Page 3 - Monsoon Session Of Parliament

Our economy is fastest growing: FM Sitharaman during the no-trust debate

In just nine years, the economy rose and saw economic development due to the policies of BJP government,' Nirmala Sitharaman said in Lok Sabha

Govt expects to implement new data protection law within 10 months

The government is expecting to implement the Digital Personal Data Protection law within 10 months, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday. The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2023 with a voice vote amid a walkout by opposition members over the Manipur issue. The Bill, which comes after six years of the Supreme Court declaring 'Right to Privacy' as a fundamental right, has provisions to curb the misuse of individuals' data by online platforms. "We have started work on implementation. This kind of legislation will require a 6-10 month kind of frame. We will take every step with proper checks and balances. It is a guesstimate. We might do it faster than that," Vaishnaw said. Elaborating on the principles, he said the data collected by the citizens should be used as per the law, only for the purpose for which it has been collected and the quantum of data should be limited to the requirement. Vaishnaw said citizens will have the

Rajya Sabha passes data protection law amid surveillance concerns

The new legislation comes after India withdrew a 2019 privacy bill that had alarmed tech companies like Facebook and Google with its proposals for stringent restrictions on cross-border data flows

Govt aims to control surface fire at 19 coal mines in Jharia by 2025-end

The government is aiming to control surface fire at 27 locations of 19 coal mines in Jharia, Jharkhand, by 2025-end, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. Some coal mines of Jharia in Jharkhand have been burning for many years due to unscientific mining prior to the nationalisation of coal mines, Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. As per the Jharia Master Plan approved in 2009, it was estimated that about 37 MT of good quality prime coking coal has been destroyed due to fire, the minister noted. Coal India subsidiary Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) is periodically conducting surveys through National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC) Hyderabad for delineation of surface fire. As per the latest survey report done in the year 2020-21, the surface fire area has been reduced to 1.8 sq km spread over 27 locations, he said. "Out of these 27 locations, fire at 16 locations is being dealt with by operating fire dealing projects through excavation an

Monsoon Session: Lok Sabha adopts resolution appealing for peace in Manipur

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday adopted a resolution appealing for peace in Manipur, with NDA members enthusiastically supporting it in the presence of the opposition. As Home Minister Amit Shah concluded his intervention on the no-confidence motion in the House, he suggested that Speaker Om Birla read out a resolution appealing for peace in Manipur. The suggestion made by Shah, who spoke extensively on the Manipur situation in Lok Sabha, was supported by Deputy Leader of the House and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said first a draft of the resolution should be shared and it should be adopted in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. Birla then read out the resolution which was adopted by the House.

Cabinet clears changes to laws to levy 28% GST on online gaming, casinos

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved changes to GST laws to levy a 28 per cent tax on the full face value of bets in online gaming, casinos and horse race clubs, sources said. The amendments to the Central GST (CGST) and Integrated GST (IGST) acts, which were approved by the GST Council last week, are likely to be introduced in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, which will end on August 11. The GST Council in its 51st meeting on August 2 recommended amendments to the Schedule III of the CGST Act, 2017, to provide clarity on the taxation of supplies in casinos, horse racing and online gaming. The Council also recommended inserting a provision in the IGST Act, 2017, to impose GST liability on online money gaming provided by offshore entities. Such entities would be required to get GST registration in India. The amendments will also provide for blocking access to online gaming platforms located overseas in case of failure to comply with registration and tax payment ...

Bill to decriminalise offences in coastal aquaculture activities passed

Parliament on Wednesday passed the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which aims to decriminalise the offences committed in carrying out coastal aquaculture activities and ensure ease of doing business. The bill was cleared by the Rajya Sabha by a voice vote on Wednesday. It was passed in the Lok Sabha on August 7. Replying to a debate on the bill in Rajya Sabha, Parshottam Rupala, Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, said that India has benefitted from green revolution and white revolution. "Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, India will have blue revolution which will take the fisherman community ahead," Rupala said. The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill also seeks to expand the scope, remove regulatory gaps and reduce the compliance burden without diluting environmental protection rules in the coastal areas. To decriminalise the offences, the bill seeks to remove the jail term of up to three years and impose only a .

Rahul Gandhi put across voice of India in Lok Sabha: Cong Prez Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said Rahul Gandhi put across the voice of the people in Lok Sabha on the Manipur issue and asked whether the Modi government feels the suffering of the people or its politics is only aimed at getting votes. He alleged that the people of Manipur are suffering due to the "insensitivity" of the BJP. "Rahul Gandhi put across the voice of India in Lok Sabha today. Pandit Nehru had said - 'Bharat Mata' are the people of India only. Our brothers and sisters are facing violence in Manipur, they are suffering due to the insensitivity of the BJP. "Modi ji's ministers are talking here and there, but they are not telling how the violence happened, why it was allowed to spread, why the prime minister did not appeal for peace, why he did not go there and ask the people about their sorrows and pains," Kharge posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, in Hindi. "Does the Modi government have nothing to do with the suffering of the people? Is all thei

Bill to set up national agency to fund research across universities passes

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill 2023 to set up a national agency to fund research across universities in the country. The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday. It was passed by a voice vote in the Rajya Sabha in just 40 minutes after being taken up for consideration and passage. Only six members participated in the debate as the Opposition had earlier walked out of the House. Replying to the discussion for consideration and passage of the Bill, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh termed it "history in the making" and said it is going to have long-term outcomes. As Opposition members were not present in the Upper House during the discussion and passage of the Bill, Singh said the government was looking forward to having more constructive inputs from them as well. Participating in the discussion on the Bill, Sujit Kumar of the BJD said: "The hope is that this Bill - NRF 2023 - will bring about an integrated, holis

Over 42% teaching posts for quota candidates in central universities vacant

More than 42 per cent teaching posts reserved for OBC, SC and ST candidates in 45 central universities are lying vacant, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday. According to data shared by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in a written reply, 7,033 posts are sanctioned for Other Backward Classes (OBC), Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates in central universities and out of these, 3,007 posts are vacant. While 46 per cent posts (1665) for OBC are vacant, the vacant positions for SC and ST are 37 and 44 per cent respectively, it stated. "A total of 517 posts for the three categories have been filled in 2023 so far," Pradhan said. Among the positions filled in 2023, maximum are for the OBC category (285) followed by the SC (150) and the ST (82) categories, respectively.

Toy exports up 60% to $326 mn from FY19-FY23: MoS informs Parliament

India's toy exports increased 60 per cent from USD 203.46 million in 2018-19 to USD 325.72 million in 2022-23, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. Import on the other hand dipped 57 per cent from USD 371.69 million in 2018-19 to USD 158.70 million in 2022-23, according to data provided by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash. He said the government has taken proactive steps to promote domestic toy industry. "As a result of various steps taken by the government, the volume of import of toys into the Indian market has shown a consistently decreasing trend," he said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. In a separate reply, he said the total number of industries registered under the ministry from January 1991 to July 31, 2023 is 1,10,525. Replying to a question on Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said ONDC has launched a Feet on Street (FoS) programme, involving 90 FoS resources, to support the network participa

Parliament: 2 synonyms of Mahar community added to Chhattisgarh's SC list

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 to add two synonyms for the Mahar community in Chhattisgarh to the state's list of Scheduled Castes. The bill was passed by a voice vote in the Upper House. It has already been passed by the Lok Sabha in the ongoing Monsoon session. The bill seeks to add "Mahara" and "Mahra" as synonyms of the Mahar community. Replying to a discussion on the bill in the Rajya Sabha, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar urged for its passage. The proposed legislation will help expand the benefits of government schemes and benefits meant for Scheduled Castes in the state to around two lakh more people, he said.

Standing Committee on Economic Statistics renamed: MoS tells Parliament

The government on Wednesday said Standing Committee on Economic Statistics has been renamed as Standing Committee on Statistics. The committee will advise Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on all surveys. "The government has formed various committees after the year 1947...including Standing Committee on Economic Statistics (SCES)," Minister of State for Statistics Rao Inderjit Singh said in a written reply to Lok Sabha. He further said SCES was renamed as Standing Committee on Statistics (SCoS), which was constituted vide a MoSPI order dated July 13, 2023. SCoS will review the extant framework and address the issues raised from time to time on the subject/results/methodology, etc related to all surveys as brought before SCoS by MoSPI. It will advise on survey methodology including sampling frame, sampling design, survey instruments, etc and to finalize tabulation plan of surveys. It will also aid finalization of survey results. The panel will provide gui

Govt says no plan formulated to phase out old coal-based power plants

The government on Tuesday said it has not formulated any plan to phase out old coal-based thermal power plants in the country. India has set an ambitious energy transition programme, which includes having 500 GW of renewable energy capacity, by 2030. "No Sir, Central Electricity Authority vide an advisory dated January 20, 2023 suggested that no retirement or repurposing of coal-based power stations will be done before 2030 considering the expected energy demand scenario and availability of capacity in future," Power Minister R K Singh said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha. He was replying to a question on whether the government has formulated any plan to phase out the old coal-based thermal power plants in the country, including in Odisha. Singh said that operators of thermal power plants were also advised implementation of Renovations & Modernisation (R&M) and Life Extension (LE) of their units for running up to 2030 and beyond or operating in two-shift mode to facilitate ..

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No-confidence motion at wrong time, in wrong manner: Kiren Rijiju

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said the Congress and other opposition parties have brought the no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government in the Lok Sabha at a "wrong time and in a wrong manner." The minister said that at a time when Prime Minister Modi has emerged as the world leader and the country was marching ahead to become a developed nation by 2047, there was no need for such a motion against the government. Instead, he said, the opposition should join hands with the government to celebrate 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' and work towards achieving the target set by the prime minister for the next 25 years. "Congress and opposition parties will regret bringing in the no-confidence motion at the wrong time and in a wrong manner," the minister said. Participating in the debate on the no-confidence motion, Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav asked why Prime Minister Modi was not present in Lok Sabha during the debate on the no-confidence motion, to which he has to

Parliament passes Bill to empower Prez with management IIMs' accountability

Parliament on Tuesday passed a bill which seeks to entrust the management accountability of the IIMs with the President, who will be the Visitor to the premier B-schools and have powers to audit their functioning and remove or appoint directors. The Rajya Sabha cleared the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which aims to strengthen the governance and oversight of the prestigious institutions while preserving their academic autonomy, by a voice vote. Lok Sabha had cleared the bill on August 4. Replying to a debate on the bill in Rajya Sabha, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the government has no intention to take away the academic accountability from the institute but the bill will only ensure its management accountability. He noted that the Centre has spent more than Rs 6,000 crore in setting up the IIMs. According to the bill, which seeks to amend the IIM Act of 2017, the President will be a Visitor to the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) with

Over 11.3 mn MGNREGA workers' bank accounts yet to be seeded with Aadhaar

Bank accounts of around 1.13 crore workers under the rural job scheme MGNREGA are yet to be seeded with their Aadhaar numbers, Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh informed Lok Sabha on Tuesday. In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, the minister said wage payment to beneficiaries under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) may be made either using Aadhaar-based payment bridge systems or national automated clearing house depending upon the status of a beneficiary in the Aadhaar-based systems. He said that bank accounts of 1,13,86,599 workers, or 8.93 per cent of the total active workers, are yet to be seeded with their Aadhaar numbers. The minister said northeastern states are lagging behind in the process, with accounts of more than 42 per cent workers in Assam, around 23 per cent in Arunachal Pradesh, over 70 per cent in Meghalaya, and 37 per cent in Nagaland not being seeded with Aadhaar numbers. To a question on "whether it is also a f

Parl approves Dental Commission Bill, Nursing & Midwifery Commission Bill

Rajya Sabha on Tuesday approved the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023, and the National Dental Commission Bill, 2023, which are aimed at further improving the quality of education in the healthcare sector. Lok Sabha had passed these two bills on July 28. With Rajya Sabha's approval, the parliamentary process regarding the proposed legislations has been completed. The two bills piloted by Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya were passed by voice vote after a brief discussion. The National Dental Commission Bill seeks to repeal the Dentists Act, 1948, and proposes to set up the National Dental Commission (NMC) to regulate dental education and the profession. It also aims at making dental education affordable and quality oral healthcare accessible. The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023, aims at setting up the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission (NNMC) and repealing the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947. The Bill provides for regulation and ...

Oppn parties move privilege notice against Goyal over remarks against them

Several leaders of the opposition alliance INDIA have given a privilege notice against leader of the house in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal over his certain remarks against some opposition leaders. Among the parties whose leaders gave the notice are the Congress, TMC, AAP, RJD, DMK, RJD, JDU, NCP and the Left parties. Sources said leaders of INDIA parties gave the notice to the Rajya Sabha chairman complaining against Goyal's certain remarks made while he was speaking on the issue of media portal 'NewsClick' receiving funding from China-linked firms allegedly to spread Chinese propaganda. Goyal questioned the relationship between the opposition parties and the news portal 'NewsClick', now accused by the New York Times of receiving funding from China-linked firms. "Today at 1300 hrs, the floor leaders of INDIA parties in the Rajya Sabha submitted a privilege motion against Leader of the House Piyush Goyal for addressing the Opposition as all of them 'traitors'," Ramesh said on ...