Page 12 - Parliament

Winter Session: Lok Sabha to debate electoral reforms on Dec 9, says Rijiju

Opposition's demand for discussion on SIR of electoral rolls ruled out; PM Modi to initiate Vande Mataram debate

Parliament clears Manipur GST Amendment Bill; FM explains key reforms

Parliament clears the Manipur GST amendment, aligning the state with national GST reforms, including track-and-trace, simplified voucher rules, clarified definitions and uniform appeal procedures

Parl panel asks govt to conduct long-term field trials on nano-fertilisers

To further promote nano-fertilisers, the panel has given many suggestions to the Department of Fertilizers, under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers

Give statutory authority to National Statistical Commission: Par panel

A Parliamentary panel on Tuesday stressed the need for a strong, independent National Statistical Commission (NSC) with statutory authority to ensure credibility of official statistics. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, in its 27th Report on Performance review of NSC' pertaining to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, noted that discrepancies between official and private data undermine trust due to a lack of uniform standards. The panel has recommended empowering the NSC as the nodal body to prescribe methodologies, harmonise data practices, and involve private agencies and experts through a permanent technical committee. Suggesting a provision of statutory authority to NSC and empowering it as the nodal national body for statistics, it said, "The Committee stressed the need for a strong, independent National Statistical Commission (NSC) with statutory authority to ensure credibility of official statistics." The ..

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

Govt ready to discuss anything, Oppn should not fix timeline: Rijiju on SIR

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday told Opposition members in the Lok Sabha that the government was willing to discuss any issue and it has invited leaders from various parties for a dialogue to break the ongoing impasse. Rijiju's remarks came amid unrelenting protests by Opposition MPs in the House demanding a debate on the special intensive revision (SIR) of the voters' list in nine states and three Union Territories. The minister said there are several important issues, and the proceedings cannot be disrupted over one issue. One issue cannot outweigh others at a time when members of smaller parties also want to discuss matters important to them, he added. Amid slogan shouting by the Opposition members, the Union minister said, "Two to four parties are disrupting the House... In a democracy, people win and lose. They should not vent their anger like this... By doing this, you are losing the trust of the people". Making similar remarks in Rajya Sabha, Rijiju s

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

Govt not averse to taking up discussion on SIR, electoral reforms: Rijiju

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday asserted in the Rajya Sabha that the government is not averse to holding a discussion on SIR or electoral reforms, as he asked the Opposition not to insist on setting a timeline. He was responding to opposition members who were demanding an immediate discussion on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls or electoral reforms in the House. Not satisfied with the minister's response, members of several opposition parties staged a walkout from the Upper House. Responding to the opposition parties' demand to start an immediate discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls or electoral reforms, the minister sought more time to respond to the matter. Chairman CP Radhakrishnan earlier disallowed the notices given by nine opposition members on several issues, including a discussion on SIR under rule 267, leading to protests by the Opposition. The chairman later asked members to raise their Zero Hour ...

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

Parl panel gets more time to report on insolvency, Jan Vishwas bills

Two select committees were on Monday granted more time by the Lok Sabha to submit their reports on the insolvency law and Jan Vishwas provisions amendment bills. The matters were taken up amid Opposition din over the issue of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The House has allowed time till the last day of the Winter session for a select committee to present its report on the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The bill was referred to the committee on August 12 immediately after introduction in the Lower House. The bill seeks to amend the insolvency law, proposing a raft of amendments, including an out-of-court mechanism to address genuine business failures, group and cross-border insolvency frameworks. On Monday, Lok Sabha also gave time up to the last day of the second week of the Winter session for another select committee to present its report on the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025. The government had introduced the bill on

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

'Parliament not a place for drama': PM taunts Oppn ahead of Winter Session

PM Modi also said that Parliament is being used either as a warm-up arena for elections or as an outlet for frustration after defeat

SIR to dominate Opposition's agenda in Winter Session of Parliament

Opposition has sought replies on Delhi's air pollution, the new labour codes and more

Govt meets floor leaders of parties ahead of Parliament's Winter session

An all-party meeting convened by the government ahead of the Winter session of Parliament is underway here on Sunday where the opposition is likely to rake up various issues, including Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, the Delhi blast and foreign policy matters that it wants to raise in both Houses. While Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and his deputy Arjun Ram Meghwal are representing the government, the opposition is being represented by Jairam Ramesh, Gaurav Gogoi, Pramod Tiwari (Congress), T R Baalu (DMK), Derek O'Brien (TMC) and E T Mohammed Bashir (IUML). Union minister J P Nadda represents the BJP. He is the BJP president as well as Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha. Manoj Jha of the RJD, Harsimrat Kaur of the SAD and Sanjay Jha of the JD(U) are also attending the meet. The customary meeting has been convened to ensure smooth functioning of the two Houses during the session where several new bills are planned to b

Parliament Winter session: Govt to push reform agenda, Oppn to target SIR

The Winter session of Parliament beginning Monday will see the government push its reforms agenda with a legislation to open up the civil nuclear sector to private players, while the opposition is set to rake up the issue of revision of electoral rolls across 12 states and Union territories. The three-week long session of Parliament comes against the backdrop of the overwhelming victory of the BJP-led NDA in the Bihar Assembly elections which is expected to reflect in the renewed push for reforms after a virtual washout of the Monsoon session. Besides the crucial 'The Atomic Energy Bill, 2025', which seeks to govern the use and regulation of atomic energy in India, the Higher Education Commission of India Bill and eight other draft legislations are also on the agenda for the session which will have 15 sittings. The government already had to step back from its plans to bring a bill to empower the president to make regulations for the Union Territory of Chandigarh directly, after stif

Australian senator barred from Parliament after wearing burqa in protest

An Australian senator who is campaigning for a national burqa ban was barred Tuesday from Parliament for the rest of the year for wearing the Muslim garment in the chamber. Pauline Hanson, the 71-year-old leader of the anti-Muslim, anti-immigration One Nation minor party, was accused of performing a disrespectful stunt on Monday when she walked into the Senate shrouded in a head-to-ankle garment to protest fellow senators' refusal to consider her bill that would ban the burqa and other full-face coverings in public places. Senators suspended her for the rest of the day on Monday. In the absence of an apology, they passed a censure motion Tuesday that carried one of the harshest penalties against a senator in recent decades. She was barred from seven consecutive Senate sitting days. The Senate rises for the year on Thursday, and Hanson's suspension will continue when Parliament resumes in February next year. Hanson later told reporters she would be judged by voters at the next elect

No Bill on Chandigarh admin to be introduced in winter session: MHA

The Ministry further said that any decision on the matter will be taken only after adequate consultations with all stakeholders

SC notice to Centre on plea to implement women's reservation in Parliament

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan asked the government to respond to the PIL seeking the implementation of the women's reservation law