Page 49 - Parliament

Petition filed in SC against new criminal laws passed by Parliament

A petition challenging the enactment of three new sets of law that seek to overhaul India's penal codes has been filed in the Supreme Court, claiming they suffered from many "defects and discrepancies". The Lok Sabha had on December 21 passed three key legislations -- the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bills. President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the bills on December 25. These new laws-the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Act-will replace the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act. While seeking a stay on the operation of the three laws, the PIL filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari said they were enacted without any parliamentary debate as most of the opposition members were under suspension. The plea has sought directions from the court to immediately constitute an expert committee to assess the viabil

Govt to audit rising spot purchase of crude, House panel flags costly buys

The Committee has recommended that the Ministry should conduct an audit to see whether the purchases in spot tenders have actually resulted in cheaper costs

Import more crude grades to cut basket price: Parliamentary panel

India currently imports about 50 grades of crude oil in a year

LIVE: Forex jumps $4.47 bn to $620.44 bn during week ending Dec 22

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Year in review: Major political events that captured imagination in 2023

Welfarism and the outreach of political parties to women dominated the discourse. In 2023, both the BJP and the Congress wooed women as a distinct vote bank like never before

President Murmu grants assent to Bill for appointment of CEC, ECs

President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to a bill that seeks to put in place a mechanism for the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners, according to a government notification issued Friday. The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023, has provisions to set up a search committee chaired by the law minister and two other persons not below the rank of secretary, to prepare a panel of five persons for consideration of the selection committee for appointment as CEC or ECs. The bill also has provisions for a Selection Committee, chaired by the prime minister, leader of the opposition and a Union minister, to make recommendations to the President for appointment of CEC and other ECs. The President also granted assent to the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, to replace a British-era law governing the publishing industry and simplify the process of ...

Parl security breach: HC denies urgent hearing on plea moved by Neelam Azad

Neelam Azad, through Lawyer Advocate Suresh Kumar, alleged that her arrest was illegal and in contravention of Article 22(1) of the Consitution

Parl security case: Police files plea to conduct polygraph tests of accused

The Special Cell of Delhi Police on Thursday moved an application in Patiala House Court seeking permission to conduct a polygraph test of all the accused arrested in Parliament Security Breach Case.The Additional Sessions Judge Dr Hardeeep Kaur adjourned the matter for January 2, 2024 noted that the legal aide counsel (Court appointed lawyer) represented some of the accused is not present.All the six arrested accused were also brought to the court during the hearing of plea.Last week the Court had extended the custodial remand of all.six accused till January 5, 2024.Public Prosecutor Akhand Pratap Singh appeared for Delhi Police had earlier submitted that indepth investigation required to unearth larger conspiracy behind this well planned attack. Police also sought custodial remand to find actual motive behind the attack and accused association with any other enemy country as aell as terror organizations.The security breach happened on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror ...

'Blast' call case: Paramilitary forces deployed outside Israel Embassy

Visuals from the area showed heavy deployment of paramilitary forces, with restricted movement around the premises on Thursday morning

Lok Sabha breach: Accused Neelam Azad moves HC, calls police remand illegal

Neelam Azad, an accused arrested in the December 13 Parliament security breach case, Wednesday approached the Delhi High Court alleging her police remand was illegal as she was not allowed to consult a legal practitioner of her choice to defend her during the trial court proceedings. In her petition seeking a writ of habeas corpus directing her production before the high court as well as an order to "set her at liberty", Azad said not allowing her to consult a lawyer of her choice amounted to violation of her fundamental right guaranteed under the Constitution, making the remand order unlawful. The trial court has remanded her in police custody till January 5. The matter is likely to be mentioned for urgent hearing before a vacation bench of the high court on Thursday. Under Indian laws, a detainee or a person on their behalf can file a habeas corpus petition in a high court or the Supreme Court for their production if they feel they have been detained illegally. Upon production, if

Year in review: How India's political landscape transformed in 2023

With the end of another year, we take a look at the biggest headlines and stories from Indian politics that defined 2023

2023: Battle lines drawn in Indian politics and beyond - a year review

The Opposition bloc taking shape after a Congress push, BJP's sweep in the Hindi heartland, and suspension of MPs protesting over Parliament security breach set the stage for an intense 2024 showdown

LIVE news: BJP national secretary Anupam Hazra removed from his post

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Telecommunications, 3 criminal justice Bills get President Murmu's assent

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday gave assent to the three new criminal justice bills which were cleared by Parliament last week. The three new laws -- the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Act -- will replace the colonial era Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872. While replying to a debate on the three bills in Parliament, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said the focus were on delivering justice rather than handing down punishment. The legislation aim at completely overhauling the criminal justice system in the country by giving definition of various offences and their punishments. These have given a clear definition of terrorism, abolished sedition as a crime and introduced a new section titled "offenses against the state".

Dhankhar-Kharge letter war: MPs suspension premeditated, alleges Cong chief

It was the mass suspension of MPs that was "premeditated" and "weaponised" by the ruling party to sabotage Parliamentary practices, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge alleged on Saturday, hitting back at Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. Kharge was replying to a second letter on the disruption of parliamentary proceedings and the suspension of MPs by Vice President Dhankhar, who had alleged that the disorder by the Opposition in the House was deliberate and part of a strategy. In his letter on Saturday, Dhankar had also said, "We need to move ahead", and invited the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha for an interaction on December 25 "or a time of your convenience" at his official residence. The Congress president, in his reply, said that he agrees with the Chairman that they need to move ahead but stressed that the "answer may not lie in a discussion in the Chairman's chambers, if the government is not keen on running the House". The Congress chief said he is currently out of

LIVE: Institutions we are setting up will give us new direction, says PM

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New criminal laws 90% same, more rigorous than 'colonial' ones: Kapil Sibal

The former Union Minister said that the new laws are more rigorous than the 'colonial' ones and they don't have any 'Indian-ness' in them

'It is an art form': TMC's Kalyan Banerjee mimics VP Dhankhar again

Videos showed Kalyan Banerjee mimicking Rajya Sabha Chairman Dhankhar during an Opposition protest outside Parliament last Tuesday. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was also seen recording Banerjee's act

Year Ender: Democracy turning pages with inauguration of new Parl building

The old Parliament House in India, designed by British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, is a colonial-era building that underwent six years of construction from 1921 to 1927

No takers for rupee payment for oil imports: Oil ministry in Parliament

India's push for rupee to be used to pay for import of crude oil has not found any takers as suppliers have expressed concern on repatriation of funds and high transactional costs, the oil ministry told a parliamentary standing committee. The default payment currency for all contracts for import of crude oil is US dollar as per the international trade practice. However, in a bid to internationalise the Indian currency, the Reserve Bank of India on July 11, 2022 allowed importers to pay with rupees and exporters be paid in rupee. While there has been some success with non-oil trade with a select few countries, rupee continues to be shunned by oil exporters. "During FY 2022-23, no crude oil imports by oil PSUs was settled in Indian rupee. Crude oil suppliers (including UAE's ADNOC) continue to express their concern on the repatriation of funds in the preferred currency and also highlighted high transactional costs associated with conversion of funds along with exchange fluctuation ...