Page 124 - Lok Sabha

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

LIVE: Govt defers implementation of laptop import restrictions to Nov 1

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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

Have take measures in partnership with CERT-In against cyber threats: Govt

The Union Health Ministry has undertaken various measures in collaboration with the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) to ensure data security and protect the privacy of patients from cyber threats, the Lok Sabha was told on Friday. Advisories issued by the CERT-In are disseminated to all authorised medical care entities and service providers in the country for compliance, Minister of State for Health S P Singh Baghel said in a written reply in the Lower House. These include advisories on the latest cyber threats or vulnerabilities and countermeasures, guidelines on information security practices for government entities and specifically for health, data and network security and identity and access management, application security, third-party outsourcing, hardening procedures, security monitoring, incident management and security auditing, he said. On observing any cybersecurity incidents highlighted by the CERT-In, remedial actions are taken as per its direction and

Lok Sabha passes bill to set up agency to fund research across universities

A bill to set up a national agency to fund research across universities in the country was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday by Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh. The Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill-2023 seeks to set up a Rs 50,000-crore fund, with a sizeable contribution from the private sector, 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. It seeks to set up different funds the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Fund, for the financing of activities under the Act; the Innovation Fund for supporting outstanding creativity in the areas supported by the foundation; the Science and Engineering Research Fund for the continuation of the projects and programmes initiated under the Science and Engineering Research Board Act, 2008; and one or more special-purpose funds for any specific project or

Rajnath to present military inter-services organisations bill in Lok Sabha

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will present the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, According to the legislative business listed for the day in Lok Sabha

Cong MP moves adjournment notice in LS, seeks discussion on China border

The Parliament has been witnessing a logjam over a number of issues, including the violence in Manipur, since the beginning of the Monsoon Session on July 20

AAP's lone Lok Sabha member Sushil Rinku suspended for Monsoon session

The Lok Sabha on Thursday suspended newly-elected AAP member Sushil Kumar Rinku for the remaining part of the Monsoon session for unruly behaviour in the House. As the Lok Sabha passed the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, Rinku came to the well of the house, tore some papers and threw them in the direction of Speaker Om Birla. After the Bill was passed, Birla objected to Rinku's conduct in the House and asked Parliametary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi to move a resolution for the AAP member's suspension. Birla formally named Rinku for conduct unbecoming of a member of the Lok Sabha following which the minister moved a resolution for his suspension for the remaining part of the Monsoon session. The motion was adopted by a voice vote. The Monsoon session is scheduled to end on August 11. Rinku, who was elected to the Lok Sabha in a bypoll in May, took oath as member on July 20, the first day of the ongoing Parliament session.

Privacy experts raise concerns over increased govt control in Data Bill

ITI Council, the global industry body with several big tech firms, has welcomed the bill

Delhi Services Bill passes Lok Sabha test amid Opposition walkout

YSRCP, BJD support govt; AAP member suspended; Parliament logjam ends

Congress top brass holds strategy meet for Kerala for 2024 Lok Sabha polls

The Congress' top brass on Thursday held a strategy meeting with party leaders from Kerala to discuss the preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge chaired the meeting and former party chief Rahul Gandhi was also present there, besides state Congress president and CLP leader. A number of party MPs from Kerala in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha participated in the meeting, besides senior state leaders. "The strategy meeting of Kerala Congress leaders in Delhi, began with a silent prayer remembering former chief minister, late Shri Oommen Chandy and former governor and minister (Kerala government), late Shri Vakkom Purushothaman," Kharge said after the meeting. He said in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Kerala had blessed the Congress with 19 of the total 20 MPs. "In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, we are extremely positive that the people of this progressive state shall once again give a resounding mandate to the Congress party," he said. The part

Shah made an election speech, Oppn not allowed to raise issues: Chowdhury

The opposition on Thursday walked out of Lok Sabha before the voting on the Delhi services bill, accusing Home Minister Amit Shah of making an election speech and alleging that it was not allowed to raise some issues. Speaking to reporters, Leader of the Congress Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claimed that the issue was all about snatching the rights of an elected government but Shah was instead "abusive" to the opposition and made an election speech. He said he wanted to seek some clarifications from Shah, including on the Manipur issue, but was not allowed. DMK member T R Baalu accused Union minister Anurag Thakur of taunting his party over the issue of scams. Opposition members were quiet during the debate and disturbed no one, including Shah, but Thakur started "heckling" them later, he said. The BRS also joined INDIA bloc parties in walking out of the House. The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which will replace an ordinance promulgated for

Kejriwal accuses BJP of backstabbing people of Delhi after LS passes bill

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday accused the BJP of backstabbing the people of the national capital after Lok Sabha passed a bill to replace an ordinance promulgated for handling the transfers and postings of senior officers in the city government. Kejriwal lashed out at the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and urged people not to believe anything the PM says. "BJP always promised to give full statehood to Delhi. In 2014, Modi himself said that on becoming the prime minister, he would give full statehood to Delhi. But today these people stabbed the people of Delhi in the back. Don't believe anything said by Modiji from now on," he said in a tweet in Hindi. The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed by Lok Sabha on Thursday amid a walkout by opposition parties. The Delhi services bill was passed after a nearly four-hour-long debate which was replied to by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Shah made it clear that the ..

Lok Sabha passes National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023

Home Minister Amit Shah slammed the Opposition alliance and their absence from the Parliament during the discussion of bills

DGCA issues 993 commercial pilot licences this year Jul 24: Govt data

A total of 993 commercial pilot licences have been issued this year till July 24, the government said on Thursday. Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh informed the Lok Sabha that currently, there are 36 Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) operating at 57 bases. According to data provided as part of a written reply, 993 Commercial Pilot Licences (CPLs) and 407 Airline Transport Pilot Licences (ATPL) have been issued this year till July 24. In 2022, a total of 1,165 CPLs and 720 ATPLs were issued. An individual is eligible to apply for CPL after completing at least 200 hours of flying and fulfilling other conditions. Besides, the individual has to clear theory papers and once successful, the CPL is given for a period of five years subject to complying with various requirements. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issues three types of licenses -- CPL, Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) and Private Pilot Licence (PPL). While CPL allows a pilot to start flyi