Once again, the Indian subcontinent is astir with the possibility of change. Over the space of this month, as the Monsoon Session of Parliament winds down, the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of External Affairs are gearing up to showcase their strengths in the neighbourhood. All sides are hoping that India's foreign policy initiatives will be able to rescue the prime minister and the Congress party from the morass of apathy, indecision.
Sri Lanka is facing 'a very serious crisis' that makes India naturally worried, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told an all-party meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday and dismissed suggestions about such a situation arising in India.
An increase in petrol, diesel, domestic cooking gas (LPG) and kerosene prices looks "imminent" after the Finance Ministry said it has no money to provide for fuel subsidy.
"Pranab Mukherjee met me this morning and said the government was in no position to accept a JPC probe," Advani said at a press conference in Parliament House on Wednesday.
The MPs criticised the Shiromani Akali Dal leadership for being in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA even after these bills were proposed by the government.
A Cabinet reshuffle 'is unavoidable', said a top party manager, and indicated it could take place before, or immediately after, the monsoon session of Parliament, likely for four weeks from the beginning of next month, possibly August 7.
Delhi Police has refused permission for Team Anna to hold an indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar from July 25, saying the protest timing coincides with the monsoon session of Parliament when other outfits will also have to be accommodated at the spot.
Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi's daughter M Kanimozhi on Monday took oath as a member of Rajya Sabha on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament.
Shiv Sena member of Parliament Sanjay Raut skipped appearing before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Mumbai on Wednesday for questioning in a money-laundering case, citing his engagement with the ongoing Parliament session in Delhi, sources said.
He hoped parliament would approve the real estate regulator and land acquisition bills in its monsoon session
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has urged Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to allow the Securities and Insurance Laws (Amendment and Validation) Ordinance 2010 to lapse, since it could affect the autonomy of all regulators, including the central bank.
The government can also individually exempt the PSBs, that are to be privatisated from the two Bank Nationalisation Acts. This will bring such lenders under Banking Regulation Act, and make them companies, reports Nikunj Ohri.
The opposition strategy to corner the government on Manipur will continue in the Rajya Sabha as well, the sources said.
In a stinging attack on the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Congress on Monday alleged the government auditor was as much responsible as the Bharatiya Janata Party for the disruption of the just-concluded monsoon session of Parliament on the coal mine allocation issue.
President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday parried questions on the possibility of early Lok Sabha polls saying it depends on how the parties and leaders behave, a statement that comes against the backdrop of the wash out of the monsoon session of Parliament.
Notification after Parliament session; execution ball to be in states' court.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi appeared in a new avatar when she shed her reticence and turned agitated on the opening day of the monsoon session of Parliament on Wednesday.
With the Monsoon Session of Parliament set to begin on April 8, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has been nominated as the leader of the house in the Lok Sabha. He comes in place of President Pranab Mukherjee, who resigned when he contested the presidential election.
Trinamool Congress has named Derek O'Brien as its chief whip in the Rajya Sabha. The party, which is a key constituent of the United Progressive Alliance government, has sent a communication in this regard to the Rajya Sabha secretariat, sources said in New Delhi on Thursday.
'If the business before the House is suspended under Rule 267 it will mean the government has recognised that there is great urgency (to discuss the Manipur violence).' 'Government doesn't want to recognise that at all.'
Another Congress ally, the Rashtriya Lok Dal on Thursday came out in support of yoga guru Baba Ramdev's campaign against black money and corruption, with the latter saying he will put a fresh proposal before the government during the coming monsoon session of Parliament
Seeking to dispel the impression of policy inaction, the government is likely to give a push to pension sector reform by approving changes in the proposed PFRDA Bill so that it can be taken up by Parliament for the passage in the Monsoon session next month.
Narendra Modi government's reform agenda is under threat of washout.
Powerful union ministers ganged up to scuttle the draft Sports Development Bill 2011, which sought to increase transparency in all sporting bodies and federations. The Bill could not be passed in the just-concluded cabinet meeting. Renu Mittal explains why
Former Indian cricket captains Kapil Dev and Mohammed Azharuddin on Tuesday favoured the BCCI becoming a National Sports Federation and falling under the purview of the RTI Act, as proposed in the National Sports (Development) Bill.
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien said the situation in Bihar is one of the reasons behind the Parliament session being cut short by the government.
Against the backdrop of rising protests from farmers over acquisition of their land, the Centre has decided to bring in a new legislation governing the exercise with a focus on farmers' welfare, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said on Saturday.
The Congress' chief whip Jairam Ramesh, said, 'Today, too, the INDIA parties demanded the prime minister's presence in the Rajya Sabha to make a statement on Manipur, to be followed by a discussion.'
Post Nitish's exit, 17 parties plan to meet on Friday to formulate their future course of action. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has invited Sharad Yadav to join them, reports Archis Mohan.
The government is unlikely to raise petrol and diesel prices before the end of the current monsoon session of Parliament and may moderate the hike with a dose of excise duty cut, a top official said on Wednesday.
Congress sources have disclosed that Sonia is probably away from the country, visiting her ailing mother, Paola Maino.
The negotiations on a draft Lokpal Bill on Monday gained momentum with government and civil society members agreeing on a number of basic principles of the proposed law and deciding to meet more often.
Unless ratified by eight states, a Constitutional amendment cannot be signed by the President of India.
Claiming that their recent nationwide strike was a "big success", CPI(M) on Wednesday said it would intensify the struggle against rising prices and would not be deterred by the "politically motivated propaganda" about losses the hartal caused to the nation.
We are going to bring the Bill in the monsoon session of Parliament. About objections of trade unions, I got no representation from them. Nor did they have any discussions with me.
This assumes significance as it comes two days ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament when the Left allies of UPA will be raising the nuclear deal issue.
Unfazed by the President's action in returning the Office of Profit Bill, the government on Wednesday said it will re-present the legislation that seeks to exempt several posts from being considered office of profit in Parliament.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has agreed to attend the second meeting of the UPA co-ordination committee to be held on August 22, sources said.
Government is likely to face stiff opposition on FDI in retail in the Monsoon session of Parliament beginning on August 8.
Under Pressure for quite some time from his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, as well as the rank and file and leaders of the party, Rahul has apparently given the go ahead and agreed to join the Manmohan Singh government as a minister. It is expected that he would become a cabinet minister and may even take oath before the monsoon session of Parliament.
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