Page 17 - Parliament

Parl panel calls for coordinated approach to reduce debt to GDP ratio

The Standing Committee urged the DEA to revisit the existing practice of allocating funds that are not directly related to the department - such as allocations for new schemes that are not finalised

Parliamentary panel flags concerns, suggests ways to improve IBC outcomes

'Operational creditors' interests are often overlooked; they should get adequate representation'

Received 67 proposals to build AI models trained on Indian datasets: MoS IT

"Of the 67 proposals, 22 are focused on large language models and large multimodal models, while the other 45 are proposals to develop domain-specific small language models"

Received 67 proposals to build AI models trained on Indian datasets: MoS IT

"Of the 67 proposals, 22 are focused on large language models and large multimodal models, while the other 45 are proposals to develop domain-specific small language models"

Panel on satellite toll system urges deliberation over security, privacy

Union Road Transport and Highways minister Nitin Gadkari in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha said it is proposed to proceed with corridor/stretch-based projects

Maha Kumbh a defining moment like Dandi March, Dilli Chalo: PM Modi

The Opposition criticised the PM for failing to pay his respects to the memory of those who died in a stampede during the Mahakumbh

Parliament clears Rs 51,463 cr extra spending for FY25, Manipur FY26 budget

Parliament on Tuesday approved the supplementary demands for grants, which entails Rs 51,463 crore additional spending in the current fiscal and the Manipur Budget for 2025-26 with the Rajya Sabha returning four bills to the Lok Sabha. Parliament also approved the Rs 1,291 crore demands for excess grants for 2021-22 fiscal and the Rs 1,861 crore supplementary demands for grants for Manipur in 2024-25. The Lok Sabha had passed the supplementary demands for grants and the Manipur Budget for 2025-26 on March 11. The Rajya Sabha returned The Appropriation Bill, 2025; The Appropriation (No. 2) Bill, 2025; The Manipur Appropriation (Vote on Account) Bill, 2025; and The Manipur Appropriation Bill, 2025, after the reply by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to a discussion on the four bills. The second batch of supplementary demands for grants entails a gross additional spending sought by the government was over Rs 6.78 lakh crore, of which Rs 6.27 lakh crore would be matched by savings a

LoP should be allowed to speak, not given permission in 'new India': Rahul

As the Lok Sabha was briefly adjourned amid opposition protests after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on the Mahakumbh, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the LoP should be allowed to speak according to the democratic structure but is not given permission in "new India". Gandhi also said the prime minister should have paid homage to those who lost their lives in the January 29 stampede at the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj. The Lok Sabha was briefly adjourned till 1 pm on Tuesday following protests by opposition members over Modi's remarks on the success of the Mahakumbh, which was held from January 13 to February 26. Many opposition members rose from their seats in protest after the prime minister spoke. "I wanted to support what he was saying. Kumbh is our tradition, history and culture. There was also a complaint that he did not pay homage to those who lost their lives (in the stampede in the Mahakumbh)," Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament. "The other thin

Delhi HC lists Engineer Rashid's plea to attend Parliament for March 25

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday listed a plea filed by jailed Jammu and Kashmir MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid seeking permission to attend the ongoing Parliament session for hearing on March 25. A bench of justices Chandra Dhari Singh and Anup J Bhambhani deferred the hearing after the counsel for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said a trial court was scheduled to pronounce its verdict on the Independent Baramulla MP's regular bail plea on March 19. The senior counsel appearing for Rashid said he received the agency's response to the plea on Monday evening. Rashid, who is facing trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in a 2017 terror funding case, has challenged a March 10 trial court order refusing him custody parole or interim bail to attend Lok Sabha proceedings till April 4. In the reply filed to the appeal on March 17, the NIA said Rashid couldn't be allowed to use his status as MP to "get away from rigours of imprisonment". The NIA

Lok Sabha to discuss demands for grants under Railway Ministry, Jal Shakti

Congress leaders also submitted a motion for adjournment to discuss the "affordable quality of medicines for a healthier future" and "Impact of new RBI rule on Jewel loans"

62 accidents reported at ordnance factories in 2024: Govt to parliament

As many as 62 industrial accidents were reported at ordnance factories across the country in 2024, the government informed Parliament on Monday. Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth said this in a written response to a query from Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala who sought to know the number of industrial accidents, including blasts, reported at ordnance factories during the past five years. In his response, the minister shared that 62 accidents were reported at the 41 Ordnance Factories (now DPSUs) in 2024, 75 in 2023, 83 in 2022, 74 in 2021 and 54 in 2020. The ministry was also asked about the steps taken to provide compensation and support to the families of the deceased and to the injured workers and whether the government was considering any long-term healthcare or rehabilitation support for the injured, especially those who may suffer long-term physical or psychological trauma. The compensation and support to the families of the deceased workers and to the injured ...

Railways on course to achieve Scope 1 net zero in 2025: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Scope 1 emissions are greenhouse gases emitted directly from an organisation's own sources or those under its direct control

Parliamentary panels' reports on defence, external affairs tabled in House

The MoD ranked second after the MoF in terms of budgetary allocations for 2025-26, while the MEA ranked 22nd

Parliament Budget highlights: Discussion on Manipur disallowed

Parliament Budget session latest updates: Catch all the news developments related to proceedings in the Parliament here

Parliament Budget session to resume today, LS to discuss key reports

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will move a motion for the election of two members to the court of the University of Delhi

Parliament panel asks single independent drug regulator for Ayush medicines

A parliamentary committee has recommended the consolidation of all AYUSH drug-related standard-setting processes under a single independent drug controller in alignment with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and its associated rules. To achieve this, the ministry should establish a streamlined and inclusive mechanism that actively involves stakeholders in the development of pharmacopoeial standards, ensuring greater efficiency and uniformity, said the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare in a report presented in the Rajya Sabha this week. Additionally, the Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) and Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) may come together to coordinate and collaborate in this initiative, the committee emphasised in its 165th report on "Demands for Grants 2025-26 (Demand No. 4) of Ministry of Ayush". This will enhance the scientific testing and evaluation of a larger number of ASU&H .

Parl panel nudges govt to bring Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill

A parliamentary panel has nudged the government to spell out a timeline to introduce in Parliament the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill that was shelved last year after a furore over certain provisions that sought to regulate individual content creators. The suggestion from the Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, chaired by BJP member Nishikant Dubey, comes at a time the government plans to celebrate content creators at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai from May 1-4. The committee, in its sixth report tabled in the Lok Sabha earlier this week, has asked the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting "to set a deadline for completing the entire process (of stakeholder consultation) and introduce the 'Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill' in Parliament at the earliest". The suggestion also comes at a time the Supreme Court has asked the government "to do something" about OTT regulation while hearing the case ..

Licensing delays pushing medical device makers abroad: Parliament panel

Implementation of tracking system, independent advisory board, lateral entry among panel's recommendations to remove CDSCO's perception of licence raj

23 Yamuna sites in Delhi stretch fail water quality test, says Parl panel

A parliamentary panel has said the Yamuna river's capacity to sustain life have been found to be almost non-existent in the Delhi stretch, noting that 23 out of the 33 monitored sites, including six in the national capital, failed to meet primary water quality standards. The Yamuna flows through a 40 km stretch in Delhi, entering at Palla from Haryana and exiting at Asgarpur into Uttar Pradesh. The dissolved oxygen (DO) levels, which reflect the river's capacity to sustain life, were found to be almost non-existent in the Delhi stretch, the parliamentary standing committee on water resources said in its report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday. In its report on the Upper Yamuna River Cleaning Project and river bed management in Delhi, the panel warned that despite the construction and upgrade of sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, pollution levels remain alarmingly high. The Committee called for a coordinated response from all stakeholders to tackle pollution a

Parliament session: Oilfields development bill passed in Lok Sabha

Calls for de-linking petroleum operations from mining, renewable projects at oilfields