The Lok Sabha will debate the 150th anniversary of 'Vande Mataram' and electoral reforms after an all-party agreement, potentially breaking the logjam over discussions on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Indian government is reportedly developing new proposals to increase Lok Sabha seats by 50 per cent across all states. This initiative aims to address concerns from southern states regarding potential political power reduction due to population-based delimitation, while also facilitating the operationalisation of the women's quota law before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
The Lok Sabha stalemate is expected to conclude as Speaker Om Birla has secured an agreement from all political parties to discuss the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill 2026. This bill proposes stricter punishments, including up to 10 years in jail and a Rs 50 lakh fine, for paper leak offences, following recent nationwide student protests over the NEET fiasco.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju met Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to discuss resolving the persistent deadlock in the Lok Sabha's monsoon session, focusing on the Delimitation Bill and FCRA Bill, though no immediate commitment was secured from the Congress leader.
Parliament proceedings were stalled for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday as loud protests by an unrelenting opposition over the NEET paper leak and demand for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation reverberated in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, leading to adjournment of the two Houses for the day without transacting any business.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has accused the Opposition of setting pre-conditions for a debate on the critical NEET paper leak issue, stating that the government is ready for a comprehensive discussion.
India's Monsoon Session of Parliament concluded with significantly low productivity, marked by frequent disruptions and protests from the Opposition, primarily the Congress, leading to minimal debate on key legislation.
Relentless protests by Opposition parties forced the adjournment of the Lok Sabha for the day after the passage of the Bankers' Books Evidence Bill without a debate on Wednesday, with the government accusing them of coming to the House to disrupt proceedings and not for discussion.
Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh has appealed for peace and dialogue amid the nationwide protests over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, urging people to work towards an amicable solution.
The Congress-led Opposition is set to keep the pressure on the government in Parliament over the alleged police brutality against protesting students, demanding action against those responsible for the assault and an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said on Sunday.
In a state known for high political literacy and ideological mobilisation, the Congress' inability to quickly settle on a leader after securing a massive mandate has fed a narrative that the party remains excessively dependent on Delhi, deeply faction-ridden and vulnerable to internal sabotage
Will the current session of the Lok Sabha, which is witnessing turmoil due to Bhartiya Janta Party's demand for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation over the Coalgate, get adjourned sine die? As the deadlock between the United Progressive Alliance and BJP continues, the adjournment of the Lok Sabha sine die seems to be the only option left, notes Sheela Bhatt.
Cracks appeared in the opposition ranks as some parties showed willingness to participate in the budget debate, while the government insisted on equal speaking opportunities for all members amidst ongoing disruptions.
Amid continuous disruptions by Opposition members, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has convened an all-party meeting on Thursday to discuss better functioning of the Lok Sabha, proceedings of which have been virtually washed out in the monsoon session so far.
Opposition MPs, including members of the Congress party, staged a protest in the Parliament House complex over the India-US trade agreement, controversy surrounding former Army chief MM Naravane's unpublished memoir, and the suspension of eight MPs.
The Monsoon session of Parliament concluded after facing disruptions and protests over the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. Despite the disruptions, the government managed to pass key legislations.
The government rejected the Opposition's demand for a discussion on electoral roll revision in Bihar, citing that the matter is sub judice and pending before the judiciary.
The government is likely to push for the passage of the National Sports Governance Bill in the Lok Sabha, despite ongoing parliamentary disruptions due to opposition protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Other bills are also listed for consideration.
Vociferous protests by Opposition members led by the Congress continued in the Lok Sabha.
Parliament remained deadlocked for the sixth day on Tuesday as Bharatiya Janata Party stuck to its demand for resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the coal block allocation issue.
Opposition alliance INDIA on Thursday boycotted a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Rajya Sabha to protest Prime Minister Narendra Modi not making a statement on Manipur violence in Parliament, a senior leader said.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the opposition parties are only reflecting the sentiments of the people of Manipur and of the country.
As soon as Lok Sabha assembled, opposition members stormed into the well holding placards and shouting slogans. They demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the alleged stock manipulation by the Adani Group.
The government and opposition parties on Monday reached an agreement to break the impasse in Parliament with dates announced for discussions on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
The delay in finalising a seat allocation agreement among the Maha Vikas Aghadi allies for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections has ignited concerns among smaller constituents as the nomination process commenced on Tuesday.
A party source said most of the leaders, however, are hoping that Gandhi will continue to lead the party as the Nehru-Gandhi family acts as a "glue" that binds the party together.
Leader of the Lok Sabha and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has invited leaders of all parties for a luncheon meeting to discuss a way out to end the impasse in Parliament as both Houses have not been able to transact any business since the winter session commenced.
According to an agreement reached after the telephonic conversation between Priyanka Gandhi and Yadav, the Congress has now got seats such as Sitapur and Barabanki.
Sources said so far 89 hours have been wasted in the ongoing session which started on July 19 and is scheduled to conclude on August 13.
After hectic parleys and much back and forth with the INDIA bloc allies, the Congress also ended up going into the polls with its original plan of largely going solo.
With the fourth and fifth lists, the party has declared candidates on 88 of the 90 seats.
The veteran parliamentarian gave vent to his pain and anguish soon after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House for the day amid trading of charges between the government and the Opposition on smooth functioning of proceedings.
A week after suspending them from the House for 'unruly' behaviour, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday revoked the suspension of four Congress members, after seeking assurance from the Opposition that they will not bring placards to the House.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah asked the opposition on Monday to allow a debate on the Manipur issue to begin in Parliament but the deadlock persisted in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha as both sides refused to budge from their stand, with Congress and its allies insisting on a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi first.
The renowned education reformist said the end of the hunger strike is the beginning of the new phase of the ongoing agitation.
Addressing a press conference, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said efforts are being made since the last few days that a 'formula' or middle path is found with both the Opposition and the government relenting.
A new cabinet in the state will be in place in the next 48-72 hours.
The tug-of-war between government and the Opposition over a joint parliamentary committee probe into the 2G spectrum case showed no sign of ending on Tuesday, with Parliament adjourning for the day due to protests from opposition parties. The Opposition protests in the Lok Sabha, however, appeared to be losing steam, as decibel levels remained considerably low compared to the previous week.
With the Opposition adamant on the cancellation of coal blocks, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday deliberated with the party top brass in the midst of the logjam in Parliament. Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal was also called for the Congress Core Committee meeting and so were Law Minister Salman Khurshid and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal.
The National Democratic Alliance government is keen on the passage of the Insurance Bill before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US to send out a message that economic reforms are back on track in India. Anita Katyal reports
