Page 28 - Rajya Sabha

Rajya Sabha proceedings adjourned till 2:30 pm in post-lunch session

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2:30 pm on Thursday in the post-lunch session amid Opposition demand for a discussion on the Parliament security breach and protests over the suspension of TMC member Derek O'Brien. When the Upper House, which witnessed two adjournments earlier in the day, reassembled for the post-lunch session, Opposition members started sloganeering and demanded Union Home Minister Amit Shah to come to the House and give a statement on Wednesday's security breach in the Lok Sabha. Without naming O'Brien, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said his continued presence in the House despite the suspension was in disregard of the rules and asked him to leave. As the Opposition members continued raising slogans, Dhankhar adjourned the House till 2:30 pm.

MP O'Brien suspended from RS for remainder of winter session for misconduct

TMC member Derek O'Brien was on Thursday suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the remainder of the Winter session for his "unruly behaviour" and "misconduct". Soon after the House assembled at noon after an initial adjournment, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar named O'Brien and warned him for his conduct. He was named earlier in the morning also for his "unruly behaviour" and was asked by the chairman to leave the House. Accusing O'Brien of violating the directions of the chair and for disrupting the proceedings of the House, the chairman allowed Leader of the House Piyush Goyal to move a motion in this regard. The motion was adopted with a voice vote and the chairman announced that O'Brien stands suspended from the House for the remainder of the session. Dhankhar then adjourned the proceedings till 2 PM as members of the opposition protested the suspension.

Smriti Irani opposes menstruation leave policy, says it's 'not a handicap'

Union Minister Smriti Irani warned that menstrual leave could lead to discrimination against women in the workforce

Winter Session: Parliament clears bill to repeal 76 outdated, obsolete laws

Parliament on Wednesday passed a bill to repeal 76 redundant and obsolete laws with the government saying the move is part of its continuing efforts to improve the ease of living and doing business. The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2023 was cleared in the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote. Lok Sabha had cleared the legislation on July 27 this year. In December last year, the government introduced the Repealing and Amending Bill to cull 65 old laws. But the bill could not come up for discussion in subsequent sessions. The government later moved amendment to add 11 more laws to the list, bringing the total to 76 laws. The bill proposes to repeal outdated laws like the Land Acquisition (Mines) Act, 1885 and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1950. The bill also seeks to repeal certain Appropriation Acts passed by Parliament in the recent past. Replying to the debate, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the Modi government since coming to power in 2014 has repealed 1,486 def

Four posts in National Commission for Scheduled Tribes lying vacant: Govt

Four posts, including that of chairperson, are lying vacant in the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Bishweswar Tudu informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. These posts are of constitutional nature, he said in a written reply. The minister said the post of chairperson, vice-chairperson and two posts of members are lying vacant from June 27, 2023; July 27, 2019; and January 16, 2020, respectively. The post of chairperson fell vacant due to the resignation of the incumbent on personal grounds, he added. Proposals for selection of chairperson and members of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) received by the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry from various sources -- including eminent personalities, chief ministers of states, MLAs, MPs and directly -- are scrutinised in the ministry, he added. The credentials of the proposed persons are verified from the state governments/state authorities concerned. Once approved by the Un

Watch: Parliamentarians thrash intruder who breached Lok Sabha security

Lok Sabha security breach: Two unidentified men with canisters jumped from the visitor's gallery of the Lok Sabha

Congress seeks answers from govt on 'serious security breach' in Parliament

The Congress on Wednesday demanded answers from the government on the "serious security breach" in Lok Sabha, saying does the incident "not prove that necessary precautions were not taken". Two persons jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour and released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by MPs. Around the same time, two persons, including a woman, also sprayed coloured gas from canisters while shouting slogans 'tanashahi nahi chalegi' outside the Parliament premises. In a post on X, party president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said the security breach that took place in Parliament is a very serious matter. "We demand that the Home Minister should come to both the Houses and give a statement on this. The question is, how did two people come inside such a big security department and release gas from a canister there," he said. "Today, on Martyr's Day, we paid tribute to the brave .

Dhankhar prods RS members in call for discussion on student suicides

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday took cognisance of suicides among students due to the stress of competitive exams and prodded members of the Upper House to propose a discussion on the issue. During Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, five supplementaries were asked by members on suicides among students due to competitive exams. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan replied to all oral supplementaries but the members continued to show their anxiousness over the issue. Taking cognisance of the seriousness of the issue, Dhankhar said, "I appeal to the honourable members that this is an issue (in which) we must involve ourselves. We can make huge contributions." He suggested evolving an ecosystem where student suicides can be minimised and brought down to zero. "Everyone has a role to contribute. I will be open to a discussion on this issue as the members may feel," he stated. Earlier, replying in the House on the starred or oral questions, Pradhan informed the

Dharmendra Pradhan to move Central Universities Amendment Bill in RS today

The Winter Session, 2023 of Parliament commenced on December 4 and will continue till December 22 and will be having 15 sittings spread over 19 days

LIVE: Industrial output rises 11.7% in Oct against 4.1% contraction yr ago

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Govt says 10 PSBs transferred NPAs of over Rs 11k cr to NARCL from Jan-Nov

A total of 10 Public Sector Banks (PSBs) have transferred Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) of over Rs 11,617 crore to NARCL between January and November this year, the Finance Ministry said on Tuesday. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad said the National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL) has recovered Rs 16.64 crore as on November 30, 2023. He said recovery in NPA accounts is an ongoing process, and security receipts issued to lenders by NARCL, backed by government guarantee, provide a five-year time window for effecting the recovery in such accounts. "Further, corporate insolvency resolution process under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code is going on in some of the accounts acquired by NARCL. Recovery will be effected in these accounts after the resolution plans get approved by the National Company Law Tribunal. In remaining accounts, NARCL has recovered Rs 16.64 crore, as on 30.11.2023," Karad said. NARCL is bad ba

Govt moves Bill to regulate poll body authorities' appointment conditions

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moved the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023, in the Upper House

Rajya Sabha passes J-K reservation, reorganisation amendment bills

Today, Supreme Court upheld the intention behind Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganisation) Bill, 2019, its constitutional validity and the process said Shah in Rajya Sabha

SC takes note of end of suspension of Raghav Chadha from RS, closes plea

The Supreme Court on Monday took note of the supervening development about revocation of the indefinite suspension of AAP MP Raghav Chadha from the Rajya Sabha on December 4 and disposed of his plea contesting it. The Rajya Sabha had on December 4 adopted by a voice vote the motion moved by BJP member GVL Narasimha Rao to end the suspension of Chadha, a member of the upper house from Punjab. The MP was held guilty by the Privileges Committee of presenting "misleading" facts to the media, and was allowed to attend the House proceedings after his suspension was withdrawn. As soon as a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud took up Chadha's plea, his counsel Shadan Farasat submitted that his suspension stands revoked. In view of the supervening development, the petition has become infructuous. The petition is disposed of, the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said. The lawyer thanked the bench for its intervention in the matter. Earlie

Winter session: Amit Shah to table 2 J-K Bills in Rajya Sabha today

The House will also see Ministers making statements on the status of the implementation of various reports and several private members move for leave to introduce Bills

IT modernisation of Postal Department has costed Rs 445 cr so far: Govt

Expenditure to the tune of Rs 445.4 crore has been incurred so far this fiscal for the IT modernisation project of the Department of Posts, Parliament was informed on Friday. IT modernisation project 2.0 was approved in February 2022 by the government for the continuation of the technology project in the Department of Posts with a total outlay of Rs 5,785 crore for eight years, Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha. The expenditure for 2022-23 stood at Rs 1,087.48 crore, and for 2023-24 (so far), it was Rs 445.41 crore. The IT modernisation project is implemented centrally pan-India, and hence state-wise expenditure is not applicable, the minister said. Quantifiable targets achieved in the last five years include central connectivity of the Post Office network through a dedicated Wide Area Network. Moreover, mail operations are digitalised, including delivery through the Android-based Postman Mobile Application, and department

Govt continuously taking initiatives to conclude trade pacts: RS told

The government is continuously taking initiatives to conclude trade agreements with key countries to expand its share in world commerce, Parliament was informed on Friday. These initiatives include bilateral meetings, stakeholder consultations, and the exchange of trade data, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha. She also said a number of bilateral meetings have been held with the Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU) to discuss the trade agreement. Draft texts and terms of reference have been exchanged. "EaEU's trade data from January 2022 onwards, necessary to determine the scope of the agreement and potential gains from the agreement, is awaited from EaEU," she said, adding that "the government is continuously taking initiatives to conclude trade agreements with significant trade partners, including EaEU, with a view to expanding its share in world trade". In a separate reply, the minister said India's mobile phone exports h

Over 290,000 vacancies filled up in Railways in last 5 years till Sept 30

The requirement of manpower in different categories also differs based on changes in priorities and technology upgrades

Ignorant forces depriving Muslim, Christian women of dignity: BJP leader

The Uniform Civil Code has no relation with any religious practices or marriage customs. It is only related to humanity," Yadav said

Winter session: Dept-related Parl Standing Committees to lay reports in RS

The House will also see Ministers making statements on the status of the implementation of various reports and several private members move for leave to introduce Bills