Page 14 - Monsoon Session Of Parliament

Lessors have applied for deregistration of 54 Go First planes: Govt

Lessors have sought deregistration of 54 aircraft of Go First and aviation regulator DGCA is closely monitoring the situation since the airline announced cancellation of flights in May, the government said on Monday. Cash-strapped budget carrier Go First stopped flying on May 3 and is undergoing a voluntary insolvency resolution process. In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has received applications from lessors for deregistration of a total number of 54 aircraft leased to Go First. "Processing of the applications by DGCA is subject to the outcome of the cases before National Company Law Tribunal, Delhi and the hon'ble High Court of Delhi," he said. The minister also said the regulator has been closely monitoring the situation since Go First on May 2 announced cancellation of their flights and their application for insolvency filed under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 ...

Culture Ministry has 4,919 posts lying vacant, govt tells Lok Sabha

As many as 4,919 posts are lying vacant against the sanctioned strength of 13,865 which cover the Culture Ministry and its attached, subordinate and autonomous bodies, Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy informed the Lok Sabha on Monday. Asked whether the ministry and other departments and bodies under its control have a "shortage of manpower" compared to sanctioned posts, he replied in the affirmative. "There are 4,919 posts lying vacant against the sanctioned strength of 13,865 which cover the ministry and its attached, subordinate and autonomous bodies. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has 3,696 centrally protected monuments in various states and Union Territories of the country. "ASI takes up maintenance and conservation work of these monuments and sites regularly, as per availability of resources. Upkeep of the monuments is a continuous process," he said. Reddy said, "There is no centrally protected monument/site which has been badly affected due to shortage of staff

UCO Bank, Bank of Maharashtra without chairpersons since April 2015

State-run UCO Bank and Bank of Maharashtra are working without chairpersons since April 2015, the Lok Sabha was told on Monday. Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Indian Bank, and Indian Overseas Bank, also do not have chairpersons. The posts of chairpersons have been vacant in UCO Bank and Bank of Maharashtra since April 22, 2015, Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad said in the Lok Sabha in a written reply. The top post in Indian Bank has been vacant since August 2018, while Bank of India is without a chairperson since August 2020, Indian Overseas Bank since February 2020, and Central Bank of India since May 2021. The country has 12 public sector banks (PSBs). The provision to separate posts of chairpersons and managing directors in PSBs was made in April 2015. Subsequently, non-executive chairpersons have been appointed in nine banks, the minister said. The government, which appoints chairpersons of state-owned banks, has constituted Financial Services Institutions

Over 93% conviction rate in money laundering cases in 9 years: Govt

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has reported a conviction rate of more than 93 per cent in money laundering cases over the last nine years, the government informed the Parliament on Monday. The federal agency also has a vacancy of over 25 per cent as of July 13, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. As per his statement, the ED has a sanctioned strength of 2,075 staffers and out of this it has 1,542 posts occupied at present. "During the last nine years, the trial has been completed in 31 PMLA cases which resulted in conviction of 54 accused in 29 cases. Thus, as on date, rate of conviction under PMLA is 93.54 per cent," the minister said while replying to a question on ED's conviction rate in money laundering cases during the last nine years. The ED was entrusted to enforce stringent provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), enacted in 2002, from July 1, 2005. It also enforces the Foreign Exchange Management A

Rajya Sabha disrupted by uproar over Manipur violence, AAP MP's suspension

Rajya Sabha proceedings were on Monday rocked by the opposition uproar over Manipur violence and suspension of AAP MP Sanjay Singh from the House for the remainder of the Monsoon session. When the Upper House of Parliament reassembled at 3 pm, having been adjourned three times earlier in the day, following heated exchanges between Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and TMC's Derek O'Brien over the issue of party affiliations of those submitting notices on the Manipur issue and suspension of Singh, noisy scenes resumed as Deputy Chairman Harivansh asked the AAP MP to leave the House. Singh was on Monday suspended from Rajya Sabha for the rest of the Monsoon session for repeatedly "violating" the directives of the Chair while protesting on the Manipur issue. Opposition parties condemned the action against Singh and accused the government of trying to throttle their voice. "Sanjay Singh has been suspended... I had asked him to leave the House. Despite my appeal, the member did not leave the Ho

Parl panel suggests setting up specialised security agency for airports

A Parliamentary panel on Monday asked the government to look at the feasibility of setting up a specialised security agency for airports amid rising air passenger traffic. Besides, the committee has proposed constituting a special airline wing to deal with police and courts in unruly air passenger behaviour cases and urged aviation regulator DGCA to enforce a zero-tolerance policy for such incidents. These are among the recommendations made by the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, which tabled its report in Parliament on Monday. Out of a total of 353 units deployed by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), 66 units or 18.7 per cent are deployed at the airports, the panel said and added that the civil aviation sector is expected to grow at a faster pace and that will increase the need for manpower engaged in providing security at airports. "The committee, therefore, recommends that the Ministry of Civil Aviation may examine

AAP MP Sanjay Singh suspended from Rajya Sabha for entire Monsoon session

AAP MP Sanjay Singh was on Monday suspended from Rajya Sabha for the rest of the Monsoon session for repeatedly "violating" the directives of the Chair while protesting on the Manipur issue. Opposition parties condemned the action against Singh and accused the government of trying to throttle their voice. The suspension came after Leader of the House Piyush Goyal moved a motion in this regard and it was adopted by the House by voice vote. Before that, Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar named Singh for his "unruly behaviour" and cautioned him. Singh had rushed to the well of the House and was pointing at the Chair while seeking a discussion on Manipur when he was cautioned. The Aam Aadmi Party leader, however, continued to protest in the House even after he was suspended and Rajya Sabha was adjourned. Later, opposition members raised the issue with the chairman and urged him to revoke the suspension. They also walked out in protest and boycotted the meeting of floor leaders cal

Monsoon Session: Govt introduces National Dental Commission Bill in LS

The government on Monday introduced the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023 and the National Dental Commission Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha. The National Dental Commission Bill seeks to repeal the Dentists Act, 1948 and proposes to set up National Dental Commission (NMC) to regulate dental education and the profession in the country. It also aims to make dental education affordable and make quality oral healthcare accessible. According to official sources, the composition of the dental commission will be similar to that of the National Medical Commission, which had replaced the Medical Council of India. The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023 aims at setting up National Nursing and Midwifery Commission (NNMC) and to repeal the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947. The Bill provides for regulation and maintenance of standards of education and services by nursing and midwifery professionals, assessment of institutions, maintenance of a national register

Lok Sabha proceedings adjourned for day amid protests by Opposition

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Monday amid unrelenting protests by opposition members for a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Manipur situation, even as Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured the House the government will discuss the issue. As the Lok Sabha reconvened at 2:30 pm after an earlier adjournment, sloganeering from the opposition benches continued and Speaker Om Birla tried to calm them down. Shah said he was unable to understand why the opposition was not allowing a discussion to take place as the government was ready for it. Earlier, the government transacted some legislative business, with three Bills introduced and one withdrawn amid the din. While the government withdrew the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019, it introduced the National Dental Commission Bill, 2023, the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023 and the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023. Rajendra Agrawal

Monsoon Session: Ready to discuss Manipur issue in House, says Amit Shah

Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said he was willing to hold discussion in Lok Sabha on the situation in Manipur and wondered why the opposition was not ready for it. Speaking briefly in Lok Sabha, he requested opposition leaders to allow debate, saying it was important for truth to come out before the country on the Manipur issue. As soon as the House reassembled at 2.30 pm after three earlier adjournments over the Manipur issue, Shah said leaders from ruling as well as opposition parties had been wanting to hold discussion on the Manipur issue. But as the opposition members continued with their protest demanding a statement by the prime minister, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the proceedings for the day.

Will present our view on Manipur incident in Parliament, says Rijiju

The Centre will present facts on the Manipur incident in the Parliament, Union Minister for Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju said here on Saturday and declined to speak on the viral video that showed two women being paraded in the north eastern state. Refusing to be drawn into any controversy over the May 4 incident that took place in Kangpokpi district, he indicated that it would be inappropriate to discuss the issue outside the Parliament. "Whatever matters are to be discussed in the Parliament we will present our point of view. But right now, I can't say anything outside on the matter," Rijiju told reporters here when his comments on the issue were sought. "I have come here (today) for the Rozgar Mela. I will not make any (other) comments," the minister further said. Manipur police has arrested a fifth person, aged around 19, in connection with the May 4 incident, officials said on Saturday. The two women are alleged to have been sexually assaulted before being set free. A 26-second

Oppn MPs to hold protest in Parliament complex on Monday over Manipur issue

Amid the stalemate in Parliament over holding a debate on Manipur violence, MPs of various opposition parties have planned a protest on Monday near Mahatma Gandhi's statue in the Parliament complex to press for the prime minister's statement on the issue in both houses. Sources said leaders of various opposition parties who have now formed the INDIA alliance will meet in the chamber of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and will discuss their further strategy in Parliament. After the meeting at 10 AM on Monday, July 24, the leaders will hold a protest near the Gandhi statue before entering both houses. The government has agreed to hold a short-duration discussion on the Manipur issue with the Home Minister replying to it, but the opposition is adamant on its demand for the prime minister's statement first, especially after a video of two women being paraded naked and assaulted in a Manipur village appeared on social media. Also, the opposition wants a debate ...

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2.30 pm after uproar over Manipur violence

Rajya Sabha proceedings were on Friday adjourned in the pre-lunch session after an uproar over the violence in Manipur and the Chair expunging words from House proceedings. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar adjourned proceedings till 2.30 pm as TMC's Derek O'Brien sought to raise a point of order over the expunging of certain words from the House proceedings on Thursday. The opening day of the Monsoon session of Parliament had witnessed heated exchanges over the ethnic violence in Manipur and a video of two women being paraded naked in the northeastern state. While the House proceedings were washed out in protests, Dhankhar had expunged references made by O'Brien seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's response to the situation in the state. On Friday, he sought to raise a point of order over the expunging of words. "Three words were expunged. Yesterday, (I had said) the prime minister should open his mouth on Manipur," he said, seeking to know if any of the words were not fit for ...

Cases pending in courts cross 5-crore mark: Govt tells Rajya Sabha

Cases pending in various courts in the country have crossed the five-crore mark, Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. In a written reply, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said over 5.02 crore cases were pending in various courts -- the Supreme Court, the 25 high courts and subordinate courts. "As per data retrieved from the Integrated Case Management System (ICMIS) by the Supreme Court of India, as on July 1, there are 69,766 cases pending in the Supreme Court. "Total number of cases pending in the high courts and the district and subordinate courts as on July 14 are 60,62,953 and 4,41,35,357 respectively, as per information made available on National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG)," he said. Pendency of cases in courts can be attributed to several factors, including non-availability of adequate number of judges and judicial officers, supporting court staff and physical infrastructure, complexity of facts involved, nature of evidence, cooperation of stakeholders such as the Bar, ...

PM Modi likely to interact with NDA MPs during Parliament's monsoon session

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to interact with MPs of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) during the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament. The parliamentarians have been divided into 10 groups for separate meetings with him. Modi usually interacts with BJP MPs from different states during sessions. Various Union ministers and BJP office-bearers have been given charge of these groups for coordination, sources said. They said the meetings will be marked by presentation on various development initiatives in the regions represented by these MPs, adding that different aspects of the 2024 Lok Sabha campaign may also come up during the interactions. The BJP has stepped up its outreach to allies in the run-up to the polls, with 38 of them attending a meeting on July 18 addressed by Modi.

Oppn disrupted Parl proceedings, didn't allow discussion on Manipur: BJP

The opposition disrupted Parliament proceedings and did not allow a discussion on the Manipur issue, the BJP alleged on Thursday and said a debate would have sent out a "meaningful and positive" message to the people of the violence-hit state. Senior BJP leader and former law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the party "condemns" the incident in which two women were paraded naked in the state and asserted that strict action is being taken by the state government in the case. He, however, said the surfacing of the incident's video on social media just a day ahead of Parliament's Monsoon Session is "surrounded by lot of mystery". "There is question that comes to my mind about mysterious circumstances. Today, we are in July. How come a May first week incident come up on Twitter... a day before the Parliament session to begin. This raises many questions when circumstances are filled with suspicion," Prasad told a press conference. When a particular incident is "surrounded by lot of ...

No proposal to introduce competitive exam to select HC judges: Govt in RS

There is no proposal to introduce a competitive examination for the selection of high court judges as they are being appointed according to constitutional provisions, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said on Thursday. India has 25 high courts with a sanctioned strength of 1,114 judges and as on July 1, there were 333 vacancies, according to the law ministry's website. In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Meghwal said, "There is no proposal to introduce a competitive examination for selection of high court judges as the procedure as per the Constitutional provisions is being followed." In a sub-question, part of a larger question on high court judges, the minister was asked whether the government is planning to consult the Supreme Court for conducting a competitive examination for appointing HC judges. Meghwal explained that the appointment of judges of the Supreme Court and the high courts is made under Articles 124, 217 and 224 of the Constitution and as per the procedure laid down in

21 states, UTs adopted groundwater legislation, govt tells Lok Sabha

Twenty-one states and Union Territories have adopted and implemented the groundwater legislation that includes provision for rainwater harvesting, the Union Jal Shakti Ministry said on Thursday. Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweshwar Tudu said the ministry circulated a model bill to all the states and Union Territories to enable them to enact a suitable groundwater legislation. "So far, 21 states/Union Territories have adopted and implemented the groundwater legislation on the lines of the model bill, including West Bengal," Tudu said in a written response. The states and Union Territories where the legislation has been implemented are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Chandigarh (Regulations and Bylaws), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.

Rajya Sabha chair goes digital from this monsoon session of Parliament

As the Rajya Sabha goes fully digital on Thursday, officials said, it resulted in hour-long separate meetings conducted with several officials from various wings of the RS Secretariat

14 new discoms set up in last 10 years: RK Singh informed Parliament

As many as 14 new power supply firms (discoms) came into existence during the last ten years, and there are 109 discoms in the country at present, Parliament was informed on Thursday. Power is in the concurrent list of the Constitution, but most state utilities are engaged in the power distribution business. "There are 180 numbers of companies presently engaged in power generation and 109 numbers of power-supplying companies (Distribution companies) in the country. 14 numbers of private power supplying companies (Distribution companies) came into existence during the last ten years," Power Minister RK Singh said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. During the period, Singh informed the House that six government companies turned into joint ventures. Four state-owned discoms in Odisha have turned into joint ventures with a 51 per cent share of Tata Power and the rest with the Odisha government. Further, two state-owed distribution companies/departments -- D&NH Power Distribution ..