Page 2 - Parliament

Ambedkar row: Congress leads protests, demands Amit Shah's resignation

Congress launches nationwide protests, demanding Amit Shah's resignation over his controversial remarks on Ambedkar, sparking a political storm in Parliament

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

House panel flags concerns over lapses in tackling atrocities against SCs

A parliamentary panel has raised concerns over the failure of several states to establish the necessary mechanisms to effectively address cases of atrocities against Scheduled Castes (SCs). Highlighting persistent systemic gaps, the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment recommended that the central government should actively pursue the state governments to implement and strengthen the machinery required under the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. In its report tabled in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the committee noted that despite the absence of financial constraints at the central level, many states were not utilising available funds or taking necessary actions to address these issues. The committee underscored that tackling atrocities against SCs requires "sincere and coordinated" efforts by state governments, supported by central resources. The report also emphasised broader challen

Amit Shah's Ambedkar remark sparks chaos, Congress demands resignation

Congress protests Amit Shah's remarks on BR Ambedkar, demands his resignation, while BJP defends the Home Minister

JPC on Waqf (Amendment) Bill to hear views of Shia Personal Law Board today

Meeting will be held at 3 pm today at Parliament House Annexe and the committee will hear the views or suggestions of the board on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill

ITI upgradation scheme to be launched in January, says skill ministry

The finance ministry has provided Rs 1,000 crore for the scheme in the current fiscal year

Parl panel suggests doubling PM Kisan Nidhi, commission for farm labourers

It also recommends implementing a robust and legally binding MSP in the country

House panel asks DRDO to excel R-D warfare in hybrid, kinetic, non-kinetic

Underlining that the ongoing conflict in the international arena has revealed the "hazards of a hybrid warfare", a parliamentary panel has recommend that the DRDO should expand its R&D efforts to enhance combat readiness against any non-conventional warfare and security threats. In its report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, the committee has noted "with concern that out of 55 projects, 23 were not completed within the stipulated time". "Although, 571 projects worth Rs 34161.58 cr have been successfully completed and closed during the last 10 years (1 Jan 2012 -- till date), with respect to projects which were partially successful or unsuccessful, eight such projects worth Rs 770.31 cr were stage closed during this period," the report said. The report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence is titled -- 'Action Taken by the Government on the Observations/ Recommendations contained in the Forty-Second Report (17th Lok Sabha) of the Standing Committee on Defence on the ...

Govt tables One Nation, One Election Bill after 269-198 division vote

Government pushes forward controversial 'One Nation, One Election' Bills amid objections from the Opposition

Parliamentary panel calls for legal guarantee of MSP to protect farmers

A parliamentary panel on Tuesday recommended the government implement a legally binding minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural produce, arguing that such a measure could significantly reduce farmer suicides and provide crucial financial stability. The Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing, headed by Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi, submitted a comprehensive report to Parliament highlighting the potential benefits of a legally guaranteed MSP. "The committee strongly recommends that the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare declare a roadmap for implementing MSP as a legal guarantee at the earliest," the report stated. Currently, the government fixes MSP for 23 commodities based on the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) recommendations. The panel argued that a legally binding MSP would not only safeguard farmers' livelihoods but also promote rural economic growth and enhance national food security. The committee's k

Parliament session highlights: One Nation One Election Bill likely to be introduced on Dec 17 in LS

Parliament winter session 2024 updates: After Lok Sabha, two-day discussion on Constitution to begin in Rajya Sabha from today; catch all LIVE updates

Parliamentary panel highlights gaps in medical radiation device testing

A parliamentary committee on Monday raised serious concerns about the country's capability to test and regulate radiation-emitting medical devices, urging immediate reforms in the national testing infrastructure. The Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution revealed significant gaps in the testing framework for critical medical equipment like X-ray and MRI machines in its fifth report submitted to Parliament. The National Testing House (NTH) currently lacks the expertise and capacity to comprehensively test and certify radiation-emitting medical devices, despite existing regulatory oversight from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO). The committee recommended establishing a collaborative framework between NTH, AERB, and CDSCO to address the identified regulatory shortcomings. Key recommendations include developing specialised testing capabilities at NTH, investing in advanced testing ...

House panel criticises govt for missing FCI godown construction target

A Parliamentary panel on Monday pulled up the government for not meeting the godown construction target in the last four years till September 2024 and asked the nodal ministry to constitute a high-level committee to expedite the progress in northeast and hilly states. In the sixth report on demand for grants for 2024-25 placed in Parliament, the Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said that against the target of godown construction with 50,100-tonne capacity in 2023-24, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) could achieve only 1,760-tonne capacity, utilising Rs 52.75 crore. For 2024-25, the target was to construct 58,540-tonne capacity, "but the achievement till September 30 has been nil", the report said. FCI could not achieve the physical target of construction of godowns for 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 till September in the wake of the implementation of the National Food Security Act, it added. The committee also expressed concern over the

Amid no-confidence motion row, Rajya Sabha to debate Constitution today

Constitution debate: BJP President and Union Health Minister JP Nadda will start the discussion at 11 am today as the Upper House reconvenes, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah scheduled to respond

German Chancellor Scholz to ask parliament to clear way for new elections

The departure last month of the neoliberal Free Democrats from the three-way coalition left Scholz's Social Democrats and the Greens governing without a parliamentary majority

FinMin unlikely to introduce new Income-Tax Bill in Budget session

Review panel may submit report before FY26 Budget

Letter and spirit: Constitution will help fulfil citizens' aspirations

The biggest example of its success is the continued peaceful transition of power, reflecting the people's will

One Nation, One Election bill to be introduced in Parl: What we know so far

One Nation, One Election bill, has sparked significant debate, particularly from Opposition leaders about the feasibility of holding Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections within the same year

S Korean parliament to vote on impeachment motion against President Yoon

South Korean lawmakers are set to vote on an opposition-led impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday, two days after Yoon defended his controversial martial law decree and vowed to resist mounting calls for his ouster. It'll be the second time for the National Assembly to hold a vote on Yoon's impeachment motion over his short-lived December 3 martial law introduction. Last Saturday, Yoon survived an impeachment vote after most ruling party lawmakers boycotted a floor vote. It's not clear if those People Power Party lawmakers would do the same again. Public protests against Yoon have since intensified and his approval rating has plummeted. The country's six opposition parties control the 300-member unicameral parliament with a combined 192 seats, but they are eight seats shy of the two-thirds majority needed to pass Yoon's impeachment motion. Tens of thousands of people poured onto the streets of capital Seoul in the past two weeks, calling for Yoon to be rem

House panel for increased private participation in rail infrastructure

The committee also suggested that the railways should improve its finances by undertaking a comprehensive review of its passenger fares - which are typically subsidised by up to 46 per cent