Page 27 - Rajya Sabha

AAP leader Sanjay Singh allowed to sign documents for RS renomination

A court here has allowed AAP MP Sanjay Singh, arrested in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam, to sign forms and documents for his Rajya Sabha renomination. Special Judge M K Nagpal passed the order on an application filed by the politician, who submitted that his present term as a member of the Rajya Sabha is expiring on January 27 and the Returning Officer has issued a notice on January 2 for conduct of the election and nominations for the same are to be submitted by January 9. The application sought a direction to the Tihar Jail Superintendent to allow Singh to sign the documents. "It is being directed that if the documents are presented by counsel for accused before jail authorities on January 6, 2024, the jail superintendent shall ensure that the signatures of the accused are permitted to be taken on said documents and he is also permitted to meet his Counsel for half-an-hour to discuss the modalities in connection with filing of the said nomination

68 Rajya Sabha members including nine Union ministers to retire in 2024

Sixty-eight Rajya Sabha members, including nine Union ministers, are completing their tenures this year, triggering a race of sorts among leaders across political parties to eye a six-year term in the Upper House of Parliament. Of the 68 vacancies, elections have already been called for three seats in Delhi where AAP leaders Sanjay Singh, Narain Dass Gupta and Sushil Kumar Gupta will complete their tenures on January 27. Elections have also been called for the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Sikkim where SDF member Hishey Lachungpa will retire on February 23. As many as 57 leaders, including Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav, Health Minister Mansukh Madaviya and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, will complete their tenures in April. Uttar Pradesh will have the highest number of vacancies of 10 seats, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar (six each), Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal (five each), Karnataka and Gujarat

Privileges Panel of Rajya Sabha to meet on January 9, hear 11 suspended MPs

The MPs will continue to remain suspended until their case is considered by the House after receiving the report of the Privileges Committee

Parl delegation led by RS Dy chairman departs for Uganda to attend CSPOC

This conference is held every two years in which the Presiding Officers of more than 30 Commonwealth parliaments discuss issues of common concern and share experiences

Privileges Committees of LS, RS to meet next week, hear suspended MPs

The Privileges Committees of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are scheduled to meet next week, where 14 opposition MPs will be given an opportunity to put across their views over the issue of their suspension for unruly conduct during the recent Winter Session of Parliament. As many as 146 MPs 100 from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha were suspended during the Winter session of Parliament after they brought placards and raised slogans demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the issue of breach of Parliament security. Fourteen MPs three from Lok Sabha and 11 from Rajya Sabha were suspended for creating "grave disorder in their respective Houses on December 18 which led to their suspension and their cases being referred to the Privileges Committee. Both Houses resolved that the revocation of suspension of the 14 members was subject to the report of the Privileges Committees of the respective Houses. The Privileges Committee of Rajya Sabha is scheduled to meet on January

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

Catch all the latest news updates from across the world

'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

Can't meet, out of Delhi: INC chief Kharge's reply to VP Dhankhar's invite

On Sunday, Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar, had invited Mallikarjun Kharge to his residence on December 25 to discuss disruptions in Parliament

Kharge explains inability to meet RS Chairman Dhankhar via letter

Earlier, on December 23, in a letter to Kharge, Dhankhar said the disruptions during the winter session of Parliament which led to the suspension of 146 MPs were 'deliberate and strategised'

A sufferer knows how to withstand from inside, says Dhankhar on mimicry row

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was pictured videographing the act on his phone even as fellow Opposition members laughed and clapped

LIVE: Priyanka Gandhi replaced as UP in-charge in Congress reshuffle

Catch the latest news updates from across the world

LIVE news: Plane with over 300 Indians on board grounded in France

Catch all the latest updates from across the globe here

Only 16 of 172 Bills in Lok Sabha had over 30 MPs present in debate: Report

Half of the bills passed by the 17th Lok Sabha so far were discussed for less than two hours each and only 16 per cent of them were referred to parliamentary standing committees, data compiled by think tank PRS Legislative Research shows. According to an analysis by PRS Legislative Research, 172 bills were discussed and passed during the term of 17th Lok Sabha, of which 86 bills in the Lok Sabha and 103 bills in the Rajya Sabha were discussed for less than two hours each. Similarly, of the 172 bills, only 16 bills in the Lok Sabha and 11 in the Rajya Sabha saw more than 30 members taking part in the debate. The report came a day after the conclusion of the Winter session - the last full-fledged session of the 17th Lok Sabha. It stated that no bills were referred to House committees in the Winter session. The proportion of bills referred to committees has decreased from 71 per cent during the 15th Lok Sabha and 25 per cent in the 16th Lok Sabha to 16 per cent during the 17th Lok ...

Watch | V-P Dhankhar's mimicry erupts political storm: Here's what happened

On Dec 19, TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee was seen in a video from Parliament mimicking Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. A political storm erupted over the mimicry

Elections to 3 Rajya Sabha seats from Delhi, 1 from Sikkim on January 19

Elections to four Rajya Sabha seats -- three from Delhi and one from Sikkim -- will be held on January 19, the Election Commission said on Friday. The six-year term of Sanjay Singh, Sushil Kumar Gupta and Narain Dass Gupta (all from the Aam Aadmi Party) ends on January 27 next year. The term of Hishey Lachungpa (Sikkim Democratic Front) ends on February 23 next year. Singh is in judicial custody after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy. He has been under suspension from the Rajya Sabha since July 24 for unruly behaviour in the House. In a statement, the EC said the election to fill up the four vacancies will be held on January 19 (Friday). The nomination process will start on January 2 with the issuance of notification and January 9 will be the last date to file papers. As per established practice, the polling will take place from 9 am to 4 pm and the counting of votes will commence from 5 pm. The EC noted t

Oppn MPs requested suspension after some MPs were suspended: Pralhad Joshi

Slamming the opposition over disruptions during Winter Session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday said the government was not keen to suspend MPs from Lok Sabha, but opposition members came with requests for suspension after action was taken against some of their colleagues. Addressing a press conference here, Joshi also said the opposition was free to move court against the three new criminal laws if they felt something was wrong with the draft legislations approved by both the Houses of Parliament. "We did not want to suspend MPs, we requested them. But after we suspended a few MPs, several of their colleagues came with requests to us seeking suspension. This is the level the Congress stoops to," said Joshi, flanked by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal. Joshi said the government's floor managers had told the opposition MPs that action was taken against those indulging in indiscipline by bringing placards to the House. "They told us

INDIA bloc leaders stage protest against bulk suspension of MPs from Parl

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, participating in the protest, said that the protest is send a message among people that whatever is happening is 'wrong for the future of the country'

RS chairman Dhankhar writes to LoP Kharge, says disruptions unfortunate

Rendering the House dysfunctional by making a demand to the Chair that cannot be acceded is unfortunate and against public interest, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar is learnt to have said in a letter to Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge. Dhankhar has written to Kharge stating that the Congress leader's refusal to meet him during the Winter session of Parliament was not in sync with parliamentary practices and has also sought an interaction with him, sources said on Friday. This comes a day after the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on Thursday, a day ahead of schedule. The Upper House witnessed repeated protests by opposition MPs who were demanding a discussion on the December 13 Parliament security breach and a statement by Home Minister Amit Shah on the issue. The protests led to the suspension of 46 MPs from the House for the session. A breach of privilege notice was moved against Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien and the matter was referred to the Privileges ...

Parl security breach: HC to hear plea on supply of FIR copy to accused

The Delhi High Court on Friday agreed to list for hearing during the day a plea by the city police challenging a trial court order directing it to supply a copy of the FIR to an accused in the Parliament security breach case. The matter was mentioned for hearing before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Mini Pushkarna by the counsel for the police. "We arrested four accused persons. In sensitive matters where we don't provide a copy of the FIR, they have to approach the commissioner. (Trial court), however, directed that we supply a copy," the lawyer said. "List it today if in order," Justice Manmohan said. On Thursday, Special Judge Hardeep Kaur extended till January 5 the custody of four accused -- Manoranjan D, Sagar Sharma, Amol Dhanraj Shinde and Neelam Devi -- arrested in the Parliament security breach case. On an application by Neelam, the trial court also directed the Investigating Officer (IO) to hand over a copy of the FIR to her counsel. "The concerne

India aims to commission new research station in Antarctica by 2029: Rijiju

India aims to set up a new research station in Antarctica near the Maitri station in the eastern part of the icy continent by 2029, Union Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Thursday. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Rijiju said the site for the new research station -- Maitri-II -- has been identified and a preliminary topographical survey for the approach road is underway. The existing Indian research station -- Maitri -- is very old, the minister said, adding that it is imperative to build a new research station. The proposed project envisages adherence to environmental protocols for Antarctica and improving the quality of Indian scientific research in the southernmost continent. India has been operating the Bharati research station in the Larseman Hills area -- a 40 square kilometre ice-free region along the south-eastern shore of the continent -- since 2012. Bharati is about 3,000 kilometres away from Maitri, which was commissioned in 1989. Sharing the different