'The ethanol blended with petrol programme should not be halted or reconsidered.' 'India is not experiencing a structural sugar shortage, and the ethanol blending roadmap does not compete with food security or drive domestic price increases.'
Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy on Friday claimed that the Congress tried to divert people's attention from coalgate by introducing the reservation bill but failed in its attempt.
Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die, concluding a Budget session marked by the passage of key legislations and the defeat of a Constitution amendment bill on women's reservation. The session saw frequent opposition protests and discussions on various issues, including the West Asia conflict.
An irate woman confronted Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan during a BJP demonstration in Mumbai, blaming him for the traffic chaos caused by the protest over the women's reservation bill. The incident, captured on video, has sparked criticism of the BJP's protest tactics.
'A balance had to be struck between the economic cost of taking action at this point against the need not to fall behind the curve in controlling inflation and anchoring inflation expectations.'
'The made-up stories really angered me. Forget angering me, it actually made me feel, okay, if they want to play this game, let me play along.'
Despite government declaring it as a "top priority," the Women's Reservation Bill is unlikely to come up in the Budget session of Parliament beginning on Thursday.
Opposition members in the Lok Sabha have questioned the government's decision to move a bill to amend the 2023 women's quota law before bringing the principal Act into force.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of being 'anti-women' and obstructing the passage of the women's reservation bill in Lok Sabha. He criticised the TMC's opposition to the bill and defended the BJP's commitment to increasing women's representation in politics.
'For the rest of his tenure, people will start with the assumption that even Modi can be forced to bow down'
With the three-day special sitting of Parliament on the constitution amendment bill related to the implementation of 33 percent reservation for women from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls set to begin on Thursday, a meeting of opposition parties is slated to be held on Wednesday at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed concern over the repeated disruptions of parliamentary proceedings, stating that due to the turmoil in the House, the country has been unable to listen to the talented MPs elected in recent times.
If you do not insulate your retirement corpus from the true cost of modern critical care, you don't have a retirement plan -- you have a fragile strategy waiting for an expensive medical emergency to break it
A savings or current account with no customer-induced transaction for more than 24 months is classified as inoperative.
India's trade deficit reached a six-month high of $31.98 billion in July, driven by a sharp increase in imports, particularly crude oil, electronic goods, coal, and fertilisers. Both merchandise exports and imports recorded their second-highest levels during the same period.
'You cannot run Parliament with 800 MPs as nobody will get time (to speak in Parliament). And Parliament sits for barely 60 days in a year.' 'Look at the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. They have 650 MPs and they sit for 150 days on an average in a year.'
The Indian government has clarified that consumers will not be charged for UPI transactions, and most merchant transactions will also remain free. This comes amidst speculation following an amendment to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. Any future merchant discount rate (MDR) would be nominal, threshold-based, and aimed at ensuring UPI's long-term sustainability and infrastructure development.
'They want to sabotage the caste census and bury Muslim backward classes, Hindu backward classes, Sikh backward classes and Buddhist backward classes.'
The Indian Parliament remains deadlocked as the Opposition, led by the Congress, insists on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reply to discussions on alleged donation theft at the Ram temple in Ayodhya and student protests, rejecting the government's offer for Home Minister Amit Shah to respond.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Monsoon Session of Parliament for 2026 is scheduled from July 20 to August 13, with significant political developments expected following recent assembly poll results and internal party rebellions. The session will see the ruling NDA's strengthened position in the Rajya Sabha and potential redrafting of a key Constitution amendment bill.
India is significantly expanding its crude oil sourcing to Latin America, with Venezuela emerging as a major supplier, as geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz compel the world's third-largest oil consumer to diversify its energy supplies.
As more opposition MPs are now aligning with the ruling NDA, sources in the government indicated that possibilities are being explored to give a fresh push to the delimitation legislation in Parliament.
As with the Women's Bill, so also with the proposed Lok Pal legislation, the exercise is essentially one of grand posturing by all parties, says Neerja Chowdhury.
The article details instances where the Narendra Modi government has yielded to public and political pressure since 2014, leading to policy reversals and ministerial resignations. It highlights the recent resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak, alongside past events like the withdrawal of land acquisition amendments, M.J. Akbar's resignation, the repeal of farm laws, and other policy retreats.
Women MPs toe party lines on Reservation Bill
'Our leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, are in touch with all Opposition parties, including the DMK and the AAP.'
'The Supreme Court stated that once the delimitation plan is approved by Parliament and receives assent of the President, it cannot be undone. Nor can it be modified.'
The BJP-led government in Bihar secured a vote of confidence in the state assembly, with Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary pledging economic development and significant investments. The motion was passed amidst heated debates and accusations between the ruling NDA and the opposition, highlighting political tensions and differing views on issues like women's reservation.
Opposition leaders have criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation, calling it politically motivated and a misuse of official platforms during ongoing elections.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP-led central government of using the proposed amendment to the women's quota law as a front for the Delimitation Bill, which she claims will divide the country. She asserted that her party will fight this move at every step.
Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav had the entire Lok Sabha in splits on Thursday as he pleaded his case against the Women's Reservation Bill passed by the Rajya Sabha. "Congress members are telling me, 'please save us as we are being made to sign on our death certificates by supporting this legislation'," he said while speaking briefly on the Bill. In a speech full of sarcasm, he even dubbed the Bill as an onion that will bring tears to the eyes of the members.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced a significant increase in Lok Sabha seats for the five southern states following delimitation, countering misinformation and clarifying the timeline for women's reservation implementation.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has assured the Vidhan Sabha that discrepancies in electricity bills following smart meter installations will be addressed. The government also plans to amend regulations to curb excessive fees charged by private schools.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed BJP workers after the party's performance in assembly elections, urging an end to political violence in West Bengal and a focus on the state's future.
The Congress party has accused the government of using women's reservation as a pretext to push through delimitation, arguing that the women's quota law should be implemented immediately based on the current Lok Sabha strength.
The Monsoon session of Parliament is expected to begin on July 20 and last for three weeks. Key political developments, including recent election victories and party rebellions, are set to influence the session, alongside the government's redrafting of a significant Constitution amendment bill concerning women's reservation and Lok Sabha seats.
The BJP and opposition parties are engaged in a political battle over the implementation of the Women's Reservation Act, with the BJP defending it as historic and the opposition accusing the government of delaying its notification and using it to push an unconstitutional delimitation exercise.
