The two Houses of Parliament will meet at separate times of the day for five hours each -- Rajya Sabha in the first half and Lok Sabha in the second half -- to ensure Covid distancing norms during the Budget Session beginning January 31.
The three-month long budget session of Parliament was adjourned on Tuesday, sine die three days ahead of schedule, amid acrimonious scenes in Rajya Sabha over the introduction of the Women's Reservation Bill.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will review the performance of regional rural banks (RRBs) after the Budget session of Parliament, according to two people familiar with the matter. The finance minister will review the performance of RRBs after August 13. The review will include discussions on enhancing the digital capabilities of RRBs, said a senior government official.
The early tabling of the financial Budget ends a 70-year tradition.
Modi also slammed the "negative politics" of some parties and said they used Parliament's time to hide their failures.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is advocating for the implementation of the Women's Reservation Act by the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and Assembly elections, urging all members of Parliament to support amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam during a special session.
The first part of the Budget Session of Parliament is likely to end on February 13 instead of February 15, sources said on Friday, underling that the total number of working days would however remain the same.
India's Central government is likely to see its fertiliser subsidy bill double to a record 3.4 trillion in FY27, up from the Budget estimate of 1.7 trillion, due to surging global fertiliser prices exacerbated by the West Asia war. This significant increase, coupled with revenue losses from excise duty cuts for oil-marketing companies, is straining the government's fiscal space, though capital expenditure plans remain unchanged.
There is a serious move afoot to reschedule the second half of the budget session of the Parliament with sources disclosing that leader of the Lok Sabha and Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee would discuss the rescheduling of dates in the meeting of floor leaders of political parties which he has called on April 5.
Parliament will now meet on March 8 for the second part of the Budget session.
Officials said the government is keen to conform to the convention of the Union Budget for 2026-2027 being presented on February 1 despite it falling on a Sunday in 2026.
The incident took place right outside Parliament's Makar Dwar, the main entrance which MPs take to enter the new Parliament building, where Gandhi was standing in solidarity with suspended Congress MPs, mostly from Punjab.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day following a dispute between the government and the opposition regarding Rahul Gandhi's request to speak before the Union Budget discussion commenced.
It has been advanced in view of the impending elections in four states.
Ahead of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's meeting with opposition parties on Tuesday, Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday said there would be no dilution in its stand on a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the 2G spectrum scam and threatened to disrupt the budget session of Parliament if the demand was not met.
The Budget session of Parliament will begin on Feb 21 and the general budget is slated to be presented to Lok Sabha on Feb 28.
The Indian government is set to accelerate reforms, including measures to enhance foreign direct investment, speed up divestment, and boost asset monetisation, to maintain economic growth despite rising fuel and fertiliser import costs driven by the West Asia crisis.
The three-month long Budget session of Parliament will commence on February 23 and the general budget would be presented by Finance Minister P Chidambaram on February 28.
The Lok Sabha rejected a resolution seeking the removal of Om Birla as Speaker by a voice vote amidst opposition protests and demands for an apology from Home Minister Amit Shah.
Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah addressed parliament on the ongoing border dispute with India, stating both countries have agreed to seek resolution through diplomatic means and expert consultation. Shah's remarks about Nepal also encroaching on Indian territories have sparked controversy.
The much-delayed Women's Reservation Bill may not come up in the Budget session of Parliament as it has to be scrutinised by a new Parliamentary panel. A Union minister, who declined to be identified, said work needed to be done on the Bill which was before the Standing Committee on Law and Justice.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Parliament is on the verge of creating 'new history' by amending the Women's Reservation Act this week, ensuring its implementation by 2029. He highlighted the unanimous passage of the law in 2023 and the collective demand for its early enforcement.
Opposition MPs, including members of the Congress party, staged a protest in the Parliament House complex over the India-US trade agreement, controversy surrounding former Army chief MM Naravane's unpublished memoir, and the suspension of eight MPs.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has convened an all-party meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday to ensure smooth functioning of the Budget Session of Parliament, which begins on February 21.
Six of the seven Bills listed on the agenda of the Rajya Sabha have already been passed by the Lok Sabha.
The Companies Bill 2009, which seeks to replace a half-a-century-old Act, will be presented in Parliament in the ongoing Budget session, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Monday.
The bill to set up an Airport Economic Regulatory Authority, which will fix tariffs for different agencies involved in airport operations and management, will be introduced in the budget session of Parliament next year.
'We kept this Budget on a larger plank, rather than on one incident, however serious.'
The meeting of the Congress Parliamentary strategy group was held at the residence of party President Sonia Gandhi.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said there are some parties that have expressed their inability to attend this particular meeting for their own reasons.
The Indian government is unlikely to allow a parliamentary debate on the West Asia crisis, citing prior briefings by the External Affairs Minister. This decision comes amid opposition protests and a pending no-confidence motion against the Speaker.
The Delhi High Court has granted one-week interim bail to jailed Lok Sabha member Sheikh Abdul Rashid to visit his ailing father, under strict conditions including police escort and restrictions on visitors.
The government said on Friday a Bill to amend the Companies Act, 1956, will be introduced in the Budget Session of the Parliament next year, while the new accounting standards for firms in India is expected to be in place by January next year.
When Gandhi started quoting the from unpublished book, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh questioned as to how material which is not published can be cited in the House.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla addressed concerns about fairness and speaking privileges in the House, emphasising that all members, including the Prime Minister, must adhere to parliamentary rules and procedures.
