Page 12 - Rajya Sabha

Waqf Bill accepted in Rajya Sabha amid strong Opposition protests

During the debate on the report on the amended Waqf Bill, the Opposition said that dissent notes in the report by Opposition MPs were removed and restored to sloganeering

Kharge opposes JPC report on Waqf bill over deletion of dissent notes

The report of the joint committee of Parliament on the Waqf bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha amid uproar on Thursday, with the proceedings briefly adjourned following a heated debate between the treasury and the opposition benches. Opposition MPs led by Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that dissent notes were deleted from the report, a charge denied by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. The report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was tabled by BJP member Medha Vishram Kulkarni, a member of the panel. The tabling of the report was followed by uproar by members from the opposition benches. The clamour continued as Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar tried to read out a message from President Droupadi Murmu. "Don't show disrespect to the president of India..." Dhankhar said and urged Kharge to ask the opposition members to take their seats. As the uproar continued, the Upper House was adjourned till 11:20 am. When the Upper House reconvened, the chairman read out

Nearly 740 mn Ayushman Bharat health records created: Govt tells RS

More than 73.98 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) have been created and over 49.06 crore health records have been linked with ABHA, Union Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav told the Rajya Sabha. Over 3.63 lakh health facilities have been registered on the Health Facility Registry (HFR) and over 5.64 lakh healthcare professionals are registered on the Healthcare Professional Registry (HPR), Jadhav said in a written reply. The minister shared health data collected till February 6. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) has been launched with the aim of enabling interoperability of health data within the health ecosystem and creating electronic health records for every citizen. The ABDM comprises key registries such as the ABHA, HPR, HFR and drug registry, Jadhav said. Inclusion is one of the key principles of ABDM and the digital health ecosystem created by ABDM supports continuity of care across primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare in a seamless manner,

Budget Session highlights: Govt using 99% borrowings for capex, which is 4.3% of GDP, says FM

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Creditors recover Rs 3.58 trn through resolution plans under insolvency law

Creditors have recovered Rs 3.58 lakh crore through resolution of 1,119 cases under the insolvency law till December 31, 2024, according to official data. Citing data from the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Harsh Malhotra told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that 2,707 cases have ended in liquidation orders. "As per information provided by Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), till 31st December 2024, 1,119 cases have yielded resolution plans. In these cases, the realisable value for the creditors has been Rs 3.58 lakh crore," he said in a written reply. Final reports have been submitted in 1,274 cases, in which the creditors have realised Rs 0.13 lakh crore, the minister added. According to him, information in respect of amount waived/ forgone in pursuance to the settlement is not maintained. "Realisation under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) process is market driven and is inter-alia dependent on the quality of assets

Congress leader Chidambaram finds faults with Budget in Rajya Sabha

Chidambaram termed it a "politically-driven budget" with the income tax cut being the "main thrust" of the Budget with an eye on the Delhi Assembly polls

Swachh Bharat Mission saved 300K children's lives: Jal Shakti's Patil

The government's Swachh Bharat Mission has helped save lives of three lakh children in the country according to a WHO report, Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday. He said under the government's Open Defecation Free (ODF) policy, around 12 crore toilets have been constructed across the country and 60 crore beneficiaries have benefitted from the scheme so far. Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said the scheme has helped ensure cleanliness and also women safety as now they need not wait till evening for defecating in the open. "In the first five years, 10 crore toilets were constructed. In the second phase another two crore toilets were constructed and a total of 12 crore toilets have now been built. But the total number of beneficiaries under the scheme are 60 crore. "This has also ensured women safety as women would now not have to wait all day long for going in the open for defecation. A WHO report has sta

UPDATES: Medical entrance exam NEET-UG to be conducted on May 4, announces NTA

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Illegal immigrants in 'handcuffs', Jaishankar in Rajya Sabha, Chandrayan, SBI & more

US border authorities released a video showing Indian nationals in handcuffs and leg restraints boarding a deportation flight.

India has received $ 1.16 billion in climate finance so far: Govt

India has so far received USD 1.16 billion for climate projects through the financial mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the government informed Parliament on Thursday. This amount includes USD 803.9 million from the Green Climate Fund, USD 346.52 million from the Global Environment Facility (for climate change focal area), and USD 16.86 million from the Adaptation Fund, according to a written reply in the Rajya Sabha by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. However, the majority of India's climate actions have been financed through domestic resources, he said. The minister added India had been diligently working towards adaptation and resilience on a mission mode. "Several policies and measures have been put in place across key economic sectors, keeping in mind the wide scope of adaptation activities," he said. On the impact of climate change on farmers, Yadav said it was projected that crop yields might be adversely impacted in the abse

Parliament Budget Session highlights: We're realising Ambedkar's dreams via Mudra scheme, says PM

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Congress' priority is family first; BJP puts nation first: PM's top quotes

Congress prioritises 'family first' while BJP puts the nation first, said PM Modi in Rajya Sabha, accusing Congress of fostering a model of lies, corruption, and appeasement

Both Houses adjourned till noon after ruckus on deportation of Indians

Opposition MPs were continuously sloganeering and demanding to discuss the issue of deportation of Indian nationals

India has robust system to tackle pandemics: Health min tells Rajya Sabha

India has a very robust system to deal with future pandemics and public health emergencies, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda asserted in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Replying to supplementary questions in the Rajya Sabha, Nadda highlighted the steps taken by the government in the last 10 years to strengthen India's health system, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. India has proven under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that we have got a very robust system to address the issue of any pandemic that comes, the minister said. Listing out India's capabilities, Nadda said the country has the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), which oversees and keeps surveillance. "It is the apex body which takes care of the diseases and the pathogens, and the other emerging virus mutation, which takes place," he added. Under the NCDC, he said the country has an integrated disease surveillance programme, a platform for disease ...

BJP MPs file privilege notice against Sonia over remarks on President

A group of BJP MPs from the tribal community filed a breach of privilege notice on Monday against Congress parliamentary party leader Sonia Gandhi for using "derogatory and slanderous" words against President Droupadi Murmu. Led by Rajya Sabha MP Sumer Singh Solanki, they met Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and sought disciplinary action against Gandhi, contending her remarks lowered the dignity of the office of the President. The notice was filed over Gandhi's remark on President Murmu after her address to a joint sitting of Parliament on Friday. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were seen discussing the speech on the Parliament complex. "The poor lady, the President, was getting very tired by the end... she could hardly speak, poor thing," Sonia Gandhi was purportedly heard saying in a video doing the rounds on social media. The BJP MPs said in the notice that the remarks are "a clear manifestation of elitist and anti-tribal mindset of Smt. Gandhi who is yet to ...

Budget 2025-26: Lok Sabha gets Rs 903 crore, Rajya Sabha Rs 413 crore

Lok Sabha has been allocated Rs 903 crore in the Union Budget, more than double the amount given to the Rajya Sabha. A sizeable allocation -- Rs 558.81 crore of the total Rs 903 crore --? has been assigned to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, which also includes Grants in Aid to the Sansad TV. Of the Rs 413 crore allocated to Rajya Sabha, Rs 2.52 crore have been assigned for salaries and allowances of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat. The budget for Rajya Sabha also has a separate allocation of Rs 3 crore for the salaries and allowances of Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and his secretariat. The budget has also allocated Rs 98.84 crore for members. For Lok Sabha, Rs 1.56 crore has been allocated for salaries and allowances of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, and there is no separate provision for the office of the Leader of the Opposition. There was no Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha for 10 years as no opposition party had the required numb

Wait and watch as RS dy speaker yet unlikely: TMC leader Derek O'Brien

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien has said a deputy speaker may not be appointed even during the current Budget session, even as he asked people to "wait and watch" if the opposition brings another impeachment motion against Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. In a post published on his blog on the first day of the Budget session of Parliament, the TMC Parliamentary party leader in RS shared notes on the upcoming Session, and said speeches by two women President Droupadi Murmu, and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who will present the Budget will dominate the news space in the next few days. He, however, added that of the six largest political parties, Trinamool Congress at 39 per cent has the highest number of women lawmakers. In contrast, Telugu Desam Party has 6 per cent women MPs, BJP has 13 per cent, and INC, DMK and SP have 14 per cent each, he said. On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's saying that India has massive scope for live concerts, the TMC leader wondere

Parliament Budget Session to begin on Jan 31 with President's address

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will take up discussion on President Droupadi Murmu's address to Parliament on Monday as the Budget Session begins on January 31. The President will address both the Houses of Parliament assembled together in the Lok Sabha chamber on Friday and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the General Budget on Saturday. The Finance Minister will table the Economic Survey on Friday when both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will convene briefly after the President's address. Lok Sabha has provisionally allotted two days (February 3-4) for discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, while Rajya Sabha has earmarked three days for the debate. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reply to the debate in Rajya Sabha on February 6. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has convened a meeting of floor leaders of political parties in Parliament on January 30 to ensure smooth functioning of the Budget Session. The first part of the Budg

YSRCP MP Vijayasai Reddy to resign from RS on Jan 25, to quit politics

YSRCP Rajya Sabha member V Vijayasai Reddy on Friday said he will be resigning from his parliament membership on January 25. In a post on 'X', he said he is not joining any other party and also quitting politics. "I am quitting politics. I am resigning from the Rajya Sabha membership tomorrow, ( January) 25th . I will not join any political party. I am not resigning hoping for any position, benefits, or money. This decision is completely my personal one. There was no pressure. No one influenced me," he said in the post. Reddy is currently serving his second term as Rajya Sabha member from YSRCP from Andhra Pradesh. He is one of the key figures in former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led party in the state.

Parliamentary panel on One Nation One Election set for first time on Jan 8

The first meeting of the 39-member parliamentary panel on 'one nation, one election' is set to be held on January 8, setting the tone for nationwide deliberations on the key poll reform measure of the BJP-led NDA government. Parliamentary sources said the first meeting of the Joint Committee on bills for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, chaired by BJP member P P Chaudhary, is likely to be an introductory one with officials briefing the panel on the two bills to implement a long-cherished election promise of the BJP. The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill were introduced in the Lok Sabha last week and referred to the joint committee of Parliament on Friday, the last day of the Winter Session. The government decided to increase the committee's strength from 31 to 39 as more political parties expressed the desire to be part of the exercise to examine the two draft legislations on simultaneous elections. Form