Page 8 - Parliament

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

Trump announces 25% tariffs: PM, ministers in huddle; Oppn seeks response

Opposition parties said they would demand a statement from the government in Parliament on the impact of the US tariffs on India

ONOE may boost India's GDP by 1.5 percentage points, experts to Parl panel

Former finance commission of India chairman N K Singh and another expert on Wednesday made an economic case for simultaneous elections before a parliamentary committee, saying it can lead to a 1.5 percentage point rise in the real GDP growth, higher capital expenditure and more investment activity, sources said. In their joint presentation before the joint parliamentary committee, which is scrutinising the constitutional amendment bill for 'one nation one election' (ONOE), they quantified the rise in the GDP at Rs 4.5 lakh crore in terms of 2023-24 figures. However, they added that the fiscal deficit is also expected to rise by 1.3 percentage point due to higher post-election spending. Singh, a former MP and revenue secretary, and Prachi Mishra, economics professor, and head and director of Isaac Centre for Public Policy at Ashoka University, studied election cycles in India as it had simultaneous polls till 1967 before the schedules of Lok Sabha and assembly polls were split. The

Parl panel slams poor action on tribal women's health, child marriage data

A parliamentary panel has expressed dissatisfaction over the government's "lack of seriousness" to improve health facilities for tribal women, highlighting persistent challenges like inadequate data, poor implementation of malnutrition and anaemia reduction programmes, and slow progress in addressing child marriage. In its second report tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, the Committee on Empowerment of Women criticized the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for failing to take a proactive role in coordinating with other ministries to improve tribal health. The report reviews the government's response to recommendations made in a 2023 report on 'Health Facilities for Tribal Women'. The committee said it was concerned at the "lack of seriousness" in implementing tailor-made interventions for tribal women and children, especially regarding the generation and use of tribal-specific health data. Simply taking note of the committee's recommendations is not sufficient, the panel stated, urging th

Extension to bureaucrats post retirement in exceptional circumstances: Govt

The government on Wednesday said service extension to IAS, IPS and other officers after retirement is given in exceptional circumstances and in public interest. The assertion came in response to a query seeking the details of the number of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers who have been given an extension after their retirement during the last five years. "Extension of service after retirement is given in exceptional circumstances, in public interest to officers belonging to All India Services in accordance with provisions contained in All India Service (Death Cum Retirement Benefit) Rules, 1958/relevant rule," Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. The reply, however, did not specify the number of extensions granted in the last five years.

Govt scheme helps Indians save money on medicines: You can benefit, too

State-run Aushadhi Kendras have helped citizens to save around Rs 38,000 crore in 11 years, says government

INDIA bloc continues protest against Bihar's SIR, Congress leaders join in

Sonia Gandhi joined the protest, holding the large banner 'SIR-attack on Democracy,' and stood beside her daughter and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi

PM Modi denies foreign pressure to stop Operation Sindoor offensive

Coincidentally, the PM opened and ended his speech by saying that he has put forth "Bharat's perspective" on Operation Sindoor

Parliament Highlights: Op Sindoor showed India knows how to protect its sovereignty, says Rajnath

Parliament Monsoon Session Highlights: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to open discussion on Operation Sindoor in Rajya Sabha today. Follow live updates on the debate and proceedings here

3 terrorists killed in Op Mahadev linked to Pahalgam attack: Amit Shah

Speaking on Operation Mahadev on the floor of the Lok Sabha, Home Minister Amit Shah said the killed terrorists have been identified as Suleiman, Afghan, and Jibran

Parliament Highlights: Retaliation by Army forced Pakistan to bow down, says Rajnath Singh

Monsoon Session Highlights: Top leaders from NDA and INDIA bloc to face off in Parliament over Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor. Follow live updates on the debate and proceedings here