Press Council Chief Justice Markandey Katju on Saturday urged Parliament to refer the Lokpal Bill to a Standing Committee for further consideration so that a workable corruption investigation machinery can be created. In its present state, the Bill can create a parallel bureaucracy that could turn into a "Frankenstein monster" and double or triple corruption, he said in a statement.
The government has agreed to the Parliamentary Standing Committee's recommendation against treating 16 years as the age of consent for girls and classifying sexual acts with children aged 16 to 18 years as consensual. Such acts, feels the committee, should be treated as offences.
Government on Thursday said it was "irrevocably" committed to making the proposed Lokpal a constitutional authority, criticising attempts by some people to "mislead" the nation on this issue.
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.
Civil society groups welcome the submission of a memorandum opposing Aadhaar and other anti-people policies to the prime minister along with a big truckload of signatures numbering 3.57 crore on March 14, says Gopal Krishna
The new Companies Bill, which was first introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2008, seeks to give a fillip to the cause of corporate social responsibility and corporate governance.
The revelation was made by ISI officials during a three-hour briefing behind closed doors for the Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production on Thursday.
The Budget session of Parliament started Monday with the President's address.
'People have realised they bought into the prime minister's package and it is empty.'
Low margins and cash crunch have resulted in job cuts and a decline in the insurance industry. A policy roadblock is making it worse.
Concerned over huge revenues in form of customs, services and excise duties locked up in litigations, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has constituted a committee to suggest steps to bring down such cases.
A group of veteran Communist Party of China (CPC) members have written to Hu asking for the sacking of leading politician Zhou Yongkang, who is the ninth member of the all powerful Standing Committee of politburo of the party, which rules the country, BBC reported.
The committee's objections are a curious mixture; some attack the very basis of the project, others question its implementation.
The committee's objections are a curious mixture; some attack the very basis of the project, others question its implementation.
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill, 2011, provides for market based returns and wide coverage based on several investment options in the pension sector with an aim to building confidence in the subscribers.
Lashing out at Abhishek Singhvi on the draft Lokpal Bill, Team Anna on Wednesday accused the Congress leader of disrespecting Parliament by going against its commitment of including lower bureaucracy and Citizens' Charter in the ambit of the ombudsman.
With a host of chief ministers attacking the Centre's creation of an anti-terror body, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday stepped into the picture assuring them that states' powers will not be affected and asking Home Minister P Chidambaram to hold talks with them.
This means taxpayers might continue to enjoy exemption on maturity of their investments
Overturning its two key decisions within a day, the Parliamentary panel examining the Lokpal Bill on Thursday favoured exclusion of group C officials from Lokpal and not to tamper with the present selection process of Central Bureau of Investigation director despite opposition by at least 10 members.
The Standing Committee on Finance, which met under the chairmanship of senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, has decided to finalise its report by March 2, enabling Parliament to consider the ambitious reforms in direct tax regime.
Amid sharp differences in the Parliamentary Committee examining the Lokpal Bill on a variety of issues including bringing Prime Minister under its ambit, panel chairman Abhishek Singhvi has called a fresh meeting on Thursday evening.
The panel of Parliament examining the Direct Taxes Code (DTC) Bill has almost finalised its recommendations. It wants more taxpayer-friendly measures.
Team Anna on Tuesday expressed disappointment over the exclusion of lower bureaucracy and the Criminal Bureau of Investigation's probe wing from under the Lokpal's purview in the draft report of Parliamentary Standing Committee, but opposed bringing private NGOs and the media under its ambit. Reacting to the panel's draft report, activist Arvind Kejriwal sought to remind the government of the Parliamentary resolution that led to Anna Hazare ending his fast on August 28.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee going into the Lokpal Bill has recommended keeping the judiciary and the MPs' conduct in the House out of its purview and rejected the demand for hiving off the anti-corruption wing of the Central Bureau of Investigation to come under its jurisdiction.
A senior Bangladesh lawmaker has pointed a finger at former premier Begum Khaleda Zia, claiming that she played a role in a failed coup to overthrow Sheikh Hasina's government with the help of retired and serving army officials.
Consensus on the inclusion of the prime minister under the ambit of Lokpal eluded a Parliamentary panel scrutinising the bill even as it prepares to circulate a draft report of the recommendations to the members in the next few days.
Sources close to Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi allege that the sex CD is part of a political conspiracy to tarnish him and ensure that he is not a candidate for ministership in the reshuffle. Renu Mittal reports
Team Anna on Tuesday met senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj to lobby for the party's support for inclusion of lower bureaucracy, judiciary and Central Bureau of Intelligence under the purview of proposed Lokpal.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour has also suggested that branches and centres of employment exchanges be opened in every district post office where pass-outs can register themselves easily.
Congress member of Parliament from Bareilly Praveen Singh Aron has submitted Anna Hazare's Jan Lokpal Bill for consideration before Parliament's Standing Committee which is examining the government's version of the legislation.
Pakistan has said disputes, which are holding back regional cooperation must be resolved and the South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation should help create amity, understanding and cooperation on the basis of "enlightened self-interest of the peoples" of South Asia.
In an extraordinary step, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence on Monday decided to call the three service chiefs to give an account of the state of preparedness of the forces against the backdrop of Army Chief Gen V K Singh speaking of shortages and deficiencies.
Team Anna met the members of the Standing Committee of Parliament headed by Abhishek Singvi on Friday to discuss the Jan Lokpal Bill and pressed for as many as 34 fresh additions to the proposed Lokpal Bill that have already been incorporated in the Uttarakhand Lokayukata Bill. They renewed their demand that constitutional amendments bringing violation of citizens' charter and conduct of legislators in Parliament within the purview of the Lokpal also be introduced.
A Parliamentary Standing Committee has pulled up the government for mere lip service to the recommendations of the Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee it had itself constituted in 2005 to study the status of Muslims in India.
'The government must provide more funds to enable the armed forces to fight and win tomorrow's wars,' states Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd).
Activist Aruna Roy on Thursday night questioned political parties for raising objections to the provision of setting up of Lokayuktas in the Lokpal Bill, saying they did not oppose such a move earlier.
Gandhi said the BJP had actually committed itself to supporting Constitutional status to Lokpal in the Standing Committee deliberations.
But, govt plans to bring some provisions that can't wait.
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