Page 22 - Parliament

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

Income Tax Bill: Lok Sabha panel weighs expanding 'accountant' definition

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), which briefed the panel at its first meeting on March 6, has opposed any changes to the definition

Parliamentary panel bats for structured timeline for coal gasification

Coal gasification involves extracting methane from coal during the mining process and utilising it for commercial purposes

Parliament highlights: Opposition demands discussion on voter ID discrepancy, delimitation

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

Congress MP files motion in LS on manufacturing crisis, China trade deficit

Manickam Tagore sharply criticized the government's flagship initiative, Make in India, which was intended to boost domestic manufacturing and employment opportunities

Improve freight services, diversify beyond coal, cement: Rlys parl panel

The panel suggests a service model similar to the passenger system

Cooperative Election Authority tasked with ensuring transparent polls: Govt

The Cooperative Election Authority (CEA) is responsible for conducting elections in cooperatives transparently and weed out vested interest and opacity in the electoral process, Union Cooperation Secretary Ashish Kumar Bhutani on Tuesday said. He was addressing the First Foundation Year of the CEA here. CEA Chairman Devendra Kumar Singh, Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies Rabindra Kumar Agrawal, Vice Chairman of CEA R K Gupta, and senior officers of Ministry of Cooperation and heads and representatives of Multi-State Cooperative Societies attended the event, according to an official statement. In his address, Bhutani said things are definitely moving in the right direction in the cooperative sector. The CEA was formed after the passage of the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Act 2023 by Parliament, he added. Bhutani said it was a very comprehensive amendment to the Act by the Centre and its process for amendment spanned for over 12 years. The secretary said t

Parliament highlights: Immigration and Foreigner Bill introduced in Lok Sabha

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

Oppn moves adjournment motions on voter discrepancies, tariff reductions

Tagore raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process, especially in states like Maharashtra and Haryana, where irregularities in the voter rolls have triggered alarm

Nishikant Dubey to present reports on Communications and IT in LS today

On Monday, Opposition MPs walked out of the Rajya Sabha during the second part of the Budget session over the issues of delimitation and the New Education Policy

Parl passes Railways (Amendment) Bill; Vaishnaw highlights infra, safety

Parliament on Monday passed a bill aimed at streamlining and modernizing railway operations in India with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stating that the government was laying thrust on infrastructure development, safety and technology.Rajya Sabha passed the bill, which had earlier been passed by Lok Sabha.In his reply to the debate, Vaishnaw, who is Minister of Railways, Communications, and Electronics & IT, emphasized the bill's role in empowering field offices, enhancing efficiency, and reinforcing cooperative federalism.He said the bill is designed to simplify existing laws and does not diminish the powers of state governments. Instead, it promotes decentralization by granting full authority to general managers in railway zones to approve projects up to Rs 1,000 crore.Highlighting the government's commitment to railway development, Vaishnaw cited substantial budget allocations in states where the ruling party is not in power. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and West Bengal ...

No commitment to US on tariff cuts; deal negotiations on, says govt

Commerce, foreign secys brief House panel on current scenario

No study conducted on air pollution's impact on tourism: Govt in Parliament

No study has been instituted by the Ministry of Tourism to assess the impact of air pollution on tourism and revenue loss due to travel advisories and cancellations related to it, the government informed Parliament on Monday. Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said this in a written response to a query in the Lok Sabha. The ministry was asked whether the government has conducted any assessment of the economic impact on tourism due to deteriorating air quality in major tourist destinations, particularly in north India. The government was also asked the details of estimated revenue loss to the tourism sector during the last three years due to travel advisories and cancellations related to air pollution. "No such study has been instituted by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India to assess the impact of air pollution on tourism and revenue loss due to travel advisories and cancellations related to air pollution," the minister said. The ministry was also asked whether t

Budget session resumes today. Key bills in focus

Parliament’s Budget session resumes today, with key bills and heated debates expected. Watch the video for a rundown of the important bills up for discussion.

Parliament Budget session highlights: Rajya Sabha discusses Railways Amendment Bill

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

GST evasion of Rs 1.95 trn detected by CGST officers during April-January

As per the data shared in the Lok Sabha, the total number of GST evasion cases detected by central government officers in the last five years