Page 10 - Monsoon Session Of Parliament

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No-confidence motion at wrong time, in wrong manner: Kiren Rijiju

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said the Congress and other opposition parties have brought the no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government in the Lok Sabha at a "wrong time and in a wrong manner." The minister said that at a time when Prime Minister Modi has emerged as the world leader and the country was marching ahead to become a developed nation by 2047, there was no need for such a motion against the government. Instead, he said, the opposition should join hands with the government to celebrate 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' and work towards achieving the target set by the prime minister for the next 25 years. "Congress and opposition parties will regret bringing in the no-confidence motion at the wrong time and in a wrong manner," the minister said. Participating in the debate on the no-confidence motion, Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav asked why Prime Minister Modi was not present in Lok Sabha during the debate on the no-confidence motion, to which he has to

Parliament passes Bill to empower Prez with management IIMs' accountability

Parliament on Tuesday passed a bill which seeks to entrust the management accountability of the IIMs with the President, who will be the Visitor to the premier B-schools and have powers to audit their functioning and remove or appoint directors. The Rajya Sabha cleared the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which aims to strengthen the governance and oversight of the prestigious institutions while preserving their academic autonomy, by a voice vote. Lok Sabha had cleared the bill on August 4. Replying to a debate on the bill in Rajya Sabha, 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. He noted that the Centre has spent more than Rs 6,000 crore in setting up the IIMs. According to the bill, which seeks to amend the IIM Act of 2017, the President will be a Visitor to the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) with

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

Parl approves Dental Commission Bill, Nursing & Midwifery Commission Bill

Rajya Sabha on Tuesday approved the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023, and the National Dental Commission Bill, 2023, which are aimed at further improving the quality of education in the healthcare sector. Lok Sabha had passed these two bills on July 28. With Rajya Sabha's approval, the parliamentary process regarding the proposed legislations has been completed. The two bills piloted by Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya were passed by voice vote after a brief discussion. The National Dental Commission Bill seeks to repeal the Dentists Act, 1948, and proposes to set up the National Dental Commission (NMC) to regulate dental education and the profession. It also aims at making dental education affordable and quality oral healthcare accessible. The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023, aims at setting up the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission (NNMC) and repealing the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947. The Bill provides for regulation and ...

Oppn parties move privilege notice against Goyal over remarks against them

Several leaders of the opposition alliance INDIA have given a privilege notice against leader of the house in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal over his certain remarks against some opposition leaders. Among the parties whose leaders gave the notice are the Congress, TMC, AAP, RJD, DMK, RJD, JDU, NCP and the Left parties. Sources said leaders of INDIA parties gave the notice to the Rajya Sabha chairman complaining against Goyal's certain remarks made while he was speaking on the issue of media portal 'NewsClick' receiving funding from China-linked firms allegedly to spread Chinese propaganda. Goyal questioned the relationship between the opposition parties and the news portal 'NewsClick', now accused by the New York Times of receiving funding from China-linked firms. "Today at 1300 hrs, the floor leaders of INDIA parties in the Rajya Sabha submitted a privilege motion against Leader of the House Piyush Goyal for addressing the Opposition as all of them 'traitors'," Ramesh said on ...

O'Brien allowed to attend RS after motion to suspend him not put to vote

Rajya Sabha on Tuesday witnessed high drama over the suspension of TMC MP Derek O'Brien with the Chairman first announcing that he has to withdraw from the House but later said the motion to suspend him was not put to vote and hence, he could continue to attend the proceedings. O'Brien was allowed to attend the House proceedings after Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said he has taken a "far-sighted" decision to not allow voting on the motion to suspend him which did not fructify. The Chairman had earlier announced the suspension of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader for his unruly behaviour in the House. Several members, including Pramod Tiwari (Congress), urged the Chair to take a lenient view on O'Brien, but the Chairman asked why he should show leniency. "If O'Brien would have been suspended from the House for this session, do you think he would have been allowed to enter the House again? Can he come back again?" the chairman said, adding that for him action against any .

AI, machine learning used to detect potential frauds under Ayushman Bharat

The Indian government uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies to detect suspicious transactions and potential frauds under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the Rajya Sabha was told on Tuesday. These technologies are used for prevention, detection and deterrence of healthcare frauds in the scheme implementation and are helpful in ensuring appropriate treatment to the eligible beneficiaries, Minister of State for Health SP Singh Baghel said in a written reply. Technology partners are engaged for development and deployment of anti-fraud measures using AI/ML. As on August 1, 2023, a total number of 24.33 crore Ayushman cards have been created under the scheme, the minister informed the Upper House.

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

Gaurav Gogoi, TR Baalu invoke Atal Bihari Vajpayee to target PM Modi

The opposition on Tuesday invoked BJP veteran Atal Bihari Vajpayee to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi and remind him of 'rajdharma', as it accused him of taking a "vow of silence" over crucial issues such as the ethnic violence in Manipur. Initiating the debate on the no-confidence motion against the government in Lok Sabha, Congress member Gaurav Gogoi recalled that former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had visited Gujarat after the 2002 communal riots. "Why did he (Prime Minister Modi) take about 80 days to speak on Manipur and (he) just spoke for 30 seconds. After that there has been no peace appeal on Manipur from him. Ministers are saying they will speak, but as prime minister, the power of his words cannot be matched by ministers," Gogoi said. "When people were gasping for breath during the Covid second wave, the prime minister was seeking votes in West Bengal. When women were being assaulted in Manipur, the prime minister was seeking votes in Karnataka. What kind of

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

People of Delhi will give befitting reply to BJP: AAP on services bill

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday targeted the Centre over the Delhi services bill passed by Parliament and said the people of the national capital will give a "befitting reply" to the BJP in the upcoming elections. AAP chief national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said the entire opposition "unitedly opposed" the bill. Party Delhi convener Gopal Rai said the bill is an "insult" to the people of Delhi. "The entire opposition unitedly opposed the unconstitutional bill yesterday. We are fighting the battle in Parliament and the court. The people of Delhi will give them (BJP) a befitting reply in the next elections," Kakkar told PTI. Parliament on Monday passed the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, that gives the central government control over bureaucrats in the Delhi government. Rai alleged that the bill was introduced in Parliament by the Central Government against the decision of the Supreme Court and called it a "murder of democracy". "Th

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

Crop insurance claims worth Rs 2,761.10 cr pending under PMFBY till 2021-22

Crop insurance claims worth around Rs 2,761.10 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) were pending till 2021-22, with maximum pendency of claims in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. The admissible claims under the PMFBY are generally paid by the concerned insurance companies within two months of completion of harvesting period and one month of notification for invoking the risks of prevented sowing, mid-season adversity and post harvest losses. It is also subject to receipt of a total share of premium subsidy from the concerned government within time. "However, settlement of few claims in some states got delayed due to reasons like delayed transmission of yield data; late release of their share in premium subsidy, yield-related disputes between insurance companies and states...," Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, in his written reply to the Lok Sabha, said. As per the data placed by the minister, about Rs 2,761.10 cr

Two BSF personnel, 21 civilians held for infiltration attempts since 2021

Two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel and 21 civilians involved in infiltration attempts have been apprehended since 2021, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday. Union Minister of State for Home Nisith Pramanik said that to stop infiltration along the Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders, the government has adopted a multi-pronged approach which includes round-the-clock surveillance and patrolling on the borders and establishment of observation post, increase in number of the BSF personnel, construction of border fencing and floodlighting. Use of water crafts and boats and floating border out posts for domination of riverine areas, advance technological equipments such as hand-held thermal imager, night vision device, twin telescope and unmanned aerial vehicles, upgradation of intelligence setup, and enhanced coordination with the state governments and intelligence agencies were also part of the multi-pronged strategy, he said. "Two BSF personnel and 21 local persons/civilians

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

Banks write off Rs 14.56 trn NPAs in last nine financial years: Centre

Banks have written off bad loans worth Rs 14.56 lakh crore in the last nine financial years starting 2014-15, Parliament was informed on Monday. Out of the total Rs 14,56,226 crore, written off loans of large industries and services stood at Rs 7,40,968 crore. Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) have recovered an aggregate amount of Rs 2,04,668 crore in written-off loans, including corporate loans, since April, 2014 and up to March, 2023, Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad said in a written reply to Lok Sabha. Loans written-off during the financial year, net of recovery in written-off loans during the financial year (net write-off) in public sector banks (PSBs) was Rs 1.18 lakh crore in the financial year (FY) 2017-18, which has declined to 0.91 lakh crore in FY 2021-22 and to Rs 0.84 lakh crore (RBI provisional data) in FY 2022-23, he said in another reply. Net write-off loans by private sector banks stood at Rs 73,803 crore (RBI provisional data) in FY 2022-23, he said. N

Command and control

Changes in the law will affect IIMs' autonomy

Expanding powers

The registration Bill is as draconian as the old one

14,277 GST appeals pending against disputed tax demands by authorities

As many as 14,227 appeals against disputed tax demands raised by Central GST authorities are pending as of June 2023, Parliament was informed on Monday. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said the 49th meeting of the GST Council had approved the setting up of GST Appellate Tribunals across the country. "It has been planned to establish the State benches in a phased manner based on the request of states," the Minister said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. He also gave details of the number of GST appeals against demands by Central GST authorities pending at various levels. During 2023-24 (up to June 2023), 14,227 appeals were pending. The number was gone up from 11,899 pending appeals as of March 2023. Setting up of GST Appellate Tribunal benches in states would help in faster dispute resolution. Currently, taxpayers aggrieved with the ruling of tax authorities are required to move the respective High Courts. The resolution process takes longer time as High Courts a