Page 25 - Parliament

Govt tables One Nation, One Election Bill after 269-198 division vote

Government pushes forward controversial 'One Nation, One Election' Bills amid objections from the Opposition

Parliamentary panel calls for legal guarantee of MSP to protect farmers

A parliamentary panel on Tuesday recommended the government implement a legally binding minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural produce, arguing that such a measure could significantly reduce farmer suicides and provide crucial financial stability. The Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing, headed by Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi, submitted a comprehensive report to Parliament highlighting the potential benefits of a legally guaranteed MSP. "The committee strongly recommends that the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare declare a roadmap for implementing MSP as a legal guarantee at the earliest," the report stated. Currently, the government fixes MSP for 23 commodities based on the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) recommendations. The panel argued that a legally binding MSP would not only safeguard farmers' livelihoods but also promote rural economic growth and enhance national food security. The committee's k

Parliament session highlights: One Nation One Election Bill likely to be introduced on Dec 17 in LS

Parliament winter session 2024 updates: After Lok Sabha, two-day discussion on Constitution to begin in Rajya Sabha from today; catch all LIVE updates

Parliamentary panel highlights gaps in medical radiation device testing

A parliamentary committee on Monday raised serious concerns about the country's capability to test and regulate radiation-emitting medical devices, urging immediate reforms in the national testing infrastructure. The Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution revealed significant gaps in the testing framework for critical medical equipment like X-ray and MRI machines in its fifth report submitted to Parliament. The National Testing House (NTH) currently lacks the expertise and capacity to comprehensively test and certify radiation-emitting medical devices, despite existing regulatory oversight from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO). The committee recommended establishing a collaborative framework between NTH, AERB, and CDSCO to address the identified regulatory shortcomings. Key recommendations include developing specialised testing capabilities at NTH, investing in advanced testing ...

House panel criticises govt for missing FCI godown construction target

A Parliamentary panel on Monday pulled up the government for not meeting the godown construction target in the last four years till September 2024 and asked the nodal ministry to constitute a high-level committee to expedite the progress in northeast and hilly states. In the sixth report on demand for grants for 2024-25 placed in Parliament, the Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said that against the target of godown construction with 50,100-tonne capacity in 2023-24, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) could achieve only 1,760-tonne capacity, utilising Rs 52.75 crore. For 2024-25, the target was to construct 58,540-tonne capacity, "but the achievement till September 30 has been nil", the report said. FCI could not achieve the physical target of construction of godowns for 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 till September in the wake of the implementation of the National Food Security Act, it added. The committee also expressed concern over the

Amid no-confidence motion row, Rajya Sabha to debate Constitution today

Constitution debate: BJP President and Union Health Minister JP Nadda will start the discussion at 11 am today as the Upper House reconvenes, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah scheduled to respond

German Chancellor Scholz to ask parliament to clear way for new elections

The departure last month of the neoliberal Free Democrats from the three-way coalition left Scholz's Social Democrats and the Greens governing without a parliamentary majority

FinMin unlikely to introduce new Income-Tax Bill in Budget session

Review panel may submit report before FY26 Budget

Letter and spirit: Constitution will help fulfil citizens' aspirations

The biggest example of its success is the continued peaceful transition of power, reflecting the people's will

One Nation, One Election bill to be introduced in Parl: What we know so far

One Nation, One Election bill, has sparked significant debate, particularly from Opposition leaders about the feasibility of holding Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections within the same year

S Korean parliament to vote on impeachment motion against President Yoon

South Korean lawmakers are set to vote on an opposition-led impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday, two days after Yoon defended his controversial martial law decree and vowed to resist mounting calls for his ouster. It'll be the second time for the National Assembly to hold a vote on Yoon's impeachment motion over his short-lived December 3 martial law introduction. Last Saturday, Yoon survived an impeachment vote after most ruling party lawmakers boycotted a floor vote. It's not clear if those People Power Party lawmakers would do the same again. Public protests against Yoon have since intensified and his approval rating has plummeted. The country's six opposition parties control the 300-member unicameral parliament with a combined 192 seats, but they are eight seats shy of the two-thirds majority needed to pass Yoon's impeachment motion. Tens of thousands of people poured onto the streets of capital Seoul in the past two weeks, calling for Yoon to be rem

House panel for increased private participation in rail infrastructure

The committee also suggested that the railways should improve its finances by undertaking a comprehensive review of its passenger fares - which are typically subsidised by up to 46 per cent

Parliament highlights: Nehru blamed for everything, why don't you talk about present, asks Priyanka

Parliament winter session 2024 LIVE updates: BJP would have begun changing Constitution, if not for the Lok Sabha election results, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi stated

Parliamentary committee recommends increasing assistance under PMAY-G

With the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin being extended till March 2029 with an aim to construct two crore additional homes, a Parliamentary standing committee has recommended the assistance provided under the scheme be suitably hiked. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, headed by Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, pointed out that the assistance under the scheme had remained stagnant at Rs 1.2 lakh for a considerable period of time, often leading to cases in which the houses remained incomplete. In a report tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, the panel said the "Housing for All" vision might not achieve its target until the beneficiaries were provided "proper hand-holding" in terms of financial assistance of right value and at the right juncture. The report also highlighted that more than two lakh landless beneficiaries were still waiting to get land or assistance from state governments to construct homes, which might also cause delay

Parliamentary panel raises concern over low MGNREGS wages, asks for raise

Flagging low wages under MGNREGS, a Parliamentary panel has questioned why the remuneration under the flagship scheme was not linked to an inflation index. It has also urged the Union rural development ministry for devising a mechanism for raising wages under the scheme. Headed by Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, in a report tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, rapped the ministry and said there had been no noticeable change in its stance. It has been sending "stereotype responses" regarding revision of wages, the report said. "Rising inflation and cost of living, be it urban or rural setting, has risen manifold and is evident to all. Even at this moment, going by the notified wage rates of MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), per day wage rate of around Rs 200 in many states defies any logic when the same state has much higher labour rates," the panel said in its report.

Farmer's son vs labourer's son: Huge ruckus in RS as Kharge, Dhankhar clash

Parliament winter session: Rajya Sabha saw a heated exchange between Jagdeep Dhankhar and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge as the no-trust motion against Dhankhar disrupted the proceedings

President Murmu, PM Modi pay tributes to victims of 2001 Parliament attack

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the terrorist attack will always inspire the people

Constitution debate in Parliament: Key issues and political clash explained

A two-day debate on India's Constitution begins in Parliament today, with BJP and Congress clashing over constitutional values, reservations, and key political issues

Govt seeks Parliament's nod for over Rs 87K crore extra expenditure

It includes Rs 6,593 cr towards fertiliser subsidy scheme, around Rs 9K cr for agriculture, and Rs 8K cr for defence

One yr of Parliament security breach: 3 chargesheets, 6 in jail, probe on

A year after a security breach in Parliament, sources in the Delhi Police said they have submitted clinching evidence and made a watertight case against the six accused. The security breach happened on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack on December 13, 2023 and the accused have been booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The trial in the case is yet to start as the Delhi Police's probe is underway. But officials claim that they have sufficient evidence against the perpetrators, who were led by Karnataka resident Manoranjan D. The accused had launched a coordinated gas attack by opening colourful canisters in both inside and outside the Parliament house during the Zero Hour. Manoranjan, along with Sagar Sharma, jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery and opened the canisters that released a yellow gas in the House. Two others -- Amol Shinde and Neelam Azad -- sprayed coloured gases from canisters outside the Parliament .