Page 3 - Parliament Winter Session

LS to take up Health, National Security Cess Bill for consideration today

The Bill, as stated by FM Sitharaman in the Lower House, aims to augment the resources for meeting expenditure on national security and for public health and to levy cess for the said purposes

Parliament Winter Session LIVE: FM moves Health Security se National Security Cess Bill in Lok Sabha

Parliament Winter Session Day 4 LIVE Updates: Follow all the latest updates from Parliament as government and opposition debate key issues

Centre blocking visiting dignitaries from meeting LoP, claims Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi's remarks came ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's two-day state visit to India, during which he will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Sitharaman to move Health and National Security Cess Bill in LS today

Earlier on Wednesday, the Lok Sabha passed a Bill aimed at increasing excise duty on tobacco products and their manufacturing after a discussion

Explained: What's the Central Excise Bill, 2025 moved by govt in Lok Sabha?

The Bill was tabled earlier amid the Opposition's protest demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls

Parliament Winter Session LIVE: Lok Sabha discusses Central Excise (Amendment) Bill 2025

Parliament Winter Session LIVE Updates: Follow all the latest updates from Parliament as government and opposition debate key issues

Completely negates right of privacy: Randeep Surjewala on Sanchar Saathi

Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday flagged concerns related to Sanchar Saathi mobile application in the Rajya Sabha, saying it completely negates the right of privacy of every individual. Raising the issue, he said a clear apprehension is that features of the application would point out real-time geo-location of every user, monitoring of the search history, financial transaction and a possible monitoring of conversations through SMS and WhatsApp. "Government of India, Ministry of Communication has purportedly issued an order whereby all cellphone manufacturers and importers of cellphones are compulsorily obliged to upload Sanchar Saathi app. It is also directed that this app has to be pushed into every cell phone and smartphone," Surjewala said. The ministry's order dated November 28, mandates all mobile phone manufacturers to pre-install Sanchar Saathi app in all handsets to be sold in India as well as in existing devices through a software update. It also mandates .

Fake news threat to democracy, govt working to curb it, says Vaishnaw

Terming fake news as a threat to democracy, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said there is a need to take strict action against those who create AI-generated deep fake videos and spread false information. Vaishnaw also informed the Lok Sabha that the government is working on framing new rules for curbing fake news and AI-generated deep fake videos and strengthening the institutional mechanism for that. "Fake news is a very serious issue. Fake news is a threat to democracy. There is a need to take strict action against fake news and AI-generated deep fake videos," he said during Question Hour. The minister said the people and the ecosystem which spread fake news don't follow Indian laws, and there is a need to take action against them. Appreciating the recommendations made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, headed by BJP member Nishikant Dubey, he said the panel has given many good

Oppn meets in Parliament to discuss joint strategy for Winter Session

Leaders of several opposition parties met in Parliament on Wednesday to discuss their joint strategy for the Winter Session. Floor leaders of various parties, including the Congress, DMK, RJD, SP, JMM, CPI-M, CPI, IUML, NCP-SP, and SS-UBT, attended the meeting, while Trinamool Congress (TMC) skipped it. The TMC was also absent from the last meeting of Opposition leaders, held on December 1 the first day of the winter session. Leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, were present at the meeting, which was held in Kharge's chamber. During the meeting, the leaders also stressed that their unity and continued pressure on the government have forced it to agree to their demand for a discussion on Electoral reforms, including SIR. They also called for the smooth functioning of Parliament, saying it is the government's responsibility to ensure it. The Opposition has been protesting in Parliament over their demand for a discussion on ...

Centre likely to move Central Excise (Amendment) Bill in Lok Sabha today

The Bill aims to raise excise duties and cess on tobacco products, with an amendment to the Central Excise Act, 1944

Parliament Winter Session highlights: Lok Sabha adjourned for the day amid Oppn protest against SIR

Parliament Winter Session LIVE Updates: Follow all the latest updates from Parliament as government and opposition debate key issues

MPs raise Anganwadi upgrades, Bhojpuri academy, pollution concerns in RS

Members of Parliament on Tuesday raised issues ranging from modernisation of Anganwadi kitchens and establishment of a Bhojpuri literary academy to the growing air pollution crisis during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha. Rekha Sharma (BJP) demanded a national programme for modernising Anganwadi nutrition kitchens, proposing upgrades including stainless steel utensils and food storage, clean preparation counters, safe drinking water units and exhaust systems for ventilation. While acknowledging the Anganwadi network as one of India's proudest social welfare achievements, she said nutrition kitchens require modernisation to meet today's needs. Sharma stressed the importance of millet-based nutrition menus and urged states yet to adopt this practice, to follow the example of those already implementing it. She also called for integration of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for supply of nutritious food and strengthening of digital monitoring and growth tracking systems in Anganwadis. Kunwar Ratan

Winter Session of Parliament begins today: Check key bills, dates here

The three-week-long session follows the overwhelming victory of the BJP-led NDA in the Bihar Assembly elections

Winter Session of Parliament begins today: Key bills, big debates ahead

The Winter Session of Parliament kicked off today with 15 sittings scheduled over 19 days. A packed legislative agenda and heated debates are expected, with Opposition target

Govt open to talks on electoral reforms as Opposition pushes for SIR

On a tense opening day of the Winter Session, the government said it was willing to discuss electoral reforms and SIR after Opposition-led disruptions

Parliament Winter Session LIVE: LS passes Manipur GST reform bill; House adjourned for the day

Parliament Winter Session Live Updates: Follow all the latest updates from Parliament as government and opposition debate key issues

Row in Rajya Sabha as Kharge flags Dhankhar's 'sudden exit'; BJP hits back

A heated argument broke out in the Rajya Sabha between Mallikarjun Kharge and the BJP after the former mentioned Jagdeep Dhankhar's sudden exit as vice president

Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm as opposition continued protests over SIR

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Monday amid Opposition protests demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The first day of the Winter Session, which will have 15 sittings, saw two adjournments till 2 pm. The proceedings went on for around 12 minutes after the House reconvened at 12 noon following an earlier adjournment. Several Opposition members trooped into the Well shouting slogans and protesting over SIR, as they have been demanding a debate on the issue. During the 12 minutes of the Zero Hour, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced three bills besides tabling supplementary demands for grants for 2025-2026. Two bills to levy excise duty on tobacco and tobacco products, as well as a new cess on the manufacture of pan masala, were introduced. They are the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Health Security and National Security Cess Bill, 2025. The Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill

Rise of Radhakrishnan to post of V-P shows strength of democracy: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the rise of C P Radhakrishnan from an ordinary background to the office of Vice President reflects the true strength of democracy, and hoped his experience and guidance will aid in the smooth running of the Rajya Sabha. In September, Chandrapuram Ponnusami (C P) Radhakrishnan was elected as India's 15th Vice President, a post that made him the ex officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha. At the start of the Winter Session of Parliament, Modi congratulated him and wished that the House, under this guidance, would have meaningful discussions and take crucial decisions. "I congratulate you, and I am confident that every member of this House will honour its traditions and uphold your dignity as well," the Prime Minister said. The Winter Session is the first Parliament session Radhakrishnan is presiding over as the chairman of the Upper House. Radhakrishnan comes from an ordinary family of farmers and has dedicated his entire life to social servic

Congress' Venugopal moves Lok Sabha adjournment motion to debate SIR crisis

Congress MPs Manickam Tagore and Vijay Kumar Vasanth on Monday moved an adjournment motion in Parliament, seeking an urgent debate on the SIR exercise