Page 5 - Monsoon Session Of Parliament

Kejriwal accuses BJP of backstabbing people of Delhi after LS passes bill

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday accused the BJP of backstabbing the people of the national capital after Lok Sabha passed a bill to replace an ordinance promulgated for handling the transfers and postings of senior officers in the city government. Kejriwal lashed out at the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and urged people not to believe anything the PM says. "BJP always promised to give full statehood to Delhi. In 2014, Modi himself said that on becoming the prime minister, he would give full statehood to Delhi. But today these people stabbed the people of Delhi in the back. Don't believe anything said by Modiji from now on," he said in a tweet in Hindi. The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed by Lok Sabha on Thursday amid a walkout by opposition parties. The Delhi services bill was passed after a nearly four-hour-long debate which was replied to by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Shah made it clear that the ..

DGCA issues 993 commercial pilot licences this year Jul 24: Govt data

A total of 993 commercial pilot licences have been issued this year till July 24, the government said on Thursday. Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh informed the Lok Sabha that currently, there are 36 Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) operating at 57 bases. According to data provided as part of a written reply, 993 Commercial Pilot Licences (CPLs) and 407 Airline Transport Pilot Licences (ATPL) have been issued this year till July 24. In 2022, a total of 1,165 CPLs and 720 ATPLs were issued. An individual is eligible to apply for CPL after completing at least 200 hours of flying and fulfilling other conditions. Besides, the individual has to clear theory papers and once successful, the CPL is given for a period of five years subject to complying with various requirements. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issues three types of licenses -- CPL, Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) and Private Pilot Licence (PPL). While CPL allows a pilot to start flyi

Raghav Chadha urges RS chairman to discuss Manipur issue under Rule 168

AAP leader Raghav Chadha on Thursday urged Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to discuss the Manipur issue in the House under Rule 168 as a motion instead of a short duration discussion. His request came amid a stalemate in Rajya Sabha over the rule under which a discussion on the issue should be taken up. Chadha has already given a notice for taking up the discussion on Manipur under Rule 168 through a motion to be moved by him. While the chairman has said that notices for a short-duration discussion on the Manipur issue under Rule 176 has been accepted and the government has agreed, the opposition is demanding that the debate be held under Rule 267 without any time limit. "Under Rule 168 of the Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business in Rajya Sabha, I hereby give notice of my intention to move the following motion on the issue of general public interest during the current/ensuing session of Rajya Sabha," the AAP's Rajya Sabha member said in his notice. "That this House ..

Govt passes Bill to provide fixed production lease for offshore minerals

A Bill to provide a fixed 50-year production lease for offshore minerals was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Thursday amid a walkout by opposition members over the situation in violence-hit Manipur. When the Upper House reassembled for the post-lunch session, Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi moved the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023 for consideration, even as the opposition parties insisted on a discussion on Manipur. The Bill to amend the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002 was passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The Bill seeks to provide a fixed 50-year production lease for offshore minerals. Under this legislation, the government aims to introduce auctions as the route to award production leases for offshore minerals. It aims at introducing a four-year timeline for the commencement of production and dispatch after the execution of composite licence or production lease, and a timeline of two years (extendable by

1,365 vacant posts in IAS, 703 in IPS: Jitendra Singh informs Rajya Sabha

There are 1,365 vacancies in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and 703 in the Indian Police Service (IPS), Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. Besides these, 1,042 vacancies exist in the Indian Forest Service (IFS) and 301 in Indian Revenue Service (IRS), Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply. "Occurrence and filling up of vacancies is a continuous process. It is the endeavour of the central government to fill up vacant posts expeditiously," he said. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Services Examinations (CSE) for filling up of vacancies on direct recruitment basis in civil services, including IAS, IPS, IFS and IRS, every year, he said. "To fill up vacancies in IAS and IPS promotion quota, selection committee meetings are held by Union Public Service Commission with state governments," the minister said. The government has increased the annual intake of IAS officers to 180 through the CSE till CSE-2022, Si

Since 2018, CBI filed cases against 216 civil servants: Govt to RS

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered cases against 216 civil servants in more than five years, Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. Giving a state-wise break-up, the government said 39 civil servants were from Maharashtra, 22 from Jammu and Kashmir, 21 from Delhi, 17 from Uttar Pradesh and 14 from Karnataka among others. "During the last five years viz. 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 (up to 30.06.2023), the CBI has registered cases against 216 number of civil service officers," Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply. Of the total civil servants facing cases, 12 were from Bihar, 11 from Tamil Nadu, nine each from Gujarat, Haryana and Kerala, and eight each from Punjab, Rajasthan and Telangana, according to the reply. "The All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, and the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, lay down the code of conduct for central government employees to which every member of the service shal

Financial bill or not: Opposition raises concerns over Data Protection Bill

Ahead of the bill's introduction in the Lower House, the Opposition questioned if it is being tabled as a financial bill. It said that the bill needs to be considered a regular bill

Govt recognises 98,119 entities as startups as on Apr 30: MoS Comm in LS

The government has recognised as many as 98,119 entities as startups as on April 30 this year, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. These startups are eligible for availing incentives, including tax benefits under the Startup India scheme. Schemes like Fund of Funds for Startups, Startup India Seed Fund Scheme and Credit Guarantee Scheme support these entities at various stages of their business cycle, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. "Since the launch of the Startup India initiative in 2016, DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) has recognised 98,119 entities as startups as on 30th April 2023," he said. In a separate reply, he said that as on April 30, Rs 611.36 crore has been approved for 160 incubators by the Experts Advisory Committee (EAC) under e Startup India Seed Fund Scheme. "The approved incubators have selected 1,039 startups for financial support of Rs 176.63 crore," he ...

No proposal to increase amount of minimum pension: Govt in Lok Sabha

There is no proposal to increase the amount of minimum pension/family pension, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday. The amount of minimum pension/family pension under the central government is Rs 9,000 per month, he said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha. Singh said there are 44,81,245 pensioners, including 20,93,462 family pensioners and the government incurred an expenditure of Rs 2,41,777.55 crore on them during 2022-23. "There is no proposal to increase the amount of minimum pension/ family pension. The pensioners/ family pensioners are entitled to dearness relief, based on changes in prices, from time to time," he added.

Govt says retail wheat and rice prices firm again increased in July

The retail prices of wheat and rice have again increased to Rs 29.59 per kilogramme and Rs 40.82 per kg, respectively in July, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, in her written reply to the Lok Sabha, said the retail prices of wheat and rice are continuously changing and the government is closely monitoring the prices. The average retail price of wheat in January was Rs 31.58 per kg, which reduced to Rs.28.74 per kg in May. Thereafter, the average retail price of wheat has again increased to Rs 29.59 per kg in July, she said. In case of rice too, the average retail price has increased to Rs 40.82 per kg in July from Rs 38.09 per kg in January. The minister said the government has taken various steps from time to time to augment domestic availability and stabilize the prices of essential food commodities. These steps, inter-alia, include releases of wheat and rice under OMSS(D) from the .

Monsoon Session: Rajya Sabha takes up Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday took up the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 that seeks to exempt land within 100 km of the country's borders from the purview of conservation laws and permit setting up of zoos, safaris and eco-tourism facilities in forest areas. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha last month. Introducing the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 in the Rajya Sabha for consideration and passage, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav said almost 45 lakh hectare land was diverted in the country during 1950 and 1980 when Congress-led government was in the country. BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said the name of the bill has been changed to Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam and a preamble has been added to it. He said under the provisions of the bill, in border areas like those within 100 km boundary of the Line of Actual Control and Line of Control, if a project is declared as having strategic importance and concerning ..

Over 22.7 mn EWS students enrolled in private schools in last 5 yrs: MoE

More than 2.27 crore students from the EWS category enrolled in private schools in the last five years, with Madhya Pradesh accounting for the highest number at over 53 lakh, followed by Rajasthan, the Union Ministry of Education said on Wednesday. The information was shared by Union Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi in response to a written question in the Rajya Sabha. According to the data, 2,27,72,124 (2.27 crore) students from the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category enrolled in private schools from 2018-19 to 2022-23. Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest enrolment of EWS students in private schools during the period under review with over 53 lakh, followed by Rajasthan at 38.11 lakh and Karnataka at 23.97 lakh. Devi said, "The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, mandates the appropriate government to provide free and compulsory elementary education to every child of the age six to 14 years in a neighbourhood school. Section ...

114,000 posts vacant in central police organisations: Govt in Rajya Sabha

As many as 1,14,245 posts are lying vacant in central police organisations such as the CRPF, the BSF and the Delhi Police, Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra said in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Mishra said in 2023, advertisements for about 31,879 posts have been published, and out of these, 1,126 posts have been filled up. The Ministry of Home Affairs and its organisations, including the Central Armed Police Forces such as Border Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, Central Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force, Assam Rifles and Central Industrial Security Force, and central police organisations, including Delhi Police, has approximately 1,14,245 vacant posts at present, he said in a written reply. Out of the vacant posts, 3,075 are in group 'A', 15,861 are in group 'B' and 95,309 are in Group 'C'. Of these, 16,356 posts are of Scheduled Castes, 8,759 posts of Scheduled Tribes, 21,974 posts of Other Backward Class, and 7,394 posts of economically weaker section and 59,7

Bill to allow private sector to mine lithium, other atomic minerals passed

A bill that seeks to allow the private sector to mine six out of 12 atomic minerals, including lithium, and deep-seated minerals such as gold and silver was passed by Parliament on Wednesday, amid a walkout by opposition members demanding a discussion over the Manipur violence issue. Union Minister for Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi moved the The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023, when Rajya Sabha reassembled in for the post-lunch period. The bill was passed by the Upper House of Parliament by voice vote. It was approved by Lok Sabha last month.

Lok Sabha adjourned for the day amid Opposition protest on Manipur issue

Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Wednesday as opposition members continued with their protests on the Manipur issue even as Speaker Om Birla, upset at the repeated disruptions in the House, skipped the proceedings. As the House assembled for the post-lunch session, the opposition members trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation in Manipur, which has been roiled by months-long ethnic violence. BJP member Kirit Solanki, who was in the Chair, appealed to the opposition members to maintain decorum as he asked ministers to lay parliamentary papers on the table of the House. With the opposition leaders refusing to budge, the Chair adjourned the proceedings for the day. Lok Sabha was scheduled to take up the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 for consideration and passage on Wednesday. Birla skipped the proceedings of the day as he is upset over the repeated .

Parliament monsoon session: Opposition walkout, Bills passed, and more

Three Bills passed despite disruption in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha as Opposition stage walkouts

ICCs against sexual harassment of women at workplace in all forces: Centre

The Internal Complaints Committees for the prevention of sexual harassment of women at the workplace are functional in all forces, PSUs, ordnance boards, autonomous bodies, subordinate offices and all other organisations under the Ministry of Defence, the government informed Parliament on Monday. Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said this in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha. He was asked whether it is a fact that under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, ministries are mandated to have an Internal Committee, to which he replied in the affirmative. "Internal Complaint's Committees for prevention of sexual harassment of women at workplace are functional in all forces, PSUs, Ordnance Boards, Autonomous Bodies, Subordinate Offices and all other organisations under Ministry of Defence," he said in his response. On the number of cases referred to the internal complaints committee in the last three years, he said, the figure stood at "1

Aggregate deposits in Jan Dhan accounts crosses Rs 2 trn: Centre told LS

Aggregate deposits in 49.49 crore Jan Dhan accounts have crossed Rs 2 lakh crore, Parliament was informed on Monday. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) was launched in August 2014 with the aim to provide universal banking services through opening of zero balance bank account for every unbanked household, based on the guiding principles of banking the unbanked, securing the unsecured and funding the unfunded. As on July 12, deposits in 49.49 crore Jan Dhan accounts stood at Rs 2,00,958 crore, Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad said in a written reply in Lok Sabha. Some of the features of PMJDY are, one Basic Savings Bank Deposit (BSBD) account to every unbanked adult, overdraft limit of Rs 10,000; and free Rupay debit card with inbuilt accident insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh (Rs 1 lakh for accounts opened before 28.08.2018). The last mile delivery of basic banking services like cash deposit, cash withdrawal, intrabank or interbank fund transfer, balance enquiry and mi

Monsoon session: GST evasion, money laundering, bank fraud cases & more

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply in the Lok Sabha gave details of Goods and Services Tax (GST) and income tax evasion

600-700 monuments annually identified for structural repairs: Govt

Every year around 600-700 monuments are identified for taking up structural repairs of special nature on the basis of assessment made at field level, the government informed Parliament on Monday. Union Minister for Culture G Kishan Reddy said this in a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha. "Every year around 600-700 monuments are identified for taking up structural repairs of special nature on the basis of assessment made at field level. A conservation programme is drawn up after proper identification of items of work and adequate funds provided to carry out the specified works," he said. This is a yearly process and takes care of both short-term and long-term projects, the minister said.