Page 6 - Parliament

Simple language, lucid, says FM as Parliament passes Income Tax Bill, 2025

Opposition members staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha during the discussion, mirroring their protest in the Lok Sabha on Monday

Lok Sabha extends deadline for 'One Nation, One Election' panel report

PP Chaudhary, One Nation One Election Panel chairman, moved a motion seeking more time for the JPC to present reports on the 129th Constitution Amendment and UT Laws Amendment Bills

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm as INDIA bloc presses for discussion on SIR

Rajya Sabha proceedings on Tuesday were adjourned till the post-lunch session within minutes of its assembly, as Opposition MPs insisted on a discussion be taken up on the alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. Soon after listed official papers were laid on the table of the House, Deputy Chairman Harivansh said he has rejected all 21 notices that invoked Rule 267, which allows suspension of listed business to discuss matters being raised in them. Without indicating the subject, he said the notices were received on four different subjects but none of them contained a motion drawn in a proper manner. As many as 11 notices sought discussion on a matter which is sub judice, he said. The Supreme Court is hearing petitions filed against SIR. Tiruchi Siva of DMK cited the rule book to say that the ruling of the Chair is supreme and urged him to take up discussion on subjects listed in the Rule 267 notice. Even before he could finish,

Cong has no issues with EC where it wins: Dilip Ghosh on 'vote theft' claim

On Monday, the INDIA bloc MPs took out a march from the Parliament to the EC in Delhi against the alleged irregularities in the 2024 general election and against the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar

Opposition MPs detained during stir over Bihar voter list revision

Opposition MPs protest Bihar voter roll revision in Delhi as Parliament clears eight Bills; Kiren Rijiju slams disruptions and hints at an early end to monsoon session

Critical to have states' confidence to advance NEP vision, says Parl panel

It is critical to have complete confidence of states to successfully advance the vision of the new National Education Policy (NEP) and the Ministry of Education should develop mechanism to coordinate with them on any concerns flagged, a Parliamentary panel has noted. The Department-related Parliamentary Women, Standing Committee on Education, Sabha Children, Youth and Sports, headed by Congress MP Digvijay Singh, also noted the absence of an organised institutional mechanism to gather feedback on the NEP's implementation. It recommended that a centralised nationwide tracker at the university-level should be developed to track progress on NEP implementation in higher education. "The Committee has observed that a synergised collaboration between stakeholders is required for the successful implementation of the NEP. "In response, the Ministry has rightly noted that Education is in the concurrent list of the Constitution. It is therefore critical to have the complete confidence of the

Parliamentary panel questions accuracy of data in Jal Jeevan Mission system

A parliamentary standing committee has flagged concerns over the authenticity of data being fed into the Jal Jeevan Mission's (JJM's) Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), recommending that the Centre institute checks to verify figures uploaded by states. It warned that without reliable data, assessing ground realities and plugging gaps in rural water supply would remain difficult. "Being aware of the fact that actual veracity of uploaded information is essential for realising the actual ground situation and filling the visible gaps, the Committee reiterate its recommendation that the Department makes sincere efforts to ensure the authenticity of the data being fed on the IMIS," the Standing Committee on Water Resources said. In its sixth report on the Ministry of Jal Shakti's 2024-25 Demands for Grants, tabled in Parliament on Monday, the Committee said actual verification of state-uploaded figures was "essential for realising the actual ground situation" and reiterated

Parliament passes Merchant Shipping Bill 2025 amid Opposition protests

Parliament on Monday approved The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025 with the Rajya Sabha passing it with a voice vote. The Lok Sabha had passed the bill on August 6. The bill was passed in the Upper House amid a walkout by the Opposition that was protesting in the House and demanding a discussion on the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2025 seeks to expand the eligibility criteria for ownership of merchant shipping vessels and provide for investigation and enquiries on marine casualties among others. Earlier, Opposition members protested the taking up of the bill and demanded that the SIR issue be discussed. Amid the din caused by Opposition members, the Rajya Sabha also saw a brief adjournment for a few minutes. Later, when the House assembled at 3 pm, the bill was taken up and passed.

217,000 fake notes of various denominations found in FY25, says govt

As many as 2.17 lakh pieces of fake notes of various denominations were detected during 2024-25 compared to 2.23 lakh such notes in the previous year, Parliament was informed on Monday. Of this, highest -- 1,17,722 pieces -- counterfeit notes of 500 [MG (New) Series] were detected in FY25, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. This was followed by 51,069 pieces of such notes of 100 denomination and 32,660 notes of Rs 200, he said. "Government of India, in consultation with Reserve Bank of India, reviews the effectiveness of security features of banknotes from time to time and undertakes measures to introduce new security features in accordance with Section 25 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. Incorporating new security features/new designs in the banknotes to stay ahead of the counterfeiters is a continuous process," he said. In reply to another question, Chaudhary said, the RBI has noted that net fixed assets of private limi

MPs dont need permission to walk on streets of Delhi: Ramgopal Yadav

If you cannot meet MPs citing the excuse of space, then that in itself is a comment on what kind of work you are doing.This (SIR) is a fraud; you are not providing classified data, Manoj Jha told ANI

No formal request for INDIA Bloc march from Parliament to EC: Delhi Police

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said the INDIA bloc MPs had marched from the Parliament to the Election Commission's office last monday to protest the SIR of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar

Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave on what makes him a 'permanent pessimist'

Dave, who surprised everyone by quitting the legal profession, lists his concerns over the state of the judiciary and the country

FM Sitharaman withdraws Income Tax Bill, revised draft to be tabled Aug 11

Finance minister will submit a revised version of the I-T Bill, incorporating most of the Select Committee's recommendations

Need of the hour to revise creamy layer ceiling for OBCs: Parl panel

A parliamentary committee looking into the welfare of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) has said it was the "need of the hour" to revise the creamy layer income ceiling, saying the limit is excluding a large section of eligible OBC families from reservation benefits and government welfare schemes. In its eighth report presented to Parliament on Friday, the panel noted that the last revision of the income threshold from Rs 6.5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh per annum was carried out in 2017. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) rules require the ceiling to be reviewed every three years or sooner, if needed. The present threshold is low, covering only a small segment of OBCs, the panel, chaired by BJP MP Ganesh Singh, said, adding inflation and rising incomes in even lower income groups had made an upward revision the need of the hour. "The Committee is aware of the fact that the income limit for determining creamy layer for OBCs should be reviewed every three years or even before the ...

World is witnessing trade policy dislocation, says finance ministry

Presence of risks to world economy make medium term fiscal projections difficult, the ministry emphasised

Parliament passes bill to replace century-old sea cargo carriage law

Parliament on Wednesday passed The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill 2025, amid Opposition protests and sloganeering over the Special Intensive Revision issue. A brief debate was held on the Bill amid protests. Several Opposition MPs who stood up to participate in the debate on the Bill, demanded a discussion on SIR. Chair Bhubaneshwar Kalita, however, said anything unrelated to the Bill will not go on record. Moving the Bill, Shantanu Thakur, Minister of State for Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said the Bill intends to replace 100 years old, pre-independence Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925. The Act establishes the responsibilities, liabilities, rights, and immunities in case of goods carried from a port in India to another port in the country or any other in the world, and is in conformance with the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law relating to Bills of Lading of August 1924 (Hague Rules) and subsequent amendments to it. The Bi

No proposal to exempt MPLAD funds from GST: Govt to Parliamentary panel

MoSPI tells House panel no GST exemption is planned for MPLADS use, even as the panel seeks relief to improve fund utility and suggests increasing annual allocation

Parliamentary panel pitches for ESG oversight body to combat greenwashing

The corporate affairs ministry should set up an ESG oversight body to actively combat greenwashing activities and also put in place penal provisions for fraudulent ESG claims, according to a Parliamentary panel. Generally, greenwashing refers to claims by companies about any product or service having a climate-friendly impact. ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles are part of the Companies Act, 2013. In its report tabled in Parliament on Monday, the Standing Committee on Finance mentioned the ministry's demurral against establishing a dedicated ESG oversight body, citing that the prevailing disclosure-based regime, underpinned by a company board's accountability and extant penal provisions, constitutes an adequate monitoring mechanism. Against this backdrop, the panel urged the ministry to "establish a dedicated ESG oversight body for actively combating greenwashing through specialised forensic expertise" as well as formulate sector-specific guidelines and extend .

Parl panel suggests regional fintech clusters on lines of GIFT City

The finance ministry stated that the reason for this strategy is that the mainland activities are not affected by the offshore activities

'We have proof': Rahul Gandhi alleges EC involved in 'vote chori' for BJP

Congress leader says officials aiding BJP will be held accountable; Opposition demands debate in Parliament over alleged voter manipulation ahead of Bihar polls