Page 13 - Lok Sabha

Focus on automatic train protection system: Parl committee to Railways

Improving crowd management, adopting energy-efficient technologies, and enhancing onboard amenities are some of the suggestions

Centre tables Manipur budget in LS envisaging Rs 35,104 cr expenditure

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday tabled in the Lok Sabha the Manipur budget for 2025-26, envisaging an expenditure of Rs 35,103.90 crore, up from Rs 32,656.81 crore in the current financial year. Manipur is currently under the President's Rule. The total receipts have been pegged at Rs 35,368.19 crore, up from Rs 32,471.90 crore in 2024-25. According to documents, the capital outlay has been increased by 19 per cent to Rs 7,773 crore over the current financial year ending March 2025. Manipur's budget provides for over Rs 2,000 crore under Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) and Rs 9,520 crore for social sector outlay. For relief and rehabilitation for internally displaced persons, Rs 15 crore has been provided for temporary shelter to them; Rs 35 crore towards housing for displaced people, Rs 100 crore for relief operation, and Rs 7 crore for compensation. A budgetary allocation of Rs 2,866 crore for 2025-26 has been made towards incentives fo

Parliament Budget session highlights: Rajya Sabha discusses Railways Amendment Bill

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Women's Day: LS Speaker highlights women's leadership in nation-building

On International Women's Day, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla underscored the pivotal role of women in India's progress, emphasising their leadership across governance, science, defense, education, and entrepreneurship. Speaking at an event in the Parliament House Complex, he lauded the increasing presence of women in decision-making roles and reiterated that India is entering a new era where women are driving change from grassroots democracy to national governance. Highlighting the contributions of pioneering women in India's democratic framework, Birla paid tributes to the 15 women members of the Constituent Assembly, whose vision, he said, continues to inspire future generations. As the nation marks 75 years of the Constitution, he emphasised the importance of recognising their efforts in laying the foundation for gender equality and inclusive governance. He also reflected on India's deep-rooted tradition of revering women, citing their resilience and strength as key pillars of ...

Southern states will lose 26 seats in LS after delimitation: Chidambaram

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has called for a joint effort from various political parties to raise their voices against Delimitation, calling for a Joint Action Committee meeting on March 22

LS delimitation: Tamil Nadu CM Stalin moots Joint Action Committee of MPs

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday proposed a Joint Action Committee comprising MPs and party representatives from southern states at an all party meeting on Lok Sabha seats delimitation here. Moving a resolution, Stalin said that in the event of increase in the number of seats in Parliament, 1971 Census should be the basis for it. Also, the 1971 Census should be basis for delimitation of LS seats for 30 years from 2026, he asserted. The all party meeting is expected to pass a resolution on the issue of delimitation. Principal opposition party AIADMK, the Congress and Left parties, actor-politician Vijay's TVK among others attended the meeting which was boycotted by the BJP, Tamil nationalist Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) and former union minister GK Vasan's Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar). The ruling DMK has been staunchly opposing the delimitation exercise, with party president and chief minister Stalin claiming it will lead to reduced LS seats in TN. He has wondered

Lok Sabha MP's secy loses over Rs 1L after calling fake helpline number

According to the police, the victim was attempting to book a train ticket from Chennai to Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, through a mobile application

Centre spent over Rs 400 crore to contest court cases in last 10 years

The government has spent more than Rs 400 crore to contest court cases during the past 10 years, official data showed. The central government's Rs 66 crore expenditure on litigations in the 2023-24 financial year was over Rs 9 crore higher than the previous fiscal. The amount incurred on litigations has gone up since 2014-15, barring two fiscals when the Covid pandemic was at its peak, according to data shared by the government with the Lok Sabha in response to a question in the ongoing Budget session. In 2014-15, the cost incurred on litigations stood at Rs 26.64 crore while the expenditure for 2015-16 was Rs 37.43 crore. Between the 2014-15 and the 2023-24 financial years, the government spent more than Rs 409 crore on litigations. The government is working on a national litigation policy that seeks to expedite the resolution of pending cases. A draft of the proposed policy will go before the Union Cabinet for a final call. The policy has been drafted and redrafted for several

ONOE Bill upholds federal structure: Former law panel chief to House panel

Former Law Commission chairperson Justice (Retd.) Ritu Raj Awasthi on Tuesday is learnt to have told the joint committee of Parliament examining the 'one nation, one election' (ONOE) Bill that the proposed measure does not violate the basic structure doctrine on federalism and is not against the democratic principles of the Constitution. Justice Awasthi, who is now a member of anti-corruption watchdog Lokpal, is also learnt to have told the committee members that the bill, which lays down the legal framework to hold simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, does not violate the right to vote for eligible citizens. Deposing before the panel as an expert, the former Karnataka High Court chief justice said that the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill had all the ingredients to hold simultaneous polls in the country. The law panel under his chairpersonship had prepared a draft report on simultaneous elections. He is learnt to have told the committee that the bill, ...

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 ...

USAID funded 7 projects worth $750 mn in India in FY24: FinMin report

Amid a raging political controversy over USAID's alleged role in influencing Indian elections, the latest annual report of the finance ministry has disclosed that the agency funded seven projects worth USD 750 million in 2023-24. "Currently, seven projects worth a total budget of USD 750 million (approx.) are being implemented by USAID in partnership with Government of India," as per the Finance Ministry annual report for 2023-24. For the financial year 2023-24, an obligation of a total of USD 97 million (about Rs 825 crore) has been made by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) under the seven projects, it said. The Department of Economic Affairs under the Finance Ministry which is the nodal department for bilateral funding arrangements has also shared the details of projects funded in 2023-24 in the report. During the year, no funding was made for enhancing voter turnout but to projects related to agriculture & food security programme; water, sanitation and hygiene

Income-Tax Bill empowers taxman to ask for access to electronic systems

Scrutinising crypto, other virtual digital assets may become easier

Select Committee of Lok Sabha to examine Income Tax Bill constituted

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday constituted a 31-member Select Committee of the lower house to examine the Income Tax Bill. To be headed by BJP's Baijayant Panda, the panel is mandated to submit its report by the first day of the next session. The ongoing Budget Session will conclude on April 4 and the Monsoon session could commence in the third or fourth week of July. While introducing the Bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had urged Birla to refer the draft law to a Select Committee of the House. The much-anticipated Bill will 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.

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

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Govt lists Income-Tax Bill, 2025 for introduction in Lok Sabha on Feb 13

The government has listed a bill to consolidate and amend the law relating to income-tax for introduction in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. According to the agenda circulated by the Lok Sabha secretariat on Wednesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will introduce the Income-Tax Bill, 2025. The much-anticipated Bill will replace terminologies like assessment and previous year with easier to understand 'tax year' as part of move to simplify language while removing provisos and explanations.

Govt plans Rs 5 lakh fine, up to 5 yr jail for illegal entry under new bill

Stricter measures for foreign nationals entering India are part of the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha

'Targeted Budget, focused on rich, big people': Akhilesh Yadav in Lok Sabha

The SP chief also said that the budget does not reflect a roadmap to making the country a developed nation

Budget Session highlights: Govt using 99% borrowings for capex, which is 4.3% of GDP, says FM

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Translation services extended to 6 new languages in Parliament: Om Birla

Translation services were available in 10 languages including Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu, in addition to Hindi and English

Delhi HC lists Engineer Rashid's bail plea on Feb 24 after SC clarification

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday listed for hearing on February 24 a plea by jailed MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh alias Engineer Rashid on the issue of lack of a forum to decide his bail plea in a terror funding case. Justice Vikas Mahajan deferred the hearing after he was informed by the counsel for the high court administration that the Supreme Court on Monday clarified that the NIA court dealing with the case could hear the bail plea. Rashid had moved the high court earlier, alleging he did not have a remedy after the NIA court dealing with his bail application left him in a limbo after his election to the Lok Sabha last year on account of it not being a special MP/MLA court. As an interim relief, Rashid was on Monday allowed a two-day custody parole to attend the ongoing Parliament session on February 11 and 13. In view of the development in the top court, Justice Mahajan on Tuesday orally asked Rashid's lawyer to approach the NIA court for bail. The MP's counsel, however, urged the c