Page 10 - Om Birla

Unparliamentary conduct erode people's faith in democracy: LS Speaker Birla

Unparliamentary behaviour and the use of undesirable words in political discourse erode people's faith in both democracy and democratic institutions, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Friday. Birla said Parliament is for discussion and debate, not disruption, and lawmakers should be mindful of the fact that people are watching them". Suggesting politicians to maintain "restrain and dignity" in their behaviour both inside and outside Parliament, Birla said the entire country looks up to public representatives for their conduct. He was speaking at the valedictory session of the 19th Zone III Conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region here. Responding to a question on remarks made by Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Birla said "undesirable" words in political discourse "erode people's faith" in democracy and democratic institutions. "Incidents of unparliamentary behaviour and the use of undesirable words in politica

LS Speaker Om Birla expresses concern about cyberbullying, drug abuse

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urged for collective efforts to tackle the problem of cyberbullying and drug abuse

Information technology should be used to improve governance: Om Birla

Birla made remarks after inaugurating the two-day 19th annual conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India region zone-III at Sikkim Legislative Assembly in Gangtok

'New tradition' of allegations, counter-allegations in Parliament: Om Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday said a "new tradition" of levelling allegations and counter-allegations being observed in Parliament and state Assemblies these days is not proper for the country's constitutional democracy, and stressed the need for constructive debate and discussion in Houses to make democracy "lively and active". Inaugurating a two-day orientation programme for elected members of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly here, he also said that while criticism is a "shuddhi yagna" (purification ritual) in democracy, disrupting the Houses "in a planned manner" and causing disruption in speeches of governors are "not a good tradition". "Wherever required, one should criticise the government's policies, provide constructive suggestions. In democracy, criticism is a 'shuddhi yagna'. But the new tradition of aarop-pratyarop (allegations and counter-allegations) rather than criticism seen these days in these institutions is not proper for the constitutional democracy of th

India will always be reliable: Om Birla to Bhutan National Assembly speaker

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday said India would always be a reliable friend to Bhutan while noting the Rs 2,400-crore allocation for the neighbouring country in this year's Union Budget during a meeting with a Bhutanese Parliamentary delegation. The Bhutanese delegation, led by National Assembly Speaker Wangchuk Namgyal, also called on Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar in Parliament. The largest share of India's aid portfolio has been granted towards Bhutan with an allocation of Rs 2,400 crore -- constituting 41.04 per cent of the Ministry of External Affairs' development assistance -- in line with the country's 'Neighbourhood First' policy, Birla said the 'Neighborhood First' policy, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given a new direction to India-Bhutan relations. The Government of India has allocated Rs 2,400 crore from this year's Union Budget to Bhutan, Birla said, and added that it reflected the close ties between the tw

Man with profound knowledge: Om Birla condoles Shanti Bhushan's demise

'Saddened to know about the demise of former Union Minister and eminent lawyer with profound knowledge on constitutional matters Shri Shanti Bhusan Ji'

Farmers are backbone of Indian economy: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla

India will become self-reliant only when farmers adopt innovations, new techniques and trends in agriculture to ensure maximum production from minimum land and investment, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Tuesday. Birla, along with Union Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary, inaugurated a two-day agriculture fair and exhibition at the Dusshera Ground in Kota. The Lok Sabha speaker said farmers are the backbone of India's economy and brought in the green revolution to make the country the highest producer of wheat in the world. The focus should now be laid on the white revolution in the form of milk production and animal husbandry, aided by modern innovations and techniques, he said. "It is the power of farmers (annadata) that they did not allow any shortage of wheat during the coronavirus pandemic when production had dropped in every sector," he said. During the pandemic, the Narendra Modi government distributed free wheat to 80 crore people and it was possible ..

Judiciary expected to follow principle of separation of powers: Om Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday said judiciary is expected to follow the principle of separation of powers as defined in the Constitution

LS Speaker urges Kota students to study without stress, reach out to him

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has urged students coming to Rajasthan's Kota city to study without any stress and reach out to him in case of any trouble. Addressing the students on New Year's eve, he also touched upon rising concern among parents over the aspirants taking their lives after failing to crack various competitive exams. "Students should not be depressed about their studies. Life is full of challenges and one who is determined and works hard for his goal never fails," he said on Saturday. The Kota-Bundi MP also asked the students to remain positive and in high spirits in 2023. He said whenever parliamentarians from various parts of the country visit him, they talk about the children from their respective states studying here and inquire about their well-being. "Each and every family living in Kota is your family and they will take care of you," Birla told the students. He also assured to provide them with phone numbers of his local office and the one in Delhi, and asked

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urges MPs to wear masks, follow Covid norms

Amid fresh concerns over coronavirus, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday advised parliamentarians to wear a mask and spread awareness about Covid-appropriate behaviour. Birla came to the House wearing a mask himself and said Covid cases are once again on the rise in certain countries. He said the government has taken quick steps and asked people to wear masks in crowded place and follow Covid-related protocols. "We should be vigilant keeping in mind the past trends of the pandemic," he told the members. He also said masks have been made available for MPs at the gates and they should all wear one. Covid is back at the centre of India's health and political map with the government on Wednesday advising people to get vaccinated and mask up, and saying random sample testing will be conducted at airports for passengers arriving from China and other countries.

Never refer to anyone's caste and religion in House: warns LS speaker

Om Birla warned members against referring to anyone's caste and religion in the House after a Congress MP alleged that FM Nirmala Sitharaman made certain remarks about his proficiency in Hindi

There can be no change in society unless women are educated: Om Birla

Emphasizing on woman empowerment, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday said it is essential to educate girls in order to bring a change in this society

MPs should not write about Speaker on Twitter, says Om Birla in Parliament

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday cautioned MPs for writing against him on Twitter and asked them not to do so. Birla did not take the name of any MP but his remarks in Lok Sabha came immediately after Trinamool Congress member Mahua Moitra raised an issue related to the Civil Aviation Ministry. "Some members sometimes write on Twitter that the speaker does not give opportunity to the members to speak. Please keep in mind that the members should not write on Twitter about the speaker. That would be good," he said during Question Hour.

'World sees India as voice of nations left behind in changing global order'

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday said the world views India as the voice of nations that have been left behind in the changing global order. Delivering the Rajendra Prasad Memorial Lecture on All India Radio, Birla said India has achieved this honour by reaching out to more than 150 nations during the COVID-19 pandemic with vaccines and other assistance. "What can be a bigger example of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the whole world is one family) than this. India not only cared for its own people but also reached out to (other) nations in their times of need," he said. "The world calls it India's vaccine diplomacy but for us it is the principle of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' that does not differentiate between us and them," he said. The Speaker said India's G20 Presidency was a testimony to the country's rising stature on the global stage. "It is the strength of our Indianess that the voice of the nation is heard with seriousness on the world stage. The speciality of India's 'Amrit K

PM Modi extends birthday greetings to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla

PM Modi extended birthday greetings to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and lauded his efforts to further strengthen Parliamentary democracy

Inclusive development essential of democracy: Lok Sabha Speaker Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday said inclusive development is essential for a democracy and it can be achieved through discussion, dialogue and deliberation. Addressing the 21st World Congress of Accountants in Mumbai, Birla described chartered accountants as "saints of the new economic order". They are the engines and architects of the economic world, he said. Talking about development and democracy, Birla said,"The foundation principle of democracy is inclusive development and it can be done through discussion, dialogue and deliberation." Birla called upon chartered accountants to further strengthen democracy with their efficiency and functioning, and by playing an active role in ensuring inclusive development. He said chartered accountants have an important role as agents of economic change and in establishing a prosperous economic system. This because, now the whole world is one and whatever crisis comes in the world-- social or economic -- they affect all countries, the

Effective use of RTI will help building a corruption free country: Om Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday said the effective use of the Right to Information Act (RTI) will help in building a developed and corruption free country as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Inaugurating the 15th Annual Convention of Central Information Commission (CIC), the Speaker said the main aim of the RTI Act is empowering citizens, bringing transparency, getting system rid of corruption and taking democracy to the people of the country in the true sense. Addressing the two-day convention titled "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: Citizen centric Governance through RTI", Minister of state for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Jitendra Singh said the non-domiciles and non-State subjects of Jammu and Kashmir will also now be entitled to file RTI related on issues related to Union Territory (UT) or agencies. Lauding the Commission for hearing petitions from newly carved out Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh during the peak of Covid lockdown, th

Multilingual guides, special app should help foreign tourists: Om Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday suggested training tourist guides and designated police personnel in multiple foreign languages and developing a multilingual app to make tourists visiting India feel at ease. In his address at the opening session of a day-long national conference on tourist police, attended by top officers of various states and Union Territories, he asserted that efforts should be made so that not a single crime happened against any tourist. "Many foreign tourists, especially those in the age bracket of 50s and 60s, wish to speak in their own language. So it is important to be multilingual as per the needs of the tourists and our policy should factor in that aspect," Birla said. As a result, if guides and tourist police personnel can be multilingual or can be taught elementary phrases in multiple foreign languages, a tourist can be better facilitated and they will also feel more at ease during interactions, he said. "Similarly, an app can be developed in ...

Raghupati Singhania receives PHDCCI lifetime achievement award for 2022

The event felicitated industry stalwarts for transforming society, helping improve the community, setting entrepreneurship benchmarks, and demonstrating exemplary leadership qualities

MSMEs mainstay of economy, can make India self-reliant: LS Speaker Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday said the campaign to make India self-reliant can be achieved only through the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as they are the mainstay of the economy. Stating that India has long been one of the fastest growing economies of the world, Birla said the present government has implemented many reforms in trade and business sectors, which has raised the inflow of foreign investments. The Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign will be achieved only through MSMEs and the nation will be empowered. MSMEs are the mainstay of the economy, Birla said while speaking at the Annual Session of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He further said local supply chains should be strengthened for Make in India, which can reduce India's dependence on foreign countries. India has made progress in every field like agriculture, industry and services and the country is rapidly moving towards becoming self-reliant, Birla said. The manufacturing and exports in sectors li