Parliament

Jobs, empowerment and more: Unpacking manifestos in poll-bound states

From cash transfers to welfare schemes, women voters dominate poll strategies across five states, with parties competing to secure this electoral bloc

I go to Parliament to create impact, not ruckus, says Raghav Chadha

"I go to Parliament to create impact, not ruckus," said Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Saturday as he rejected allegations levelled against him by the Aam Aadmi Party, calling them "false" and part of a "coordinated campaign". In a video, Chadha dismissed claims that he did not join opposition walkouts, terming the charge a "blatant lie". He challenged his detractors to cite even a single instance where he failed to participate and said parliamentary proceedings are recorded through CCTV cameras. Refuting another allegation that he refused to sign a motion related to the Chief Election Commissioner, Chadha said no party leader had asked him, either formally or informally, to sign it. He added that several other MPs from his party had also not signed the motion. The MP said his focus in Parliament has been on raising public issues such as GST, income tax, air pollution in Delhi, water concerns in Punjab, public healthcare, education, railway passenger issues, menstrual health, ...

Special session amid assembly elections draws Opposition criticism

While elections in Puducherry, Assam, and Kerala are scheduled for April 9, polls in West Bengal will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29. In Tamil Nadu, polls will be held on April 23

AAP accuses Chadha of indulging in 'soft PR', dodging key Parliament issues

The AAP on Friday hit back at party MP Raghav Chadha, accusing him of shying away from raising issues against the Centre in Parliament and instead engaging in "soft PR". Delhi Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) President Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that Chadha failed to toe the party's line on several matters in Parliament and did not join opposition walkouts on key issues. "We all are soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal, the Centre doesn't care about soft PR or talking about samosas at airport canteens when bigger issues are at stake," Bharadwaj said in a video posted on X. "Whenever the Opposition staged a walkout in Parliament, you (Chadha) did not participate. You did not raise issues concerning Punjab, from where you are elected, and you hid in a foreign country when former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was arrested," he added. AAP national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda also criticised Chadha, questioning whether someone who "fears" Prime Minister Narendra Modi can fight for the country. "In West Bengal

Myanmar parliament elects ruling general Min Aung Hlaing as new president

Myanmar's parliament on Friday elected Min Aung Hlaing, a general who ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government in 2021 and kept an iron grip on power for the past five years, as the country's new president. The move marks a nominal return to an elected government but is widely considered to be an effort to keep the army in power after an election organised by the military that opponents and independent observers deemed neither free nor fair. Min Aung Hlaing was one of three nominees for the president's post, but was virtually guaranteed the job as lawmakers from military-backed parties and appointed members from the army hold a commanding majority in parliament.

Parliament passes Jan Vishwas Amendment Bill to amend 784 provisions

Parliament on Thursday passed a bill to amend 784 provisions in 79 central laws for decriminalising and rationalising minor offences to further improve the country's business environment. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, was passed in the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote after Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal replied to a discussion on the legislation. The minister said the legislation will help citizens and MSMEs. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. These laws are administered by 23 ministries, including coal, commerce and industry, shipping, urban development, and transport. Out of 784, 717 provisions are being amended for decriminalising minor offences and 67 to facilitate ease of living.

FCRA amendment bill unlikely to be taken up in Lok Sabha amid protests

A bill to amend the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) is unlikely to come up before the Lok Sabha in the ongoing Budget session for consideration amid opposition's concerns over some of its provisions, sources said on Wednesday. In the Lok Sabha, the FCRA (Amendment) Bill was listed for consideration and passage. But as soon as the Question Hour began at 11 am, opposition members, mainly from Kerala, started raising slogans against the provisions of the Bill. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Bill, introduced in the House last month, seeks to protect national security and interest and asserted that it was not aimed against any religion or organisation. It was aimed at preventing misuse of foreign contributions, Rijiju said to placate the opposition. The minister accused the Congress and Left parties of misleading people of Kerala, the state which faces assembly polls on April 9. He said that though the Bill had been listed in Wednesday's official agenda

Lok Sabha passes Bill to recognise Amaravati as Andhra Pradesh's capital

A bill seeking to recognise Amaravati as the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, with the Congress, the BJP as well as the TDP expressing support for it. The bill, which will scuttle any future bid to alter the decision of making Amaravati the sole and permanent capital, was passed in the Lok Sabha by a voice vote. Initiating the debate on the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in Lok Sabha, Congress member Manickam Tagore said the Congress fully supports the legislation but wants according of special status to Andhra Pradesh, which is the successor state of the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh following the creation of Telangana. "Let Amaravati develop like Bangalore, Chennai or Hyderabad. Let Vishakhapatnam, Tirupati, Kurnool also develop. We support Amaravati as the permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh," he said. Participating in the debate, TDP member and Union Minister of State for Rural Development and ...

Congress flags Registrar General remarks, opposes rush on amendment bills

The Congress on Monday cited Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan's remarks that many Census data sets will be published in 2027 itself to claim that the grounds on which Constitution amendment bills are being sought to be "bulldozed" through Parliament are "false". In a post on X, the Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, said, "Constitution amendment Bills are being sought to be bulldozed through in the next few days on the grounds that Census results will not be available since 2029." "This information given by the RG&CCI proves that these grounds are false," he said and tagged a post on Narayan's remarks that the first set of Census data will be issued in 2027. Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner Narayan on Monday asked people to give accurate information to Census enumerators, asserting that the individual data will remain confidential and cannot be used as evidence or for getting any benefit under any scheme. Addressing .

Why south Indian states fear they must populate or risk political decline

States fear losing political clout as faster population growth in states like UP, Bihar could tilt parliamentary representation, reshaping India's federal balance and democratic power structure

Public urination to attract ₹500 fine if Parliament passes Jan Vishwas Bill

People caught urinating in public or creating a nuisance by dumping stinking waste on the streets will attract a tenfold fine of Rs 500 if the Jan Vishwas Bill, 2025, is passed in Parliament. Public urination currently attracts a fine of Rs 50 under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, which was introduced by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada in the Lok Sabha on Friday, proposes multiple amendments in the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957. The change proposed under Section 397(1) of the said Act replaces the existing fine with a higher penalty for acts such as easing oneself in public, disturbing public peace through noise, or storing substances like night-soil, cow dung, manure or rubbish without written permission from the Commissioner. The amendment has proposed a sharper measure for the civic body as the penalty for running establishments such as lodging houses, eating joints and tea shops .

Review maintenance standards at Unesco sites: Parliamentary panel to govt

A parliamentary panel has recommended to the culture ministry to undertake a "comprehensive review" of maintenance standards and visitor facilities at all UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India in coordination with the ASI and prepare a time-bound revamp plan to ensure that the management of these sites is aligned with their global recognition. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture has also recommended to the ministry that it should prepare a "five-year UNESCO nomination strategy", including a pipeline of "at least 10 potential nominations", a structured engagement plan with partner countries for multinational nominations and a "dedicated staff and budgetary provision" for preparing nomination dossiers. The culture ministry may present this strategy "within one year", it said. The report, 'Demands for Grants (2026-27) of Ministry of Culture, of the panel, headed by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, was presented in Parliament on Wednesday. The Committee also

Govt planning 'special session' to amend women quota Act: Opposition

Cabinet skips Women's Reservation Act amendment as Opposition alleges a special Parliament session plan, raising concerns over census, delimitation, and Lok Sabha expansion

Parliamentary panel flags low fund use by tourism ministry, seeks reforms

Parliamentary panel highlights sharp underutilisation, recommends quarterly spending targets and a dedicated promotion board to boost tourism marketing

Parliament passes Bill to amend law on rights of transgender persons

Parliament on Wednesday passed a bill to amend a law on protection and rights of transgender persons that proposes excluding social orientations from the ambit of the statute, with Rajya Sabha giving its nod. The bill, which seeks to amend Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act 2019, also provides for graded punishment based on the gravity of harm inflicted on such people. The bill was passed in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Replying to the debate on the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Upper House, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar said the proposed legislation is an effort to take along all segments of the society together. He said that the bill aims to provide protection to only those who face discrimination due to biological issues. The minister asserted that the amendment will ensure that transgender persons continue to get legal recognition and protection. The Modi government is committed to protecting all

Lok Sabha passes Finance Bill 2026 with 32 government amendments

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Finance Bill 2026, along with 32 government amendments. With the passage of the Finance Bill 2026, the Lok Sabha completed its part of the Budgetary approval process. The Upper House, Rajya Sabha, will now consider the Bill. After the Rajya Sabha approves the Bill, the Budget process for 2026-27 will be complete. The Union Budget 2026-27 envisages a total expenditure of Rs 53.47 lakh crore, an increase of 7.7 per cent over the current fiscal ending March 31. The total capital expenditure proposed for the next fiscal is Rs 12.2 lakh crore. It proposes a gross tax revenue collection of Rs 44.04 lakh crore and a gross borrowing of Rs 17.2 lakh crore. The fiscal deficit for FY27 is projected at 4.3 per cent of GDP, lower than 4.4 per cent in the current fiscal.

FCRA Bill introduced in LS, govt asserts action against forced conversion

A bill to amend the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, with the government making it clear that individuals engaging in forced religious conversion through foreign funding will not be spared. Introducing the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai stated that the legislation aims to enhance transparency and ensure proper utilisation of funds received from abroad. Countering the opposition's charges that the bill is "dangerous", Rai asserted that it is "indeed dangerous" for those who engage in forced religious conversion using foreign contributions, as well as to individuals who abuse foreign funding for personal gain. "The Modi government will not tolerate any misutilisation of foreign funding and will take strong action against such elements," he said. Earlier, opposing the introduction of the legislation, Congress member Manish Tewari said that the bill would give ...

Amendment to women reservation law may be delayed; early adjournment likely

The government is unlikely to immediately bring a bill to increase Lok Sabha seats to 816 so that 273 of them could be reserved for women in the ongoing Parliament session, which may be adjourned early but will not be prorogued to keep open the option of reconvening after the upcoming round of assembly elections, according to sources. The sources indicated that there is very little chance of the government tabling the constitution amendment bill that will tweak the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, commonly known as the women's reservation law, in Parliament in the next few days. It is learnt that there was no proposal till Tuesday evening to bring the draft bill before the Union Cabinet, which is scheduled to meet on Wednesday. "There are requirements of seeking further deliberations with all political parties before finalising a schedule for amending the women's reservation law," a source privy to the development said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had on Monday discussed the matter

India's strategic oil reserves at 64% capacity, govt informs Rajya Sabha

India's strategic oil reserves, designed to provide cover for about 9.5 days of supplies during disruptions or price shocks, are currently sitting at only two-thirds capacity, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday. India, the world's third-largest energy consumer and heavily dependent on imports for about 88 per cent of its crude oil needs, has built strategic underground storage facilities with a total capacity of 5.33 million tonnes across three locations -- Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, and Mangaluru and Padur in Karnataka -- to store crude oil used for producing fuels such as petrol and diesel. "Quantity of the crude available in the caverns varies depending on market conditions," Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi said in a written reply in the Upper House. "Currently, ISPRL has around 3.372 million tonnes of crude stock available, which is around 64 per cent of the total storage capacity." Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Ltd (ISPRL) is the speci

Lok Sabha refers Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill to joint Parl panel

The Lok Sabha on Monday referred the Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to a joint parliamentary committee comprising members from both Houses of Parliament for a detailed analysis and recommendations. The decision was taken following a voice vote after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman suggested it. Earlier, after the Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha, opposition members Manish Tewari (Congress), Saugata Roy (Trinamool Congress) and T Sumathy (DMK) strongly opposed it, alleging that the legislation sought to dilute the provisions of law under which companies mandatorily have to pay 2 per cent of their profits towards corporate social responsibility (CSR). The finance minister strongly refuted the allegations and said that the Bill has been introduced after two years of deliberations. She said the apprehensions of the members were unfounded as the Bill seeks to amend only the criteria of net profits, not the entire clause related to CSR. Sitharaman then suggested to Speaker O