Page 120 - Lok Sabha

Command and control

Changes in the law will affect IIMs' autonomy

LS passes bill to recognise pharmacists qualified under J-K Pharmacy Act

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed a bill allowing persons qualified or registered under the Jammu and Kashmir Pharmacy Act to be registered as pharmacists under the Pharmacy Act, thus doing away with the ambiguity with regard to the two legislations. Piloting the Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that changes will increase job opportunities for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir. The bill, which was passed by voice vote in the Lower House, seeks to do away with issues concerning the status of persons registered or qualified under the Jammu and Kashmir Pharmacy Act. Under the current dispensation, registration under the Pharmacy Act is mandatory for persons practising pharmacy in the country. "Any person whose name has been entered in the register of pharmacists maintained under the Jammu and Kashmir Pharmacy Act, 2011, or possesses qualification (medical assistant/ pharmacists)... shall be deemed to have been entered in the register of pharmacists ...

Lok Sabha passes Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill for research

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill to set up a national agency to fund research across universities in the country. Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh had introduced the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill-2023 on Friday in the Lower House. The bill seeks to set up a Rs 50,000-crore fund, with a sizeable contribution from the private sector by tapping into the corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds, to "seed, grow and promote" research and development (R&D) and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India's universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories. "PM Narendra Modi has provided an enabling milieu due to which over the last nine years, many taboos of the past were broken, space was opened up for the private sector that is why many startups are working with ISRO. It was our Chandrayan that brought pictures of water and today organisations like NASA are waiting for ..

Population of tigers in India up from 1,411 in 2006 to 3,682 in 2022: Govt

The population of tigers in the country has increased from 1,411 in 2006 to 3,682 in 2022, the government informed the Parliament on Monday. Union Minister of Culture G Kishan Reddy said this in a written response in the Lok Sabha. Reddy was asked whether certain bird, flower, animal etc. in the country have been designated as national bird, national flower and national animal and provided protection along with the special status keeping in view the sentiments of common people across the country. As informed by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF & CC), the Government of India had notified tiger and peacock as 'National Animal' and 'National Bird' respectively, the minister said in his response. "As the said notifications of the Government of India were not forthcoming in the official records of MoEF & CC for quite some time, the Ministry renotified Tiger and Peacock as 'National Animal' and National Bird' respectively, on 30th May 2011," he added. Tiger ..

Lok Sabha passes Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2023 by voice vote

The Lok Sabha on Monday cleared the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill by a voice vote amid slogan shouting by opposition members over the Manipur issue. Some amendments moved by opposition members were defeated by a voice vote. Moving the bill for consideration and passage, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said opposition members had little concern for issues such as public welfare and the protection of people's personal data, and hence, they were raising slogans. He also urged the House to pass the bill unanimously. The bill seeks to protect the privacy of Indian citizens while proposing a penalty of up to Rs 250 crore on entities for misusing or failing to protect the digital data of individuals. The bill which comes after six years of the Supreme Court declaring "Right to Privacy" as a fundamental right has provisions to curb the misuse of individuals' data by online platforms.

After LS nod, Delhi services bill in RS today; AAP issues whip to its MPs

The bill was passed in Lok Sabha after a debate of around four hours which was replied to by Home Minister Amit Shah

Rahul Gandhi's status as Lok Sabha MP restored; to attend Parliament today

In 2019, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi, in Karnataka's Kolar, had said, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?" while referring to Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi

Lok Sabha restores Rahul Gandhi's membership after Supreme Court stay

Gandhi was disqualified as a Lok Sabha member on March 23 after a Gujarat court convicted him in a defamation case and sentenced him to two years in jail

Supreme Court shows the yellow card: Rahul Gandhi back in the field

Now Rahul Gandhi is not only to be reinstated in Parliament, but he can also lead the Congress party in the 2024 general election and contest from any constituency of his choice

Rahul will be Oppn face in 2024 LS polls: Congress MP Pradip Bhattacharya

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the veteran Congress leader said it was wrong for him to say that there was no development under Congress rule

Cong calls meeting of its LS MPs on Monday; Rahul's reinstatement on agenda

The Congress party has called for a meeting of its Lok Sabha MPs in the party's parliamentary office at 10

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Rahul's LS membership should be restored immediately: Cong after SC relief

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday said he has sent all documents pertaining to revocation of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha to the Speaker and his membership should be restored immediately. He said Speaker Om Birla should restore his membership with the same pace as he was disqualified after a Gujarat court convicted him in a defamation case pertaining to Modi surname remarks. Chowdhury said he had called the Speaker last night as well as this morning and later sent the documents to the Speaker's office since the Secretary General's office was closed due to a holiday. "Rahul Gandhi's Parliament Lok Sabha membership should be reinstated with the same pace and swiftness as he was disqualified," the Congress leader in Lok Sabha said, adding he hoped this would be done before Lok Sabha sits on Monday. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said 26 hours after Gandhi was "convicted" by the sessions Court in Surat, the notification of his disqualificati

LS gives nod to bill to evolve disciplinary code for tri-services military

A new tri-service legal architecture, it is hoped, will bring in benefits such as maintenance of effective discipline by the heads of ISOs

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SC stays Rahul's conviction, Cong demands restoration of LS membership

The order will restore his Lok Sabha membership and enable him to contest election

Opposition likely hold INDIA meet in Mumbai on Aug 31-Sept 1: Report

Opposition bloc INDIA is likely to hold its next meeting on August 31 and September 1 in Mumbai, sources said on Friday. They said it would be held on the format of the Bengaluru meeting with leaders first confabulating in an informal setting on August 31 before their main meeting the next day. "The opposition meeting will be a two-day affair and will take place on August 31 and September 1 with all leaders approving the dates," a source said. The likely venue would be a hotel in Pawai and there will be a press conference on August 1 evening, the source said. There have been several dates that have been talked about earlier but those did not work out as all leaders were not available on those dates. The third meeting of the bloc is being hosted jointly by the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP's Sharad Pawar faction, with support from the Congress -- the three constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance. The MVA constituents had been holding parleys to schedule the meeting. The INDI

Parliamentary panel suggests reducing of age to contest LS, assembly polls

A parliamentary committee on Friday batted for reducing the minimum age to contest Lok Sabha and assembly elections, saying it would give the youth equal opportunities to engage in democracy. According to the present legal framework, a person should be at least 25 years old to contest Lok Sabha and assembly polls. The minimum age to become a member of Rajya Sabha and state legislative council is 30 years. At present, the age at which a person can register as a voter is 18 years. For "national elections" or Lok Sabha polls, it specifically recommended reducing the minimum age to contest from the present 25 years to 18. "After examining various countries' practices, such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, the Committee observes that the minimum age for candidacy in national elections needs to be 18 years. These nations' examples demonstrate that young individuals can be reliable and responsible political participants," the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Person

Lok Sabha passes Bill to empower President with management of IIMs

The Lok Sabha Friday passed a Bill seeking to entrust the management accountability of the IIMs with the President, who will be a Visitor and have powers to audit their functioning, remove directors and nominate a member in the selection committee. Piloting the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, in the Lower House, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the government has no intention to take away the academic accountability from the institute but the Bill will only ensure its management accountability as the Centre has spent over Rs 6,000 crore in setting up the IIMs. Under the existing dispensation, the President of India is also a visitor at IITs and NITs, but no questions are being raised on the academic autonomy of these institutes, Pradhan said. The Bill, which was introduced on July 28, was passed by the Lower House by a voice vote amid disruptions by opposition members over the recent violence in Manipur. According to the Bill, which seeks to amend

Lok Sabha passes Bill for jointness & integration of armed forces personnel

Inter-Services Organisation Bill 2023 hands all disciplinary and administrative powers concerning the personnel serving in or attached to these organisations to heads of Inter-Services Organisations