Page 72 - Parliament

Section 302 is not murder and Section 420 not cheating: Proposed Code

Govt tables Bill to replace colonial-era laws, proposes death for lynching, rape of minors

Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die, Monsoon session concludes amid disruptions

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday, bringing down the curtain on the Monsoon session which was marred by repeated disruptions by the opposition over the Manipur violence issue. On the last day of the session, the Upper House was adjourned twice in the pre-lunch session amid an uproar by opposition members who demanded a discussion and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement in the House on the situation in Manipur. Several attempts by the chair and the government to break the logjam in the House failed as no discussion on Manipur could take place despite the listing of a short-duration discussion on the matter under rule 176. The opposition had been demanding a comprehensive discussion on the Manipur violence with a statement from the prime minister, under rule 267 that entails voting. Before being adjourned sine die, the House returned to Lok Sabha two proposed legislations on the Central and Integrated GST laws by a voice vote without any discussion. The proposed l

'PM was laughing, joking', says Rahul Gandhi on Modi's speech in Parliament

The Congress leader said that the Indian Army can end the Manipur violence in just two days but Modi does not want to extinguish the fire

Does not behove PM to laugh in Parliament when Manipur is on fire: Rahul

In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said it does not behove the Indian Prime Minister to laugh and crack jokes in Parliament when Manipur has been on fire for months. Gandhi criticised the Prime Minister for his reply to the no-confidence motion brought against his government by the Opposition in Lok Sabha, saying he devoted just two minutes to Manipur in his over two-hour speech. "I watched the PM yesterday speaking for two hours laughing, joking, 'lagaoing naaras' (raising slogans). The Prime Minister seems to have forgotten that the state of Manipur is on fire and has been on fire for many days," Gandhi said. "The Prime Minister sitting in the middle of Parliament was shamelessly laughing...The issue was not Congress or me, the issue was what is happening in Manipur and why it was not being stopped," he said. Gandhi said his remarks that Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had "murdered Bharat Mata in Manipur"

No compensation paid from Environment Relief Fund since 2019: Govt

No compensation has been paid since 2019 from the Environment Relief Fund established in 2008 to aid individuals affected by hazardous substances, the government has said. As of March 31, 2023, the fund has accumulated Rs 1,062 crore, Union Minister of State for Environment Ashiwini Kumar Choubey told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. "No amount has been disbursed as compensation from the Environment Relief Fund (ERF) since 2019," he said. Instituted under the Public Liability Act, 1991 (PLIA) in the wake of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, the ERF's primary purpose is to offer immediate relief to victims of accidents involving hazardous substances. The PLIA mandates industries handling hazardous materials to mandatorily obtain public liability insurance. Apart from contributions from hazardous industries that opt for insurance under the PLIA, the ERF consists of compensation awarded by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for damage to the environment under Section 24 of the NGT Act, 2010. Choub

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Provisions for sedition offences to be completely repealed, says Amit Shah

Shah also said that the provision of capital punishment will also be introduced in mob lynching cases

BRS leader Rama Rao questions LS Speaker over BJP MP 'denigrating' KCR

Taking strong exception to BJP General Secretary Bandi Sanjay Kumar's comments on Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in Parliament, State Minister and BRS Working President K T Rama Rao on Friday asked Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla as to what action he would take against the MP. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Rama Rao, apparently referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, questioned the Speaker's stand on the BJP leader citing the example of disqualification of "an MP" following a court's judgment over his remarks on people having 'Modi' surname. Hitting out at the Congress and ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi in Telangana, Karimnagar Lok Sabha member Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Thursday described the BRS as 'Bhrashtachar Rakshasa Samithi' (roughly translated as corrupt and demonic association). "So, an MP of Congress was disqualified from his membership for calling out PM's surname in a derogatory way. Now, a BJP MP from Telangana goes to great lengths and denigrates Telangana's

No delay in officers' recruitment cycle in Indian Army: Govt to Parl panel

There is no delay in the officers' recruitment cycle in the Indian Army and there is a well-established procedure with a fixed timeline and all applicants including Veer Naris are treated at par in the recruitment process, the government has informed a parliamentary panel. Action taken by the government on the observations or recommendations contained in the thirty-first report (17th Lok Sabha) of the Standing Committee on Defence on the subject 'Assessment of Welfare Measures available to war widows/Families in Armed Forces' was presented to Lok Sabha and laid in Rajya Sabha on Thursday. The Committee in its report has noted that compassionate appointments are being made by concerned Service Headquarters of the Army, Navy and Air Force to widows or families of defence personnel, whereby widows of defence personnel, who lose their lives while performing the duties are eligible for applying for short Service Commission (Non-Technical) and (Technical). They are eligible even if they ..

Rising tourism, illegal construction straining Himalayas: Par panel

The tremendous increase in tourism and illegal construction of hotels and resorts is straining natural resources in the Himalayan region and the government should take urgent action to avert Joshimath-like disasters, a parliamentary panel said on Thursday. In its 135th report tabled in the Rajya Sabha, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment Forest and Climate Change also stressed the need for a thorough examination of the illegal structures in the ecologically fragile region in coordination with local authorities and strict action against illegal construction to prevent tragedies akin to the ones experienced in Kedarnath in 2013 and Joshimath earlier this year. "The committee also highlights the tremendous increase of tourist activities in these areas which has put the natural resources under pressure. This has led to over-exploitation of natural resources and illegal construction of home stays, guest houses, resorts, hotels, restaurants and other

324 antiquities brought back to India from 2003-2023: Govt to Parliament

A total of 324 antiquities have been brought back to India during 2003-2023, the government informed Parliament on Thursday. Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy said this in a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha. He was asked whether it is a fact that a number of stolen Indian antiquities have been brought back to India during the last two decades. A total of 324 antiquities have been brought back to India during 2003-2023, according to the data shared by the minister. In his response, he also informed the Upper House that a total of 291 antiquities have been retrieved since 2020. In 2013, one antiquity was returned to India from France; while in 2023, two were returned from Australia, seven from the UK and 85 from the US, according to the data. A stone sculpture of Nagaraja (the serpent king) was retrieved from Australia in 2020, among the 291 antiquities retrieved since that year.

Par panel for easing criteria for recognised startups to avail tax benefits

A parliamentary panel on Thursday recommended relaxation in criteria for eligible startups to claim benefits under income tax law as only one per cent of recognised entrepreneurs have availed the benefit. The department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce has expressed concern about the low utilisation of section 80-IAC of the Income Tax Act, 1961, which entitles eligible startups to avail the tax benefit. It was implemented in 2017. Despite the existence of 98,119 recognised startups, only 10,165 of them, accounting for just 10.4 per cent, have applied for income tax exemption under this Act. Furthermore, the inter-ministerial board has granted the Certificate of Eligibility to only 1,173 applicants as on March 31, 2023. "This means that even after six years of the implementation of Section 80-IAC of the Income Tax Act, 1961, only 1 per cent of recognised startups have received the Certificate of Eligibility," the committee said in its report. The committee ...

Parliamentary committee recommends a separate medical devices Bill

According to sources, DCGI has convened a meeting in Delhi on August 10 to discuss matters related to the draft New Drugs, Medical Devices and Cosmetics Bill, 2023

No confidence motion LIVE: Oppn's no-trust motion defeated in Lok Sabha

Catch all the latest updates related to the no-confidence motion debate from the Lok Sabha here

Centre moves bill to drop CJI from poll officers' selection process

The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023, has been listed for introduction in the Rajya Sabha

269 inter-state power transmission projects completed since 2014: Govt

As many as 269 inter-state power transmission projects have been completed since 2014, which includes 45 projects under tariff-based competitive bidding mode, Parliament was informed on Thursday. "269 inter-state Transmission System (ISTS) projects have been completed since 2014, out of which 45 projects are under Tariff-Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) mode and 224 projects, executed by Power Grid Corporation of India (POWERGRID), are under Regulated Tariff Mechanism (RTM) mode," Union Power Minister R K Singh said in a written reply to Lok Sabha on Thursday. Singh further informed the House that as many as 63 ISTS projects are under progress, out of which 32 projects are under TBCB mode and 31 projects being executed by POWERGRID are under RTM mode. ISTS projects are not awarded under engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) or build, operate, transfer (BOT) mode. ISTS projects are awarded either through TBCB mode to successful bidders with the lowest quoted tariff or ..

Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day amid Oppn uproar, Pharmacy Bill passed

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Thursday amid Opposition uproar over discussion on the Manipur violence issue under a new rule. Amid the din, the House passed the Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023. When the House, which was adjourned in the morning session, reassembled at 2 pm, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar tried to bring unanimity for holding a discussion on the Manipur violence issue under a different rule. This followed an exchange of views from both sides as members recited poetry and couplets for sometime but no solution could be found. Soon thereafter a member from Mizoram rose to make a point that "tribals" including him have been living in India much before the British times and have not migrated from Myanmar. When the chairman did not allow him to speak further saying nothing will go on record, the entire opposition supported the Mizoram member and some of them trooped into the well raising slogans. The chairman took up the legislative business and the ..

Our economy is fastest growing: FM Sitharaman during the no-trust debate

In just nine years, the economy rose and saw economic development due to the policies of BJP government,' Nirmala Sitharaman said in Lok Sabha

Bill proposes cabinet minister, not CJI in selection panel to appoint CEC

Future chief election commissioners and election commissioners will be selected by a three-member panel headed by the prime minister and comprising the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Cabinet minister, according to a bill listed for introduction in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. This is in contrast to a Supreme Court judgment of March which said the panel should comprise of the prime minister, the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India. Opposition leaders, including from the Congress, immediately seized the opportunity and accused the government of diluting a Constitution bench order. A vacancy will arise in the Election Commission (EC) early next year when Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey demits office on February 14 on attaining the age of 65 years. His retirement will come just days before the likely announcement of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls' schedule by the EC. On the past two occasions, the commission had announced parliamentary

When will there be guarantee on safety of women...: Congress' Pramod Tiwari

Further, taking a jibe at the government over the ethnic violence that hit Manipur on May 3, Tiwari added, "Why were you silent on Manipur? You went to Manipur after the incident"