Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievance and Pension, V Narayanasami on Thursday said the Centre would bring a comprehensive electoral reform bill in keeping with the recommendations of the second administrative reform commission.
A day after the US Congress passed the landmark Healthcare Reform Bill, the US President, Barack Obama, today said his administration is a step closer towards the passage of the real Financial Reform Bill
The Senate Judiciary Committee on the fifth day of its deliberations that included 300 amendments to the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill -- Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act -- passed it by 13-5 votes.
The momentous occasion came when the House of Representatives passed the $1.5 trillion (Rs 96 lakh crore) tax reform bill for the second time by 224 to 201 votes to clear the technical snag in the passage of the bill, which was passed by the Senate and House earlier.
The law will check taxpayers' money from being used to pay for the financial mismanagement of institutions.
The government faced embarrassment in the Rajya Sabha today as it was forced to defer a key education reforms bill, following strong opposition from members cutting across party lines. HRD Minister Kapil Sibal had to make a hasty retreat after the Education Tribunal Bill, 2010, came under all- round attack, including from senior Congress leader K Keshava Rao.
Passed by the Congress the sweeping financial overhaul legislation is considered to be a major legislative and political victory for the US President, whose poll numbers have experienced a downward slide this year.
Called the US Citizenship Act of 2021, the legislation modernises the immigration system, and also proposes to eliminate the per country cap for employment-based green cards, a move that would benefit thousands of Indian IT professionals whose current wait period for legal permanent residency runs into several decades.
H-1B visa reform bill introduced in US Senate
United States President Barack Obama, who pledged that enacting comprehensive immigration reform would be a priority in his second term, has rejected a Republican-sponsored immigration bill that would have created a new green card category for foreign students, reports Aziz Haniffa.
Two crucial bills, forming part of NDA government's reforms agenda, got approval of Parliament within minutes today after a number of non-NDA parties backed the legislations in Rajya Sabha where the ruling coalition is short in numbers.
Duping students by charging capitation fee or failing to keep promise of quality education could now attract a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh for errant institutes or imprisonment up to three years for its administrators, according a Bill cleared by the Cabinet on Friday.
Amid differences among allies, the government today deferred a decision on the changes in the crucial Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill, 2011.
Pranab Mukherjee said the government proposes to move various legislative Bills related to financial sector reforms.
The legislation gives America's half-century-old security apparatus a much-needed facelift.
According to a Cabinet minister, the UPA's focus during the remaining period of the Budget session will be on passing the Right to Education Bill. Apart from this, the government is planning to bring a Bill to amend the Rubber Act and the National Commission for Heritage Sites Bill. The government will be occupied till July 27 with the General Budget, as contained in the Finance Bill. It will actually not get more than seven days to deal with other legislative business.
Hints at taking support from Opposition if allies continue to show reservations
'The government has been anti our civilisational values.' 'My fear would be that they erode that some more to have their way and to consolidate their power.'
Agriculture growth this year would be negative at minus two per cent as a result of adverse impact of drought particularly on kharif crop which would be down 15-16 million tonnes.
The statutory resolution demanded that the Tribunals Reforms Bill be send to the select committee of the House, however, it got negated.
More than five questions and supplementaries, mostly related to agriculture and horticulture, were taken up before the proceedings were first adjourned till noon. The Question Hour went on for nearly 40 minutes.
Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar said farmers as well as the NCP and other parties are opposed to the new bills. "Farmers think that the laws are not beneficial for them. There was no hurry (to pass them)," he said.
Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar said, the purpose of labour reforms is to provide a transparent system to suit the changed business environment.
Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled civic bodies in Delhi are set to be dissolved in the next five days, with the South Delhi Municipal Corporation's term set to end on Wednesday.
This after most of the Opposition including the Congress, Left parties, the Trinamool Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Nationalist Congress Party decided to boycott House proceedings in protest against the suspension of eight MPs for the remainder of the session for unruly behaviour.
As a precautionary measure and to avoid any turbulence in law and order situation, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has decided to keep three Metro stations -- Vishwavidyalaya, Civil Lines and Vidhan Sabha -- shut from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday.
Never before has the need for creating an ambience for economic policy reforms been as critical as it is now, points out A K Bhattacharya.
The opposition parties were demanding a division of votes as they had moved a motion to send the Bill to a select committee, which was rejected by voice vote.
The move came a day after Parliament approved two agriculture sector-reform bills which have been bitterly opposed by the opposition parties like Congress and TMC.
The minister said the farmer unions have been asked to revert till Saturday if they agree to the government's proposal for putting the laws on hold and forming a joint committee to reach a solution, after which the talks can continue.
Another all-party meeting will attempt to resolve political concerns about the Land Reforms Bill.
In addition to mounting its own effort and putting in all its resources to convince the US lawmakers that the killer provisions of the comprehensive immigration reform bill -- that has been introduced in the Senate by the bipartisan group of eight Senators called the Gang of Eight -- the top business group representing the interest of US companies doing business in India is in the final stages of hiring a top lobbying firm for the purpose.
'We never forget. We continue our work ... We work to build an equal world for George, for his children, and for all the other victims of racism.'
According to reports, eight hours have been allocated by the speaker for discussion on the tax reform bill.
Farmers said the agenda of the meeting should also include amendments to be made and notified in the Commission for the Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance, 2020 to exclude farmers from its penal provisions.
The sweeping Wall Street Reform Bill that was passed by the House of Representatives by vote 237-192, largely along party lines now goes to the Senate; which faces the prospect of filibuster by the Republicans.
There is an acute imbalance of power between the various organs of the State, including the executive, the legislature, the judiciary, and the ultimate sovereign -- the people, argues R Jagannathan.
Chaos is expected to return to Parliament on Wednesday with the Opposition prepped to target Education Minister Smriti Irani in both Houses.
Chaos is expected to return to Parliament on Wednesday with the Opposition prepped to target Education Minister Smriti Irani in both Houses.
Chaos is expected to return to Parliament on Wednesday with the Opposition prepped to target Education Minister Smriti Irani in both Houses.
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