"This is a tribute to our daughter," said Nirbhaya's father, who was present in the RS to watch the proceedings.
Hailing the passage of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2014, in Lok Sabha on Thursday, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi said the law comes as a "new regime of safety for potential victims".
The Upper House, which has seen continuous protests by the Opposition since the Monsoon session started on July 19 to press for discussions on Peagasus and farm laws, was adjourned thrice before the Chair finally adjourned it for the day.
Cutting across party lines, lawmakers on Monday sought the passage of the amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act at the earliest amid the clamour over the release of the juvenile convict in the December 16 gang-rape case even as the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress traded charges over the delay in clearing of the legislation.
Here are edited excerpts from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's Kanimozhi's speech during which she pushed for sending the bill to a Select Committee, arguing that further examination was required to decide whether the age for punitive action should be reduced to 16 years from the current level of 18 years.
A proposal, which will empower the Juvenile Justice Board to decide whether a juvenile above 16 years involved in heinous crimes such as rape is to be sent to a observation home or tried in a regular court, is learnt have been cleared by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday.
Parents of the December 16 gang-rape victim on Tuesday welcomed the passage of the long-pending Juvenile Justice Bill saying that it will deter juveniles from committing such crime against women even though they rued that their daughter has been denied justice.
Amendment to the Juvenile Justice Act has been cleared by the Lok Sabha and is awaiting clearance from the Upper House.
The lowering of the age from the existing 18 years means that those aged 16 and above will no longer enjoy protection under the Juvenile Justice law, under which juveniles cannot be tried under the normal law of the land that provides punishment of up to death for rape and murder.
'Given that 95 per cent of rapes are committed by adults and only 5 per cent by juveniles, these 95 per cent of rapes will continue to take place, so what women's safety are we talking about?'
Watch the last day of the Winter Session in Parliament today.
The Rajya Sabha will be taking up Juvenile Justice Bill for discussion on Tuesday.
Agarwal, a real estate developer, was arrested under sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act, while the others were booked for allegedly serving alcohol to an underage person.
DCW chief Swati Maliwal on Friday sought intervention of the Chief Justice of India and the President against releasing of the juvenile convict in the December 16 gang-rape case, saying he must be kept in observation home until his reformation is ascertained.
The government has assured parents of the December 16 gang rape victim that the bill which will allow juveniles between 16-18 years to be tried as adults in heinous crime cases will be passed on Tuesday.
Overruling the recommendations of a parliamentary panel, government on Wednesday went ahead with a proposal to try juveniles in the age group of 16 to 18 years accused of heinous crimes under laws for adults.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis have directed stringent action in the case of a car accident involving a 17-year-old boy, in which two persons were killed, the Pune police chief said on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court today commenced the final hearing on the pleas seeking fresh interpretation of the term 'juvenile' in the statute and leaving it to the criminal court, instead of the Juvenile Justice Board, to determine the juvenility of an offender in heinous crimes.
A parliamentary committee on Wednesday rejected the government's proposal to try as adults juveniles between 16 and 18 years involved in heinous cases such as rape, saying the move is "in conflict with law" and should be "reviewed".
'With increasing numbers of juveniles committing heinous crimes, we believe such juveniles must go into the adult system and be punished,' Minister Maneka Gandhi tells Rashme Sehgal.
Changes in the draft essentially mean that the year of the Motor Vehicles Bill 2016 will change to 2019 besides other such technical amendments. But the contents of the bill remain the same.
After days of adjournments, the Rajya Sabha unanimously passed the crucial Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill along with two bills on supplementary demands for 2015-16, within minutes without any debate.
insisting that it had tried to strike a 'fine balance' to ensure that no injustice was done to innocent children.
The Bill, which was already approved by the Rajya Sabha, defines child pornography, making it punishable.
Opposition-ruled states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu opposing the Bill as they fear losing some of their powers
The couple who allegedly bought the infant have been identified and the child will be rescued.
The current session of Parliament may be extended to enable the passage of bills, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu told Bharatiya Janata Party MPs in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The petitioner said that he and the "victim" engaged in consensual sex and there is nothing on record to show the use of force and the FIR was registered only at the behest of the girl's family.
The Congress and the Left parties might move court to challenge LS speaker's ruling on Aadhaar as money Bill.
With disruptions continuing, the productivity of Rajya Sabha fell to 13.70 per cent during the second week of the ongoing monsoon session from 32.20 per cent during the first week, resulting in an overall productivity of 21.60 per cent for the first two weeks.
"Crime has won and we have lost," was the reaction of Nirbhaya's kin, after the Delhi high court on Friday refused to stay the release of the juvenile convict.
With the Supreme Court rejecting the plea against release of the juvenile convict, the parents of the December 16 gang-rape victim on Monday said the courts have failed them and asked how many Nirbhayas would it take for the laws to change.
'It is a retrogressive Act. It actually criminalises a child who needs care and protection.' 'I am sure the Delhi teenage rapist, if given the right process and input, would have reformed himself. Even now, if he is supported he will evolve himself.'
The Aadhaar Bill passed during Budget session last month, overruling amendments moved in Rajya Sabha.
The Centre needs to have dialogue with the Opposition instead of letting politics come in the way; it needs to stoop to conquer, says Aditi Phadnis.
The government on Monday categorically ruled out resignation of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over allegations of corruption in Delhi cricket body DDCA which he headed till 2013, as Congress member disrupted proceedings of Rajya Sabha.
With logjam in the Upper House leaving key bills in the limbo, Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari has called an all-party meeting on Friday.
A round-up of what our lawmakers have been discussing in Parliament on Tuesday
Prosecuting juveniles aged above 15 years as adults for heinous crimes, setting up of 'special police stations' and ensuring death penalty or life term to those accused of raping minors were among a host of proposals mooted by the Aam Aadmi Party government on Monday to deal with cases of sexual violence.
Not only is Modi's India not the shining land of dynamism and prosperity that he promised -- though it may be that, for some people, in a few years from now -- but socially it has the positively regressive tendencies that were entirely predictable.
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