Controversy dogged the joint committee set up to draft an effective Lok Pal even before it starts its work with Gandhian Anna Hazare on Monday asking Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal to resign from it "if he feels nothing will come" out of this institution.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said there is a broad agreement that public functionaries, including the prime minister, should be brought within the ambit of the proposed law.
The Lok Sabha has referred the contentious Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a 31-member joint parliamentary committee for thorough scrutiny.
Home Minister Amit Shah has offered to hold a comprehensive debate in Parliament on student protests and other pressing issues, but Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has swiftly rejected the proposal, demanding accountability for actions against students.
Opposition parties disrupted Lok Sabha proceedings on the opening day of the Monsoon Session, leading to multiple adjournments. Protests focused on the alleged NEET paper leak and Ram temple donation theft issues, with demands for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. The House was eventually adjourned for the day after repeated appeals for order failed.
The Lok Sabha is debating an opposition resolution seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla, citing alleged bias. The proceedings have been marked by heated arguments over who should preside during the debate.
Newly-appointed Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam on Wednesday hinted at an equal seat-sharing arrangement with the Samajwadi Party for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
An FAQ on the controversial anti-corruption bill
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.
A delegation of Dalit Congress leaders faces disciplinary action after an unscheduled visit to BSP chief Mayawati's residence in Lucknow, coinciding with Rahul Gandhi's visit and raising questions about party authorisation and alliance dynamics.
The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, a constituent of the Bhaatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, has staked claim to 32 seats for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, with the aim to wrest the Samajwadi Party's stronghold of Azamgarh.
'Unfortunately, today most ministers are busy with either election duty or praising duty. They are not interested in serving duty.' 'Ministers have become relaxed like retired people still holding onto jobs.' 'Look at how the NEET paper leaked. But there is no accountability.' 'After 12 years, they have become saturated. They are short of ideas.'
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday lashed out at TMC MP Saugata Roy for objecting to her speaking in Hindi on a bill, pointing out that the translation technology allows members to listen to speeches in any language.
Special police observer Ajay Pal Sharma toured West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district during the second phase of Assembly elections, facing political controversy and allegations of intimidation from TMC leaders.
Trinamool Congress supporters protested against an Election Commission-appointed IPS officer in West Bengal, accusing him of intimidating party workers ahead of the second phase of polling.
The Lok Sabha faced repeated adjournments due to opposition demands for a debate on the West Asia situation, preventing a resolution seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla from being taken up. The government and the Chair criticised the opposition for disrupting House proceedings.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has alleged that the people of Diamond Harbour have been unable to exercise their voting rights for a decade. He assured people that the scenario has now changed, and the May 21 repolling in the Falta Assembly seat will re-establish voter rights.
Mamata Banerjee appeared before the Calcutta High Court alleging police inaction during post-poll violence in West Bengal and sought judicial intervention to protect citizens.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan informed the Lok Sabha that government initiatives in the agriculture sector have doubled farmers' income through measures like MSP and fertiliser subsidies.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court is considering a plea regarding incarcerated MP Amritpal Singh's absence from Parliament, which has reached 59 sittings. The court has been informed that Singh can apply for condoning his absence, as continuous absence for 60 sittings could lead to his seat being declared vacant.
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.
Rahul Gandhi said that had an INDIA Bloc government negotiated the trade agreement with the US, it would have told US President Donald Trump that he should treat India as an equal.
The Indian Parliament has passed a bill amending the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019, focusing on biological discrimination and excluding social orientations from its scope. The bill aims to provide legal recognition and protection to transgender individuals facing discrimination due to biological issues, while also introducing graded punishments for harm inflicted on them.
Simply put, the fight against corruption in India cannot be left to an institution manned by a handful of officers from the government despite a Lok Pal of impeachable integrity.
In a novel suggestion, A P J Abdul Kalam on Monday favoured that the post of President be brought under the purview of Lokpal.
Appointed the co-chairman of the much-talked about Lokpal Bill panel, former law and justice minister Shanti Bhushan speaks to rediff.com's Onkar Singh on the urgent need of ant-corruption law, why Ramdev finds no place on the committee and more.
According to sources in the government, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is firmly against activist Anna Hazare's demand for formally constituting a joint committee, with representatives from the civil society and the government, to draft a strong anti-corruption bill. Hazare has been on an indefinite fast in New Delhi since Wednesday to press for his demand.Mukherjee has stopped the government from issuing a notification to make the joint committee formal.
Under attack from social activist and anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday quit the Group of Ministers on corruption, saying he does not want to be "associated" with the panel anymore.
As the year draws to a close, Rediff's Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya takes a look at the hits and misses, the highs and lows, the newsmakers and the dealbreakers in alphabetical order.
'I have always broken my image every time I went on screen. I don't know what it means to be a Greek God but people used to call me one.'
A big question mark is on whether Shashi Tharoor, who had led the delegation to the US among other countries, will be picked as speaker by the Congress, as the seasoned Lok Sabha member's enthusiastic endorsement of the government's action following the terror attack has soured his ties with his party.
Malik had served as the 18th governor of Goa between November 3, 2019, and August 18, 2020.
Opposition parties have agreed to the agenda of taking up a special discussion on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor on Monday in Lok Sabha and the next day in Rajya Sabha, brightening up the prospect of normalcy returning to Parliament after the virtual washout of first-week proceedings.
The joint committee of Parliament examining the Waqf (Amendment) Bill submitted its report to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday. The panel adopted the report by a majority vote, with changes suggested by members of the ruling BJP. Opposition members, who submitted dissent notes, called the exercise an attempt to destroy Waqf boards and termed the bill an attack on the constitutional rights of the Muslim community.
'A man who brought about the greatest set of economic reforms in the country, who changed the course of Indian history, cannot be considered weak.' 'A man who fought for nuclear reforms even though his majority in Parliament was threatened, he cannot be considered weak.'
In 2021, the Centre renamed the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. But many wonder, why despite the public sentiment the country's highest civilian honour continues to elude the man who put Indian hockey on the world map.
The parliamentary panel's meetings have become a virtual battleground between the opposition and the ruling party members, who have been vociferously debating the changes to the Waqf Bill proposed by the government.
The parliamentary committee scrutinizing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill has been granted an extension until the last day of the next Budget Session. This decision follows a heated meeting marked by a walkout from opposition members who expressed concerns about the committee's draft report. The committee will visit several states to meet stakeholders and finalize its report.
One fallout of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification will be reflected in the Opposition's role in Parliament and related institutions.
All opposition members of the parliamentary panel on the Waqf Amendment Bill were suspended for a day on Friday amid continuous protests and accusations against Chairman Jagdambika Pal of steam-rolling through the proceedings.
