Page 5 - Monsoon Session Of Parliament

RS adjourned for day as Oppn protest continues over Bihar's SIR issue

The Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned twice on Monday as Opposition protests over various issues, including electoral rolls revision in Bihar, continued to rock the House. As soon as the House reassembled for the Question Hour at 12 noon, various Opposition MPs were on their feet and Sushmita Dev (TMC) trooped into the Well, and sought to raise various issues. As the din continued, the proceedings were adjourned again till 2 pm. During the morning session (Zero Hour), Deputy Chairman Harivansh said he has received 26 notices under Rule 267 demanding discussion on various issues including Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and alleged discrimination against Bengali migrant workers in other states. He declined all the adjournment notices, and called Sudha Murty (nominated member) to make her Zero Hour mention. However, Opposition members, including from TMC and Congress were on their feet protesting the Chair's decision. They were raising slogans like 'Vote Ki Chori Band Karo' (s

Congress, Chidambaram speaking Pakistan's language: Shivraj Chouhan

Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday accused the Congress and its leader P Chidambaram of "speaking the same language" as used by Pakistan and claimed that the Opposition was "running away" from a discussion in Parliament on Operation Sindoor out of fear of being unmasked. Speaking to reporters inside the Parliament complex, he said when the government is ready to discuss the issue then why is the Opposition running away from it. The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm on Monday amid opposition protests on the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, delaying the start of the discussion on Operation Sindoor. A political row erupted on Monday over Chidambaram's reported remarks that the terrorists behind the Pahalgam could have been "homegrown". "It was their demand only that a discussion should be held on Operation Sindoor. And, when the government is ready for discussion, why is it running away from it? The entire Opposition is not letting a discussion on terror and terrorism

Tharoor declines to speak on Op Sindoor, opts for ports bill debate

The Congress asked its MP Shashi Tharoor if he was interested in speaking during the Operation Sindoor debate in Parliament but he declined and instead expressed a desire to speak on 'The Indian Ports Bill, 2025', party sources said on Monday. There has been intense speculation on whether Tharoor, who led the delegation to the US among other countries, will be picked as a speaker by the Congress given that his enthusiastic endorsement of the government's action following the terror attack has soured his ties with tge party. Asked whether Tharoor was asked to speak during the debate, a senior Congress functionary told PTI, "It is a practise that senior leaders are asked whether they are interested in speaking on a major issue. Gaurav Gogoi and K Suresh had reached out to him and asked if he was interested in speaking during the debate on Operation Sindoor, to which he said he is not interested and would like to speak on the ports bill." There was no immediate response from Tharoor on

Send leaders empowered to take decisions for all-party meetings: Om Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday urged leaders of political parties to send representatives who are empowered to take decisions to meetings for finalising the agenda for Parliament. Birla's remarks came as the opposition members sought an assurance from the government on discussion on the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar after the conclusion of the debate on Operation Sindoor. The opposition members were in the Well of the House, raising slogans and seeking an assurance before the Lok Sabha took up the discussion on Operation Sindoor. Birla said that at the all-party meeting chaired by him last week, all leaders sought a discussion on Operation Sindoor, which was agreed to, and 16 hours were allocated for the same. "There is something called commitment. Leaders of all parties had sought a discussion on Operation Sindoor and now you are in the Well of the House raising other issues," he said, addressing opposition members. "You can't demand a discussion on any issue from th

INDIA bloc holds meeting ahead of discussion on Operation Sindoor in LS

This meeting comes as the Lok Sabha gears up for a 16-hour-long discussion on Operation Sindoor today

Don't speak Pak's language: Rijiju appeals to Oppn ahead of Parl discussion

The Union Minister stated that the opposition, including the Congress, should refrain from making any statements that could harm national interests

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