Parliament Winter Session

Electricity amendment bill to be tabled in parliament in Monsoon session

The standing committee on energy has got time up to the Monsoon Session of the Parliament to present its report before the House

Judiciary vs Executive: Can a referee become a player?

It may be inadvertent, but the VP seemed to have joined the ongoing face-off between the judiciary and the government

Both Houses pass nine bills during Parliament's winter session: Joshi

The winter session was curtailed by a week following demand and sentiments of members to leave for their constituencies for Christmas and year-end celebrations

Winter session: Both houses adjourned sine die, 6 days ahead of schedule

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday, six days ahead of schedule. The Winter Session of Parliament, which commenced on December 7, was to otherwise end on December 29. Before adjourning the House sine die (indefinitely), Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the productivity of the House was 102 per cent. The House held 13 sittings totalling 64 hours 50 minutes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge were present in the House.

Parliament panel moots digital competition law to curb unfair biz practices

To curb anti-competitive practices in digital markets, a Parliamentary panel on Thursday proposed ex-ante regulations, category of systemically important digital intermediaries and a new digital competition law. Besides, the committee has asked digital market entities to desist from "anti-steering", "deep discounting", "self preferencing", "search & ranking preferencing" and other practices that will impact competition in the market. The suggestions are part of the Standing Committee on Finance's report on 'Anti-Competitive Practices by Big Tech Companies' tabled in Parliament on Thursday and comes against the backdrop of rising concerns over unfair business practices in digital markets. In its report, the panel has mentioned about the peculiar challenge posed by the winner-take-all markets where winners emerge within 3-5 years after the market starts to develop and the market tips in one direction by the time policies are formulated. "Therefore, the committee recommends that ...

Step up surveillance, wear masks: Mandaviya says in LS amid Covid concerns

Amid a spurt in Covid cases in some parts of the world, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday asked states to remain alert and create awareness about wearing face masks and using hand sanitisers, especially in view of upcoming festivals and new year celebrations. Making a statement in Lok Sabha, Mandaviya said the continuously evolving nature of the virus poses threat to global health in a way that impacts virtually every country. The minister said India has been reporting 153 new cases on an average every day as against 5.87 lakh on a daily basis across the world. "In view of upcoming festivals and new year celebrations, states also need to focus on ensuring effective awareness within the community on adherence to COVID-appropriate behaviour which includes use of masks, hand hygiene and respiratory hygiene practices, besides following physical distancing," he said. Mandaviya said states have been advised to focus on heightened surveillance within the community and to ...

Parliamentary panel suggests evaluation of competitive behaviour ex ante

The committee, which is headed by BJP MP Jayant Sinha, has further recommended that an SIDI must not favour its own offers over the offers of its competitors when mediating access to supply and sales

Oppn leaders protest in Parl, demand discussion on India-China faceoff

She said that when facing "a significant national challenge," it has been the tradition to bring Parliament into confidence

Winter Session: Sonia Gandhi chairs Congress Parliamentary Party meeting

Amid the Opposition's offensive against the government over the India-China border tensions, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday chaired a meeting of all party MPs in Parliament to discuss the strategy for the remainder of the Winter Session. The Congress Parliamentary Party meeting was held at Parliament's Central Hall with party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and all party MPs in attendance. Gandhi is the chairperson of the CPP. Later in the day, the Congress will stage a protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex to demand a discussion on the India-China border tensions. Leaders of other opposition parties are expected to join the protest. Opposition parties have been demanding a discussion on the India-China border tensions and the latest Chinese transgressions since the Winter Session started on December 7.

Manish Tewari gives 6th adjournment notice in LS on Chinese transgression

He alleged that the Chinese attempting to come inside Indian territory is a portentous sign. From Eastern Ladakh, the Chinese seem to be eyeing Arunachal and the 2,500 km Eastern Sector of the LAC

115 daily wagers, 43 salaried people died by suicide each day in 2021: Govt

The number of housewives who killed themselves last year was a staggering 23,179, meaning at least 63 housewives died every day in the country, the data showed

Won't hesitate in suspending listed business for urgent matters: Dhankhar

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar Tuesday assured the opposition parties that he would not hesitate to suspend the scheduled business of the House under Rule 267 even on a daily basis if the notices qualify on merit. In the same breath Dhankhar, however, asserted that he would not invoke the rule even once during his entire tenure if notices are devoid of merit. Under Rule 267 of Rajya Sabha's Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business, a listed business of the day can be suspended to take up an urgent matter with the approval of the Chair. The chairman noted that the demand for suspension of scheduled business of the day under Rule 267 and 'point of order' have become tools to disrupt proceedings. Even on Tuesday, several notices under Rule 267 were made before the Chair but none were accepted. Among other issues, opposition members were demanding discussion on the India-China conflict in the House under Rule 267. When the Chair announced that no notice had been accepted, ..

Bill to amend multi-state cooperative society law may create chaos in LS

A discussion on a bill which seeks to amend the law on multi-state cooperative societies is likely to be a stormy affair in Lok Sabha when the proposed measure comes up for passage this week. With parliamentary sources indicating that the Winter session could conclude on December 23, earlier than scheduled, opposition parties could make a fresh pitch for a discussion on Tawang issue. They have been demanding a discussion on the issue in both Houses of Parliament. Indian and Chinese troops had clashed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9 and the face-off resulted in minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides. The session is officially slated to conclude on December 29. The Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which seeks to bring transparency and accountability in the sector, was introduced in Lok Sabha on December 7 amidst demands from Opposition MPs that it be referred to a standing committee f

MP BJP bats for 'one nation, one constitution', asks Cong to clear stance

Chouhan has started asserting the need of a UCC in the state with the implementation of the PESA Act around one-and-a-half months ago

Sarma pitches for UCC, even as Muslim intellectuals warn of social discord

Sarma insisted that a Muslim man marrying more than one woman was not his problem, but of Muslim mothers and sisters

With an eye on its Muslim vote bank, SP set to strongly oppose UCC

The Samajwadi Party knows that, at present, other political outfits in the state are not in a position to take on the BJP and the SP alone can put up a spirited fight on the issue

Ahead of 2024, Private Member's UCC Bill poses a dilemma for Opposition

Many Upper House members have admitted that the treasury benches were seeking an opportunity and when the opposition count was low in the House then the bill was introduced

China's attempts at transgression, economy dominate Parliament proceedings

China's attempts at transgression at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh, the government's strong desire to have a say in the appointments to the higher judiciary and heated debates on the state of the economy were some of the issues that dominated the Parliament proceedings this week. The Lok Sabha approved the Supplementary Demands for Grants to the tune of Rs 3.26 lakh crore, primarily to fund the higher subsidy bill on items such as fertilisers, food and cooking gas, besides ramping up capital expenditure in sectors such as railways and roads. The Lower House also passed two bills to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order to add the Narikoravan and Kurivikkaran communities to the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST) of Tamil Nadu and include the Hattee community of the Trans Giri area of Sirmour district in Himachal Pradesh to the ST list of the hill state. On Tuesday, as opposition members raised the issue of clashes between Indian and Chinese troops near ..

10 yrs of Nirbhaya case: DCW wants Parliament to discuss women's safety

Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal on Friday wrote to the Lok Sabha speaker and Rajya Sabha chairman urging them to suspend the day's business in both houses of Parliament to discuss the issue of women's safety on the 10th anniversary of the Nirbhaya gangrape incident. Crimes against women have reached an "epidemic proportion", she said, while highlighting that six rapes are reported in the national capital every day. "An eight month old baby and a 90-year-old woman have also been raped in Delhi!" she tweeted. Maliwal also highlighted the recent acid attack on a 17-year-old girl in west Delhi. "The problem of increasing crimes against women and girls has reached an epidemic proportion and governments are failing to take steps to counter it. Even the Nirbhaya Fund that was set up for providing relief and rehabilitation for women and girls has been reduced substantially," she said. "The increasing crimes against women and girls in a matter of great concern and needs to b

Over 22,000 second appeals, complaints pending with CIC: Govt tells RS

Over 22,000 second appeals and complaints were pending with the Central Information Commission as on December 5, 2022, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. The CIC is mandated to deal with second appeals and complaints filed by RTI applicants in case they are aggrieved with the responses provided to them by government departments. Of the total pendency of 22,442, 19,178 were second appeals and 3,264 complaints, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in reply to a written question. To a question on whether the government was aware of cases where personal information of some RTI applicants have been made public, the minister said the Centre has from time to time issued guidelines or office memorandums "bringing to notice of all ministries/departments of government of India that personal information of an RTI applicant should not be disclosed". Section 8(1) (j) of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 provides that it is not obligatory for public informatio