has been brought under natural farming in 8 states," Tomar said. About 1 lakh hectares have been brought under natural farming in Andhra Pradesh, 99,000 hectares in Madhya Pradesh, 85,000 hectares in Chhattisgarh, 84,000 hectares in Kerala, 24,000 hectares in Odisha, 12,000 hectares in Himachal Pradesh, 3,400 hectares in Jharkhand, and 2,000 hectares in Tamil Nadu, he said. Natural farming is chemical-free and based on the

Rahul Gandhi gets back his official bungalow after being reinstated as MP

Rahul Gandhi vacated the bungalow in April this year following his disqualification as member of the Parliament

LS briefly disrupted as Oppn protests tickers on Sansad TV on govt works

Lok Sabha was briefly disrupted on Tuesday during a discussion on the no-confidence motion following opposition members' loud protest against tickers running on Sansad TV that highlighted development works of the government during the live broadcast of the debate in the House. Soon after BJP member Nishikant Dubey began speaking against the motion, several opposition members, including the Congress, TMC and the DMK, protested over the issue. Some members of the treasury benches, including ministers, were seen taking a swipe at the Opposition for its inability to come to terms with the development ushered in by the government. Speaker Om Birla sought to calm down opposition members, noting that a different system was in place to run the Sansad TV after it was created following the merger of the Lok Sabha TV and the Rajya Sabha TV. He later said he has given instructions, a suggestion that the tickers will stop running, and that happened in a couple of minutes. Opposition members we

No confidence motion in Parliament today: Here's all you should know

The no confidence debate will run for three days and will be initiated by Congress Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi at 12 pm

Oppn forced to bring no-trust vote to break PM's maun vrat on Manipur: Cong

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday said the opposition bloc INDIA was forced to bring the no-confidence motion against the government to break Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "vow of silence" on Manipur. Initiating the debate on the motion in the Lok Sabha, Gogoi alleged that a government which talks about "one India has created two Manipurs -- one living in hills and the other in the valley". As the lower house took up the motion moved by Gogoi, there were heated exchanges between the opposition and treasury benches after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi wondered why Rahul Gandhi's name as lead speaker was withdrawn last minute. Gogoi's response that should the remarks made by the prime minister in Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's chamber be revealed in the House evoked a sharp retort from Home Minister Amit Shah who said the member cannot make unsubstantiated claims about the PM. Gogoi submitted his motion -- 'This House expresses want of confidence in the council of ...

LS adjourned till 12 on Oppn protests on expunged debate being re-recorded

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon on Tuesday after opposition members strongly protested against an expunged portion of Monday's debate being re-recorded. When the House met at 11 AM, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raised the issue of the expunged portion of the comments made by BJP member Nishikant Dubey being re-recorded. Speaker Om Birla said the member, who chairs any proceeding of the House, has full authority to take any decision. The speaker does not give any instruction, he said. As the opposition members continued their protests, Birla asked them whether they were interested in allowing the House to function. Don't you want to allow the House to function? Question Hour is very important but you don't want to take part in it, he said and adjourned the House till 12 noon. On Monday, Dubey had raised in Lok Sabha the issue of a news report in the New York Times which claimed that web portal NewsClick has received Rs 38 crore funding and

BJP holds party meeting ahead of no-confidence motion against Modi govt

BJP national president and party MP JP Nadda were among those who attended the meeting

Rahul Gandhi will open discussion on no-confidence motion against Modi govt

Congress leader Rahul is likely to open the debate from the opposition side when the Lok Sabha takes up discussion on the no-confidence motion against the government on Tuesday. Sources in the Congress said Gandhi will open the discussion while other leaders such as Gaurav Gogoi, who moved the motion, will follow later. Starting Tuesday, the Lok Sabha is set to witness a fierce debate on the no-confidence motion against the BJP-led government. The motion of no-confidence by Gogoi, the Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, has been listed as agenda item three in the List of Business. It will take place under the shadow of the ethnic violence in Manipur, which has led to repeated disruptions in both Houses of Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to reply to the debate on Thursday. Congress leaders such as Manish Tewari and Depak Baij are also likely to speak during the debate. The numbers are comfortably stacked in favour of the government and the opposition is

Took rules of no-trust motion to drag PM to Lok Sabha: TMC MP Derek O'Brien

TMC MP Derek O'Brien on Tuesday claimed that it has taken the rules of a no-confidence motion moved by the opposition to "drag" Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Lok Sabha. In a tweet, the TMC's Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha also urged the prime minister to come to the Upper House. "It's taken the rules of a no-confidence motion to finally drag the PM to the Lok Sabha," he tweeted. "And in the Rajya Sabha, what's stopping this heartless government from starting the discussion on Manipur today, August 8, at 11 am. Let's begin," he added in the tweet. The Lok Sabha is set to witness a fierce debate on the no-confidence motion against the BJP-led government on Tuesday. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, whose membership was restored in the wake of the Supreme Court staying his conviction in a defamation case, is likely to be the lead speaker of the INDIA opposition bloc. The motion of no-confidence by Gaurav Gogoi, the Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, has been listed a

Day before no-trust debate, Rahul Gandhi returns to Lok Sabha as MP

On March 23, a Gujarat court convicted him for two years in a criminal defamation case, and the Lok Sabha Secretariat disqualified him the next day

Lok Sabha passes bill to provide legal framework to reduce court burden

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed a bill that seeks to provide legal framework to mediation and reduce burden on courts. Introducing the Mediation Bill, 2021, in the Lower House, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said it provides "legal backbone" to mediation. The Rajya Sabha has already passed the bill on August 1. The bill will also promote ease of doing business as many of petty disputes would be cleared through this alternative dispute resolution mechanism, Meghwal said, adding that this will be "cost effective means" of dispute resolution. During the debate on the bill, the minister said the legislation has provision for penal action if the parties fail to comply with the agreed mediation. "Under this we are making the Mediation Council. This is a neutral third party. This bill makes the process a time-bound mechanism which saves time and money of parties," Meghwal said. He said mediation is part of Indian culture and tradition but it lost its relevance during the British period.

LS passes amendment to decriminalise offences in coastal aquaculture biz

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed an amendment bill to decriminalise the offences committed in carrying out the coastal aquaculture activities and ensure ease of doing business. Union Minister Parshottam K Rupala said that the fishermen community of the country will welcome the bill. He said that through this, "we can send a message from parliament that we stand with the fishermen". The bill was passed by voice vote. The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which was introduced in the lower house on April 5, also seeks to expand the scope, remove regulatory gaps and reduce the compliance burden without diluting environmental protection rules in the coastal areas. To decriminalise the offences, the bill seeks to remove the jail term of up to three years and impose only a penalty of up to Rs 1 lakh. It also seeks to fine-tune the operational procedures of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority to make it more responsive to the needs of the stakeholders, promote newer forms