Page 3 - Monsoon Session Of Parliament

BJP calls upon NDA MPs for show of strength during ongoing monsoon session

Lok Sabha is set to hold a special discussion on 'Operation Sindoor', India's military response to the Pahalgam terror attack, on Monday

Lok Sabha to hold special discussion on 'Operation Sindoor' today

A fiery debate on the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor is expected to unfold in Parliament, between top leaders from the ruling alliance and the Opposition

Parliament set for heated debate on Pahalgam attack, Operation Sindoor

The first week of disruption in Parliament's Monsoon session is set to give way to a fiery debate on the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor from Monday as the ruling alliance and the Opposition will lock horns over the two issues framed around national security and foreign policy imperatives. The BJP-led ruling National Democratic Alliance and opposition parties are expected to field their top guns during the discussion in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Sources said Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be speaking on the issues amid indications that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may make an intervention to convey his government's track record of a "robust" stand on national security. Leaders of the Opposition in both Houses, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, may lead the charge against the government along with Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, besides a host of other leaders. Parliamentary Affairs Ministe

Oppn MPs tear, throw 'SIR' posters in bin as symbolic rejection of exercise

Several MPs of the INDIA bloc parties, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi, on Friday held an unusual protest in Parliament House complex against the voter roll revision in Bihar by tearing posters with 'SIR' written on them and putting them in a 'disposal bin'. They also staged a protest march in Parliament House complex, demanding the rollback as well as a discussion on the issue in both houses. Ahead of the start of the day's proceedings, several MPs of the opposition, including those of the Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party, TMC, RJD and Left parties, carried out a protest march with the banner 'SIR- Loktantra par Var'. Then in front of the Makar Dwar steps, a bin was placed and one by one the opposition leaders, including Kharge and Gandhi, tore the poster with SIR written on it and put it in the bin as a symbolic rejection of the exercise. The MPs also raised slogans like "Save democracy" and "Stop vote-bandi". The opposition has

Op Sindhu: Of 3,597 evacuated from Iran, 1,500 hailed from J&K, says govt

Of 3,597 Indian nationals who were evacuated from Iran under Operation Sindhu, 1,521 citizens hailed from Jammu and Kashmir and 1,198 from Uttar Pradesh, according to data shared by the government on Thursday. The data was shared in a written response by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh to a query in the Rajya Sabha. In a response to a separate query, he said, "Thirteen Indian nationals remain in the Russian armed forces, out of which 12 individuals have been reported missing by the Russian side." "The Russian authorities concerned have been urged to provide an update on all the remaining/missing individuals, and also ensure their safety, well-being and early discharge," the MoS said. Citing available information, he said there were 127 Indian nationals in the Russian armed forces, out of which the services of 98 individuals were discontinued as a result of sustained engagement between the Indian and Russian governments on this matter, including at the ...

India US in active talks on bilateral trade pact, govt tells Parliament

Teams of both India and the US are presently engaged in "active negotiations" on the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), the government informed Parliament on Thursday. In a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh also said, "Discussions are aimed at adopting an integrated approach to further strengthen and deepen bilateral trade relations, including through enhanced mutual market access, reduction of tariff and non-tariff barriers, and closer integration of supply chains." The Ministry of External Affairs was asked by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi whether the government has taken note of the recent announcement by the US administration regarding the reimposition of tariffs on Indian exports. "On the sidelines of the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Washington, DC on 1 July 2025, the External Affairs Minister referred to the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) negotiations that are going on between India and

Highlights: From semiconductors to cybersecurity, we shall create the future together, says PM Modi

Today's news highlights: Catch all the latest news developments here

Jal Jeevan Mission hit by water scarcity, terrain, and fund delays: Govt

Water scarcity, difficult terrain, and delays in state funding are among the key hurdles slowing down the government's flagship Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) that aims to provide tap water to every rural household, Lok Sabha was informed on Thursday. The deadline of Jal Jeevan Mission was extended from 2024 to 2028 in the last budget. In a written response, Minister of State for Jal Shakti V. Somanna said several states have reported constraints such as lack of dependable water sources in drought-prone and desert regions, groundwater contamination, scattered rural habitations, and delays in obtaining statutory clearances. Rising construction costs and limited technical capacity at the local level have further impacted the pace of implementation, he said. Some states have also failed to release their matching share of funds on time, leading to bottlenecks in ongoing projects. To overcome these issues, Somanna said the Centre has launched initiatives like the Nal Jal Mitra programme to t

Mobile phone exports soar to ₹2 trillion, up 127 times in 10 years: Govt

Export of mobile phones from India increased by 127 times to reach Rs 2 lakh crore in the last 10 financial years, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. According to data shared by Minister of state for Electronics and IT Jitin Prasada in a written reply to Lok Sabha, the export of mobile phones "increased 127 times" from India from Rs 1,500 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 2 lakh crore in 2024-25. "The PLI Scheme for LSEM has already attracted a cumulative investment of INR 12,390 crore, led to a cumulative production of Rs 8,44,752 crore with exports of Rs 4,65,809 crore and generated additional employment of 1,30,330 (direct jobs) till Jun'25," the minister said. The production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing was mainly meant for mobile phone manufacturing. The minister said that 75 per cent of the total mobile phone demand in the country was met through imports in 2014-15, which has now dropped to 0.02 per cent in 2024-25. "PLI Scheme for Large Sc

Railways gave 45% subsidy on passenger travel in FY24, says govt

The Indian Railways provisionally spent Rs 60,466 crore in subsidy, 45 per cent of the cost of passenger travel, in the financial year 2023-24, the Centre informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw gave the information in response to the questions raised by several MPs on the recent rail fare hike. Vaishnaw said the Indian Railways provides affordable transportation service to more than 720 crore passengers and its fares are among the lowest in the world, even when compared with neighbouring countries. "The total amount of subsidy given in FY 2023-24 on passenger travel is provisionally estimated at Rs. 60,466 Crore. This amounts to a 45% subsidy on the cost of passenger travel," Vaishnaw informed the lower house in a written reply. He said the rail fares were "rationalized" with effect from July 1 this year after a gap of more than five years. "The increase in fares is very low, ranging from half paise per km to two paise per km for premium classes," h

3,438 SHGs formed to empower de-notified, nomadic communities: Govt

The Centre on Wednesday said it has formed 3,438 Self Help Groups (SHGs) with 46,067 members exclusively from de-notified, nomadic and semi-nomadic communities (DNTs) as part of its Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED). The scheme aims to improve access to education, healthcare, housing and livelihood for these historically marginalised groups. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment B L Verma said the SEED scheme was launched to empower the DNT communities through targeted interventions, including free coaching for education and job opportunities, distribution of Ayushman Bharat health cards, promotion of livelihood activities through SHGs and provision of housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (both rural and urban). To coordinate efforts for the welfare of these communities, the ministry has also set up the Development and Welfare Board for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities ...

'Govt does not foresee revenue shortfall, aims to achieve deficit target'

The Central government does not foresee any revenue shortfall at this stage and aims to achieve the targets fixed in the Budget Estimates for 2025-26, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary informed Parliament on Tuesday. As per the Budget, the Centre has estimated the fiscal deficit for 2025-26 at 4.4 per cent of GDP, amounting to Rs 15.69 lakh crore. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said the Central government supports state finances through Finance Commission grants, Centrally Sponsored Schemes, and Special Assistance as loans to states for capital expenditure. Total resources being transferred to the states, including the devolution of state's share in taxes, grants/loans and releases under Centrally Sponsored Schemes, etc, in Budget Estimates for 2025-26 is about Rs 25.01 lakh crore, he said. In reply to another question, Chaudhary said, as per inputs received from Public Sector Banks (PSBs), as on March 31, 2025, 96 per cent staff are in position ..

Rajya Sabha adjourned without transacting any business amid Oppn protests

The Upper House earlier saw two adjournments during the pre-lunch period, before it was finally adjourned within minutes of meeting at 2 pm

Opposition raises questions over ex Vice President Dhankhar's resignation

The opposition on Monday raised questions over Jagdeep Dhankhar's sudden resignation as the vice president, with the Congress saying that clearly, there is "far more to his totally unexpected resignation than meets the eye". The Congress also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convince Dhankhar to change his mind. In a sudden move, Dhankhar resigned from his post on Monday evening, citing medical reasons. He has sent his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu and said he is stepping down with immediate effect. "The sudden resignation of the Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is as shocking as it is inexplicable. I was with him alongside a number of other MPs till around 5 PM today and had spoken to him over the phone at 7:30 PM," Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X. "No doubt Mr Dhankhar has to give topmost priority to his health. But clearly there is far more to his totally unexpected resignation than meets the eye

Govt agrees to 16-hour debate on Op Sindoor, Pahalgam attack in Lok Sabha

Government on Monday agreed to a 16-hour discussion on Operation Sindoor and Pahalgam terror attack in the Lok Sabha, and it is likely to be taken up next week, even as the opposition insisted that it should start this week itself and Prime Minister Narendra Modi must reply. At the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee, sources said government representatives noted that PM Modi is leaving on a foreign visit this week, and a debate when he is present in the House can be possible only next week. Opposition members protested that the government's agenda for this week did not mention their demand for a debate on the issue. They said the home minister and the defence minister should also be present. Some opposition members also called for a debate on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar and the situation in Manipur. The Monsoon Session of Parliament began on Monday.

Mehbooba Mufti urges Rahul Gandhi to raise Muslim issues in Parliament

Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Monday urged Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to raise the issue of alleged Muslim victimisation across the country in the Monsoon session of Parliament, which started on Monday. In a post on X, she alleged that Muslims are being pushed into increasingly desperate situations under the pretext of targeting "Bangladeshis" and "Rohingyas". Disturbing media reports have even suggested that some were forced into the sea in attempts to expel them from India, she added. "Deeply disturbed by the ongoing victimization, dispossession and disempowerment of Muslims on a daily basis - I have written to Rahul Gandhi ji urging him to raise this critical issue in the upcoming Parliament session," Mufti said in the post on X. She said in an environment "increasingly marked by hate and fear", many have "lost hope and feel utterly helpless". "At this moment he stands as a rare source of hope for those who feel

Over 100 MPs sign letter on impeachment motion against Justice Verma

Kiren Rijiju said that the signatures of over 100 MPs was collected for the impeachment process against Justice Varma, who remains in trouble after burnt cash was discovered at his residence

LS adjourned till 4 pm amid uproar as Oppn demands discussion on Op Sindoor

The Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the third time on Monday amid continued uproar by the opposition over its demand for a discussion on Operation Sindoor and other issues. As the House met at 2 pm on the first day of the Monsoon session, the Chair appealed to opposition members to allow the House to function. Amid continuous sloganeering, Sandhya Ray adjourned the proceedings till 4 pm. Earlier in the day, the House was adjourned twice over the same issue. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has assured the opposition MPs that the government is ready to have a long discussion on all issues which the Speaker agrees to. "The government is ready to discuss any topic the opposition wants. Whatever time they need to discuss, the government is ready to answer all questions," Singh said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju appealed to the opposition members to place their demand during the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) scheduled at 2:30 pm on Monday. "The

Lok Sabha vows zero tolerance on terrorism, mourns Pahalgam deaths

The Lok Sabha on Monday expressed its resolve for zero tolerance against terrorism and mourned the deaths of 26 people in the Pahalgam terror attack. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also expressed grief over the deaths of 260 people in the June 12 Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. "Twenty-six innocent persons were brutally killed in the terror attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025. This act of terror was an attack on the consciousness of the nation and also the entire world," Birla said as the Lok Sabha convened for the Monsoon session beginning Monday. "This House expresses deep grief over the deaths in this attack and reiterates India's resolve of zero tolerance against terrorism," he said. Birla said 260 people, including 241 passengers and 19 others, died in the Air India crash. "Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani also died in this accident," Birla said. "This House expresses its heartfelt sympathies to the families of the victims of this accident," h

Select Committee submits report on Income Tax Bill, 2025; seeks key edits

A panel of 31 Lok Sabha members, led by Baijayant Panda suggested over 30 changes to ensure clarity, fairness, and alignment with existing laws in the proposed Income Tax Bill, 2025