Lok Sabha

36 cr beneficiaries verified under Ayushman Bharat PM-Jan Arogya Yojana

The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav stated this in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Friday

Parl winter session: 39-member House panel set up to scrutinise ONOE Bills

The committee will have 27 members from the Lok Sabha and 12 from the Rajya Sabha

Parliament scuffle: Case against Rahul Gandhi transferred to crime branch

Earlier, Delhi Police registered an FIR against Rahul Gandhi, in connection to a scuffle that took place in Parliament. The tensions had erupted when members of the opposition and the ruling parties

Parliament highlights: Winter Session ends with both Houses adjourned sine die

Parliament highlights: On Thursday, INDIA bloc MPs took out a protest march in Parliament premises demanding the resignation of Amit Shah for his remarks related to BR Ambedkar

Winter Session of Lok Sabha sees 57.87% productivity despite disruptions

The Lok Sabha's Winter Session, hamstrung by disruptions over issues ranging from Adani to billionaire George Soros' "links" with the Congress leadership and Amit Shah's Ambedkar remarks, had a productivity of 57.87 per cent, official sources said on Friday. The Lower House met on November 25 and was adjourned sine die (indefinitely) on Friday amid protests by the opposition and the treasury benches over the alleged insult to BR Ambedkar and directions by Speaker Om Birla to members against holding demonstrations at any gate of Parliament. Among the key bills introduced during the session were two that lay down the mechanism to hold simultaneous elections. The two bills were on Friday referred to a joint committee of Parliament for examination and wider consultations. The Lower House last week saw a debate on 75 years of the Constitution's adoption, during which the treasury and the opposition benches launched a series of attacks at each other. The Lok Sabha sat an extra day last

Amid din, Lok Sabha sends ONOE Bills to joint committee of two Houses

Minutes before the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die, the House on Friday adopted a resolution recommending the two bills on holding simultaneous polls to a joint committee of the two Houses. Passed by a voice vote amid a din created by the opposition over Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks related to Ambedkar, the resolution moved by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal recommended to the Rajya Sabha to communicate to the Lok Sabha names of the members to be appointed by the upper houses to the joint committee. While 27 members on the panel will be from the Lok Sabha, 12 others will be from the Rajya Sabha. Former Union ministers Anurag Thakur and P P Chaudhary from the BJP, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of the Congress are among the Lok Sabha members, who will be part of the joint committee of Parliament that will scrutinise two bills on simultaneous elections. The two 'one nation, one election' (ONOE) bills, including one requiring an amendment in the Constitution, lay down the mechanism to

Lok Sabha to assemblies: India's young lawmakers don't have the numbers

MPs and MLAs are typically middle aged and form a majority in most political parties

Lok Sabha speaker bans protests after NDA-Congress clash at Parliament gate

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla bans protests at Parliament gates after NDA-Congress clash at Makar Dwar turns violent, leaving two BJP MPs injured; cross-complaints filed by both sides

LS Speaker Birla bans demonstrations by MPs, parties at Parliament gates

After political protests turned ugly, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday banned demonstrations by MPs and political parties at any of the gates of Parliament, sources said. "Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has issued strict instructions that no political party, Member of Parliament or groups of members will hold any dharna and demonstration at building gates of Parliament House," parliament sources said. The instructions came on a day when Parliament premises saw rival protests by the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led INDIA bloc parties on the alleged insults to B R Ambedkar which soon turned into jostling and scuffles leaving two MPs injured and a woman MP claiming intimidation by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

Parliament scuffle highlights: LS Speaker bars parties from holding protests at Parliament gates

Parliament winter session news updates: The BJP has claimed that Rahul Gandhi pushed Pratap Sarangi during a melee, a charge rejected by the Congress leader

Rs 47.2K cr released to states, UTs under Smart Cities Mission: Centre

The Central government has released Rs 47,225 crore to the states and union territories under the Smart Cities Mission till November 15 and out of which Rs 44,626 crore has been utilised, the Lok Sabha was informed on Thursday. In a written reply to a question, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu said the work orders have been issued till November 15 in 8,066 crore amounting to Rs 1,64,669 crore, of which 7,352 projects (i.e. 91 per cent of total projects) amounting to Rs 1,47,366 crore have been completed under the mission. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) has a multi-level review structure to expedite the progress of projects under the Smart Cities Mission, said Sahu, adding mission implementation at the state level is monitored by the state level high powered steering committee chaired by the chief secretary. At the national level, the implementation is monitored by an apex committee headed by the HUA secretary, the minister said. The

'Amit Shah is mad, he should resign', says Lalu Yadav over Ambedkar issue

RJD leader Lalu Yadav slammed Union Minister Amit Shah over his remarks on BR Ambedkar; asked him to resign from politics

Govt to table motion for JPC on 'One Nation, One Election' in LS today

The motion in the Lok Sabha aims to form a Joint Parliamentary Committee for reviewing Bills related to 'One Nation, One Election' today. The panel will comprise 21 MPs from the Lower House

House panel pulls up IT ministry for failing to use semiconductor funds

A parliamentary panel has pulled up the Ministry of Electronics and IT for surrendering more than half the funds allocated for semiconductor and display manufacturing projects in 2023-24, according to a report tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The Standing Committee on Communications and IT in the fourth report on demand for grants observed gradual decrease in allocation of funds from Budget Estimate (BE) 2021-22 to BE 2024-25 for Digital India Programme as well as underutilisation by the ministry over the years. The report said under Modified Programme for Development of Semiconductors and Display Manufacturing Ecosystem in India, during FY24, of the total allocation of Rs 1,503.36 crore the actual expenses as on March 31, 2024 indicates that the ministry could spend only Rs 681.11 crore, "surrendering a staggering 55 per cent of the allotted fund". "Surrendering of funds beyond 50 per cent allocated reflects improper planning by the ministry. The committee may be apprised of t

Blocked 18 OTT platforms for publishing obscene, vulgar content: Govt in LS

Government blocked 18 OTT platforms this year for publishing obscene and vulgar content, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. In a reply to a question by Shiv Sena-UBT member Anil Desai, Murugan said the IT Rules of 2021 cast specific due diligence obligations on intermediaries to make reasonable efforts by themselves against displaying or spreading obscene or pornographic content. The Rules also provide for a Code of Ethics for publishers of news and current affairs on digital media and publishers of online curated content (OTT platforms). "The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has taken action in coordination with various intermediaries, and blocked 18 OTT platforms on 14th March, 2024 for publishing obscene, vulgar, and, in some instances, pornographic content under these provisions," Murugan said. In a reply to a separate question, Murugan said the Code of Ethics for digital news publishers requires such publishers

Parliament highlights: Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha adjourned after uproar over Shah's Ambedkar remarks

Parliament winter session 2024 highlights: The 'One Nation, One Election' Bill was tabled in the Lower House of the Parliament on Dec 17

Centre grants approval for 47 ethanol projects in Bihar for loan subsidies

A total of 47 projects from Bihar have been issued in-principle approvals for interest subvention on bank loans for establishing new or expanding existing distilleries, the government said on Wednesday. Currently, 22 ethanol distilleries - 8 molasses-based and 14 grain-based - are operational in Bihar, Minister of State for Food Nimuben Jayatibhai Bambhaniya said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. The government is implementing the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme nationwide, with Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) selling petrol blended with ethanol. Under the programme, the government has set a target of 20 per cent ethanol blending with petrol by 2025-26. To boost ethanol production capacity and meet blending targets, the Centre has introduced various Ethanol Interest Subvention Schemes from 2018 to 2022. Under these schemes, 47 projects from Bihar have received in-principle approvals, she said. For each Ethanol Supply Year (ESY), OMCs invite bids from distilleries for etha

Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day amid Opposition protests

In a back and forth, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also hit out at the Opposition, alleging that it is instead Congress which has done conspiracy against B R Ambedkar, questioning their respect

ONOE Bill: Priyanka Gandhi among four Congress members to be on House panel

The BJP is considering the names of its seasoned MPs Ravi Shankar Prasad and Nishikant Dubey as nominees for the parliamentary panel that will scrutinise simultaneous poll bills, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Manish Tewari are set to be among the Congress representatives, sources said. Sukhdeo Bhagat and Randeep Surjewala are the Congress' other choices for the joint committee of Parliament. Kalyan Banerjee and Saket Gokhale of the Trinamool Congress, Shrikant Shinde of the Shiv Sena, Sanjay Jha of the JD(U), and T M Selvaganapathi and P Wilson of the DMK are expected to be part of the panel which may have 31 members -- 21 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. Sources said Anurag Thakur and P P Chaudhary are also being considered as the probable BJP choices for the panel in which the saffron party and its allies will be in a majority due to their numerical superiority in Parliament. The two 'One Nation One Election' (ONOE) bills, including one requiring an amendment in

Explained: 'One Nation One Election initiative', key reforms and challenges

The 'One Nation, One Election' is a bold initiative that promises cost savings and administrative efficiency but also raises concerns about its impact on federalism, representation, and practicality