Page 44 - Parliament

Rajya Sabha polls: BJP nominates Nadda from Gujarat, Ashok Chavan from Maha

Rajya Sabha elections: In 2024, as many as 69 Rajya Sabha seats are up for election. The upcoming polls to 56 seats come ahead of the much-anticipated Lok Sabha elections

Two BJP members maintained perfect attendance in outgoing 17th LS

BJP members Mohan Mandavi and Bhagirath Choudhary have earned the unique distinction of not missing a single sitting of the 17th Lok Sabha, which held a total of 274 during its term. Coincidentally, the two first-term members got seats adjacent to each other in the House. "I do the job assigned to me with utmost responsibility. I represent Kanker, a tribal region of Chhattisgarh, and had attended the House even during the COVID-19 pandemic," Mandavi said. According to data shared by PRS Legislative, Choudhary (MP from Ajmer in Rajasthan) and Mandavi clocked a 100 per cent attendance during the 17th Lok Sabha, which on an average witnessed 79 per cent attendance during its tenure. Mandavi said he and Choudhary had seats next to each other in Lok Sabha. BJP member from Hamirpur in Uttar Pradesh Pushpendra Singh Chandel was the most active member in Parliament having participated in 1,194 debates in the 17th Lok Sabha, followed by Kuldeep Rai Sharma (833 debates) from Andaman and Nic

BJP MLAs suspended from WB Assembly session over Sandeshkhali unrest

The suspension, under Rule 348 of the State Assembly, was meted out by the Speaker following a Privilege Motion brought by Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs of West Bengal

Pak parties intensify efforts to form coalition govt after split verdict

Political parties in Pakistan on Sunday intensified their efforts for the formation of a coalition government after it became clear that the cash-strapped country faced a hung Parliament after general elections. The general elections were held on Thursday, but the unusual delay in the announcement of results vitiated the atmosphere as several parties cried foul play and some resorted to protests. Former prime minister and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif received the backing of the powerful Pakistan Army on Saturday for his call for a unity government to pull Pakistan out of its current difficulties. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the results of 264 out of 265 contested seats. The result of NA 88 was withheld by the ECP due to complaints of fraud and it would be announced after redressing the grievances of the aggrieved. Election to one seat was postponed after the death of a candidate.

17th Lok Sabha records lowest number of sittings among full term govts

The 17th Lok Sabha that came to an end on Saturday had the lowest number of sittings among the Lok Sabhas that had a full term of five years, data compiled by think tank PRS Legislative Research showed. The 17th Lok Sabha had 272 sittings altogether over its five year tenure from 2019-2024. According to PRS, the 16th Lok Sabha had 331 sittings, while the 15th and 14th Lok Sabha under the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government had 332 and 356 sittings respectively. The 13th Lok Sabha had 356 sittings. The highest number of sittings in any Lok Sabha was recorded during the first Lok Sabha, which in its tenure from 1952 to 1957 had 677 sittings. The second and third Lok Sabhas had 581 and 578 sittings respectively. The fourth Lok Sabha, which was dissolved a year ahead of its scheduled time, held 469 sittings, and the fifth Lok Sabha which completed its full tenure had 613 sittings. The sixth Lok Sabha under the Janata Party alliance, which was in office from March 1977 to August 1979, ha

CAA rules before LS polls, citizenship to beneficiaries soon after: Shah

The rules for implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will be issued before the coming Lok Sabha polls and the process to grant Indian nationality to the beneficiaries will start soon after, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said here on Saturday. Under the CAA, the Modi government wants to grant Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants - Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians - from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who had come to India till December 31, 2014. "The CAA is a law of the country and its notification will definitely be issued. It will be issued before the polls. The CAA will be implemented before the elections. No one should have any confusion about it," Shah said at the ET NOW Global Business Summit 2024. He said granting Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities of the neighbouring countries was a promise of the Congress leadership too. "When the Partition happened - Hindus, Buddhists, Christians - all wanted to come to India

How about a White Paper on Vision 2047?

Since this White Paper ends with the statement 'Amrit Kaal has just begun and our destination is India a developed nation by 2047', it is only fair to map how this would roll out

12 Bills passed by both Houses in 17th LS: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi

The minister informed further the productivity over 11 days of sittings was logged at approximately 148 per cent in the Lok Sabha and 137 per cent approximately in the Rajya Sabha

Ram temple symbol of peace, unity and harmony: Piyush Goyal in Rajya Sabha

The Ram Janmabhoomi movement unified the entire country, Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal said on Friday as he described January 22 as a "historic" day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi ended the second exile of Lord Ram with the consecration ceremony at the temple in Ayodhya. Replying to a short duration discussion in the House on the construction of historic Shri Ram Temple and Pran Pratishtha of Shri Ramlalla, Goyal said the Ram temple in Ayodhya is a symbol of peace, unity and harmony. He also highlighted Modi's resolve and relentless efforts in building the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The prime minister has fulfilled his guarantee and promise to the nation, Goyal said, adding that the temple is equally a symbol of India's progress (vikas) and heritage (virasat). At the same time, the construction of the temple paves the way for the country's economic growth by boosting tourism on a large scale, he said. "Since the Pran Pratishtha, we saw that in a matter of days

Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die as Budget session concludes

House took decisions for which many generations waited for long: PM Modi

Parliament Budget session: Ram Temple issue takes centre stage on last day

The Ram temple construction took centre stage on the last day of Parliament's budget session Saturday with both houses holding a discussion on its consecration ceremony and Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying adoption of a laudatory resolution on it will give constitutional strength to the future generations to feel proud of the country's values. Several members in both Lok Sabha and Rajya participated in the discussion that lasted a few hours. The CPI-M staged a walk-out from Rajya Sabha. Modi noted in Lok Sabha that the discussion on the Ram temple was important for the next generation. In a swipe at the opposition which has constantly targeted the BJP over the temple issue, he said, "This is true that not everyone has the capacity for these things. Some people are brave to face it while others run away from the battlefield. But for the future record, the speeches that were made today have sensitivity, resolve and sympathy... It also takes forward the mantra of 'sabka saath, sabka

Five years of 17th Lok Sabha was of reform, perform, transform: PM Modi

Outgoing Lok Sabha took decisions for which many generations waited for long: PM Modi

Ram temple symbolic of spirit of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat': Om Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday moved a resolution on the Ayodhya Ram temple, describing its construction as a historic achievement, and said it will give the values of hope and unity to future generations. Reading out the resolution at the end of a nearly four-hour-long discussion on "the construction of historic Shri Ram Temple and Pran Pratishtha of Shri Ramlala" in the House, he said after centuries of wait, the Ram temple in Ayodhya has ushered in a new era of good governance and public welfare. The speaker noted that the temple is symbolic of the spirit of "Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat". Soon after the Supreme Court delivered its verdict, the statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi "inspired society about peace instead of a feeling of victory or defeat", Birla said, referring to the court's 2019 judgement in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title case. He said that through this resolution, the members of the House appreciate the historic work accomplished in Ayodhya.

PM Modi surprises MPs with unexpected lunch at Parliament canteen

The drill began a little earlier in the day when officials from the Prime Minister's Office contacted the MPs, some of them first-time members, without giving away the details

PM Modi has lunch with MPs from different parties at Parliament canteen

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had lunch with some MPs belonging to different parties at the Parliament canteen on Friday. BJD leader Sasmit Patra, RSP leader N K Premachandran, TDP's K Ram Mohan Naidu, BSP's Ritesh Pandey and some BJP leaders, including Union minister L Murugan and Heena Gavit, were with Modi as they had lunch together. Parliament's Winter session ends on Saturday. It is the last session of Parliament before the Lok Sabha elections, expected in April-May.

Parliament passes bill to curb malpractices in competitive examinations

Parliament on Friday passed a landmark bill that aims to curb malpractices and irregularities in competitive examinations by including stringent punitive provisions, with Union Minister Jitendra Singh asserting that the bill is meant to deter those who play with the future of the youth. The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, passed in Rajya Sabha, has provisions for a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine up to Rs 1 crore. The bill was passed through a voice vote in Rajya Sabha on Friday, after amendments proposed by some opposition members were rejected. The bill was passed by Lok Sabha on February 6. Replying to a discussion on the bill in Rajya Sabha, Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, said the youth power of the country is "vital" and made it clear that the bill is meant to deter those who are playing with their future. "We can't allow vital youth power of this country to be surrendered or sacrificed in the hands

AAP to meet on Feb 13 to decide on LS candidates' names for 3 states

The AAP will hold a meeting of its Political Affairs Committee on February 13 to decide on the names of the Lok Sabha candidates for Gujarat, Haryana, and Goa, a party source said on Friday. In a sign of exasperation over protracted seat-sharing talks with its INDIA bloc partner Congress, the AAP on Thursday declared party candidates for three Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam. "The party's PAC will meet on February 13 to decide on the names of the candidates for Gujarat, Goa and Haryana," the source said. Aam Aadmi Party national general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak announced party leaders Manoj Dhanohar, Bhabhen Chaudhary, and Rishi Raj candidates from Dibrugarh, Guwahati, and Sonitpur, in that order. Pathak, in a press conference at AAP headquarters here, said the party is left with little time ahead of the polls. Earlier, the AAP leaders had said that the party was in talks with the Congress over seat-sharing in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Goa. AAP national

Parliament passes Bills to amend SC, ST list in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh

The Parliament also passed the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024 on Thursday, following its passage in the Lower House

No quick fixes, took bold reforms to nurture economy: Govt in White Paper

The 59-page document, which compared the last two decades of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) versus the NDA government, criticised the former for falling short of delivering on crucial reforms

White paper reaffirms Indian economy's robust growth momentum: CII

The White Paper tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reaffirms the Indian economy's robust growth momentum, industry body CII said, expressing confidence that the country's GDP will touch the USD 7 trillion mark before 2030. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled a 'White Paper on the Indian Economy' in the Lok Sabha. Sitharaman in her Interim Budget speech had announced that the government will come out with a white paper on the economy outlining the economic mismanagement in the 10 years of UPA rule till 2014. The NDA government has overcome the crisis of those years, and the economy has been put firmly on a high sustainable growth path with all-round development, Sitharaman said. R Dinesh, President CII, said the finding of the white paper tabled in Parliament reaffirms the Indian economy's robust growth momentum. "CII's in-house surveys capturing the pulse of the industry members have mirrored the optimism of the white paper on the ...