The extended Winter session of Parliament got off a stormy start on Wednesday with uproar over the Telangana and caste-reservation issue stalling proceedings.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has launched an integrated audit across 32 states and Union Territories to assess the ease of doing business for the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday criticized the opposition, accusing them of trying to control Parliament through disruptions and chaos for their own political gain. Modi, addressing reporters ahead of the Winter Session, said those rejected by the people 80-90 times were resorting to hooliganism. He highlighted the BJP's recent electoral victories in Maharashtra and Haryana, asserting that the people are observing the opposition's actions and will punish them at the appropriate time. Modi emphasized the importance of healthy debate in Parliament and lamented the disregard for democracy by some opposition members.
In terms of MLA salaries, Odisha is followed by Telangana (about Rs 2.7 lakh), Maharashtra (Rs 2.6 lakh), Manipur (Rs 2.5 lakh), and Uttar Pradesh (Rs 2.4 lakh).
The Joint Parliamentary Committee report on 2G spectrum scam, which was to have been tabled in Lok Sabha on September 30 is further delayed until the Winter Session of Parliament.
The Congress-led grouping has some reasons to feel emboldened over recent political developments.
Seeking to put a lid on speculation, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Thursday said the bill for creation of the new state of Telangana, bifurcating Andhra Pradesh, will be tabled in the winter session of Parliament starting on December five.
A Delhi court has declined to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) complaint against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others in the National Herald case, citing the absence of a First Information Report (FIR).
With the Department of Telecom asking mobile phone makers to pre-install Sanchar Saathi application in new handsets, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday described it as a 'snooping app' and alleged that the government is turning the country into a dictatorship.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has invited his deputy D K Shivakumar for a breakfast meeting to discuss the leadership row, amid an ongoing power struggle within the state's Congress party.
The Centre's move on Chandigarh has raised the hackles of various parties in Punjab, with Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal terming it as a "direct attack" on Punjab's identity and constitutional rights.
Parliament lost over 106 hours during the month-long Winter session which was marred by turmoil over issues like FDI and quota in promotions, but managed to pass some key legislations including banking reforms bill.
The insurance Bill seeks to increase the cap on shareholding of foreign investors
This has been our history of good governance: Things that were difficult to do and required planning and implementation were first taken up and then abandoned, notes Aaakr Patel.
The winter session of Parliament on Thursday got off on a stormy note with the first day getting washed out over foreign direct investment in retail even as an effort by Trinamool Congress to bring the no-confidence motion flopped due to lack of requisite numbers.
Taking a dig at the Congress over frequent disruptions in the Rajya Sabha, Jaitley said, "Those who claim the legacy of Panditji must ask themselves the question, what kind of history are they making."
According to data collated by think-tank PRS Legislative Research, productivity of Parliament during the session was the 'third lowest' in the 16th Lok Sabha.
The session started on December 15 ended on January 5.
Sonia Gandhi criticizes the Modi government's environmental policies, claiming they endanger the Aravalli hills and disregard environmental protection.
Congress insists on Modi's apology for his claim that Manmohan Singh colluded with Pak to influence Guj polls.
The winter session of Parliament beginning on Thursday is expected to be a stormy affair, with the opposition set to raise the 'intolerance' issue.
In a measured but scathing attack, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of committing a 'big sin' by creating a controversy over Vande Mataram and claimed that the government pushed for a debate on the national song as the West Bengal assembly polls were approaching.
The Indian government reveals that the United States has deported over 18,000 Indian nationals since 2009, with a focus on human trafficking investigations and concerns over the treatment of deportees.
The impasse over the demand for a joint parliamentary committee probe into 2G spectrum allocation disrupted the Question Hour in Parliament for the 22nd day on Monday as both government and the opposition stuck to their positions.
A ministerial committee has been set up to propose a suitable legislation or amend existing penal provisions, which would make instantaneous triple talaq an offence, government functionaries said on Tuesday.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday challenged Home Minister Amit Shah to debate with him on his three press conferences in which the Congress leader alleged 'vote chori' by the Bharatiya Janata Party in collusion with the Election Commission.
According to the Centre's legislative business list for the upcoming session, three bills have also been listed to replace three ordinances.
The ruling party has indicated willingness to discuss opposition-sponsored motions on 'intolerance'; Jaitley has also shown willingness to accommodate concerns on GST
Pitching for the safe passage of Communal Violence Bill in the current session of Parliament, Minorities Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan on Thursday said it is not a divisive bill and efforts are on to arrive at a consensus on the issue.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare said on Friday he will start a 'satyagraha' in New Delhi on the first day of winter session, for the passage of Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament.
Ahead of the Parliament session, the government will hold a meeting with leaders of all parties on Sunday to brief them and hear their views, amid an intense buzz on whether it will have some surprise item up its sleeve during the five-day sitting.
The Centre, after the repeal of the farm Acts, may bring in another important piece of legislation concerning farmers in the form of the long-pending Seeds Bill. This will be in the ogoing winter session of Parliament. Sources said the draft Seeds Bill, in the way it was prepared in 2019, sought to overcome several of the shortcomings of the Seeds Bill of 2004, which was proposed to replace the Seeds Act of 1966. However, the 2004 Bill could not be cleared owing to deficiencies in it.
With tempers rising on intolerance, it will be hard to run House proceedings.
The winter session that begins on Thursday is likely to be a stormy with the Opposition stacking up a lot of ammunition to attack the government and it could be visible from day one.
The United Progressive Alliance government on Tuesday extended the Winter session Parliament to pass four crucial anti-corruption bills -- the Lokpal Bill, the Citizens' Charter Bill, the Judicial Accountability Bill and the Whistleblowers' Bill.
The winter session of Parliament usually starts from the last week of November or the first week of December, while the budget session starts from the last week of January and the Union Budget is tabled on February 1.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will also hold a meeting with leaders of all political parties on Wednesday evening to seek their cooperation in proper functioning of the House.
The unusual timing of the session has left everyone wondering, even though the main standout feature on the listed agenda is a special discussion on Parliament's journey of 75 years starting from the "Samvidhan Sabha" (Constituent Assembly).
Keeping in mind performance as well as Rahul Gandhi's all-important mission UP, government may see some members promoted and others cut down to size, reports Renu Mittal.
The proposals are mostly based on a report submitted by Justice B N Srikrishna in July 2018. The draft Bill has since gone through at least two updates based on inputs received from industry, report Yuvraj Malik and Peerzada Abrar.
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