The budget session of Parliament began on Monday with an address by president Pranab Mukherjee. Economic Survey will be presented on February 27 and Railway Budget on February 26. The budget
The land acquisition bill to replace an ordinance has been introduced in Lok Sabha on Tuesday despite opposition crying foul. The government had promulgated the ordinance making significant changes
Social activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday took the fight against land acquisition bill to the parliament by holding farmers rally near parliament building. Addressing the rally he ask
While the government keeps a brave face on land acquisition bill even as it tries to open a window of accommodation, the BJP has formed a committee to look into farmer`s concerns. Pa
It was an inauspicious start to the railway budget presentation in parliament on Thursday morning. Led by Congress president Sonia Gandhi the opposition parties stalled parliamentary business over
Prime minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that "if there is anything against farmers in land acquisition bill, the government is ready to change it". Speaking on motion o
In parliament on Monday, the Congress party raised what it called ‘Snoopgate-2 , the alleged espionage of its vice president Rahul Gandhi by Delhi police. On March 12, Delhi po
Temperatures are going to rise both outside parliament and inside. Lok Sabha resumed its budget session after a break and Rajya Sabha sitting is from Aril 23. The debate over land bill is going to
The land acquisition bill (The Right to Fair Compensation, Transparency, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015) may rewrite legislative history even as the parliament saw a re
The contentious land bill, officially known as Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, is meeting stiff opposition from all most secti
Parliament is set for confrontation between the Opposition-led by Congress and the government. The Narendra Modi government will be hauled up over Vyapam scam and Lalit Modi episode. External affai
The monsoon session of the parliament began on Tuesday. Even though the government is willing the opposition is not ready to allow the session to proceed smoothly. At the parliament
After a privilege motion is moved in parliament it is left to the presiding officer to take a decision of its reference to the privileges committee of the house. In case of Robert Vadra also these
Parliamentary majority does not give anyone a license to escape accountability, said Sonia Gandhi on Monday morning and dashed to ground any hopes the government was harbouring on resumption of bus
Will the Congress return to the parliamentary business now? A special court on Wednesday allowed the issuance of a non bailable warrant against Lalit Modi in a money laundering case. With this warr
When she finally got a chance to speak, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj chose to be dramatic and displayed emotions that are normally not seen in parliament. Making a stateme
India woke up today to another day of uncertainty and ceaseless cacophony created by the politicians. Television screens screamed that today is last day of parliament`s monsoon session and no legis
The Rajya Sabha worked for just over nine hours of the 17-day session monsoon session of parliament, which ended today. Key legislation like the goods and services tax bill is pending in the RS.
In a tribute to BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian constitution, the parliament is having a special sitting today and tomorrow (Thursday and Friday), marking Constitution Day. The two-day eve
Union parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said political parties must reach a conclusion on the long-pending women`s reservation bill and attacked the Congress over the allege
In a mellowed tone that reflected the reality of current political situation, prime minister Narendra Modi today said that consensus was a democracy’s greatest strength and cooperation empowe
The Congress has decided it will not obstruct non-contentious legislative business in parliament but strongly raise issues of public importance in both houses. A Congress strategy meeting chaired b
The path his government has chosen is one that uses common sense to solve problems, declared prime minister Narendra Modi today. Making it clear that there is no one right way to ma
In the past five years, almost Rs. 10,000 crore has been spent on rural sanitation with not much to show for results, says a report of the Comptroller and Audit General of India (CAG). It was table
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is set to make a statement in both houses of Parliament today on her two-day visit to Pakistan and the resumption of bilateral talks. “I will make a st
The Central government will today introduce the Bankruptcy Bill in the Parliament. The Bill when enacted will improve ease of doing business in India. The Rajya Sabha, which has passed only one Bil
Prime minister Narendra Modi has advised the members of parliament to sit for one more day in the session to discuss development issues. Addressing the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Modi said that there s
The government of India has tabled the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016 in the Lok Sabha. The proposed legislation seeks to give a lega
The Rajya Sabha witnessed the kind of debate it has not seen at least in recent decades as it took up for consideration the Aadhaar bill on Wednesday. Essentially, the opposition in the upper
Right to privacy is one of the hotly debated issues when the matter of Aadhaar comes up. On Wednesday, initiating a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the Aadhaar bill, finance minister Arun Jaitley
Jairam Ramesh of the Congress led the opposition attack on the government during the discussion on the Aadhaar bill in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, putting finance minister Arun Jaitley in an emba
After snubbing the finance minister in Rajya Sabha, Jairam Ramesh of
I assume that you already have an Aadhaar number. After all, 98 crore Indians have it. Why won’t you? And if you haven’t, it is time. The Aadhaar bill cleared by parliament on March 16
Before making an investment, an investor has to consider not only the best-case scenario but also the worst-case scenario – unless a unit is allowed to close down properly if the business goe
There is a very disturbing news report about the entire political spectrum agreeing that RTI is misused and some constrictions and impediments should be developed to muzzle it. This is indeed a sad
In what can only be described as rarest of rare case in Indian parliamentary history, the Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University Bill was passed by both the houses on Wednesday. Not just t
According to a recent news report published by a prominent national daily, some newly elected MLAs in West Bengal were being required by their leaders to sign an oath of allegiance to their politic
Ili, 14, is out on the street busy canvassing for her 10-year old friend Naila Ayaz, who is a candidate for a unique children’s parliament. Just like seasoned politicians, they make promises
Voting to elect 27 Rajya Sabha members is underway across seven states as the ruling BJP is hoping to increase its numbers in the upper house of Parliament to enable it to push key legislations.
In India, till recently, the complex crime of trafficking was addressed through multiple laws. For example, while the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (ITPA) sought to punish traffickers for
Amnesty International India has released an investigative report on how mining operations by India`s largest coal producing state-owned Coal India Limited has violated the rights of adivasis.
A combative Congress will raise issues like the ongoing violence in Kashmir and the fiasco of India’s unsuccessful attempt to join the Nuclear Supplier’s Group [NSG] in the monsoon sess
The Lokpal law that was enacted after decades of debate and demand for an anti-corruption institution was dealt a severe blow as an amendment bill was introduced and passed by parliament in l
Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, 2015, the legislation for tackling the problem of black money in the country has been passed by the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. T
The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed The Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014 (GST), ending years of political wrangling and raucousness. GST is ess
The disruptions in the Rajy Sabha are attributable to a mismatch between the power of the Rajya Sabha in being able to check and balance government, and its composition, which is entirely political
Justice TS Thakur, Chief justice of India. Dear Sir, I am writing this letter in the spirit of seeking an improvement in the working of the judiciary, and not as an exe
Now that the rail budget has chugged into history, the spotlight needs to be turned on the annual financial statement in Article 112 of the Constitution of India – better known as the general
The Central Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2016, which facilitates levy of tax on intra-state supply of goods or services, and the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2016 that facilitates
“It’s a war; it’s a mahayajnya. You have to decide on whose side you are.” -- M Venkaiah Naidu, in parliament on November 17 In
While the nation struggles to adapt to changes since demonetisation, foreign media has been widely covering the Narendra Modi government’s move and the public’s response.
What Sitaram Yechury of CPM said during the demonetisation debate in the Rajya Sabha on November 16 (mildly edited and truncated for clarity): [...] If you don’t
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and finance minister Arun Jaitley sparred over demonetization in parliament on Thursday. Manmohan spoke of the “monumental management failure” in im
Remember the Lokpal? The one-point panacea for all corruption and black money. It is a law, on the statute book. And while the government has launched a surgical strike against black money that has
On November 8, the Government of India announced its decision to pull high-value currency notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 denomination out of circulation, with immediate effect. A detailed procedure
President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday emphasised on the need to avoid disruption of parliamentary proceedings. He said that while three Ds are essential in a parliamentary system of democracy i.e.
Kerala Governor P. Sathasivam, who is a former chief justice of India, has suggested that an amendment in the Protection of Human Rights (PHR) Act will make National Human Rights Commission (
At the beginning of the session, 19 bills were listed for consideration and passage; none of these were passed. Out of the nine bills listed for introduction, three were introduced. Only two bills
There’s a lot of mud-slinging going on after prime minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on his predecessor Manmohan Singh: “Only Dr Sahab knows the art of taking bath in the bathr
The inherent misogyny and patriarchy in the political class has prevented Indian women from getting a fair share in running the parliament and legislative assemblies in the largest democracy of the
The government has told the supreme court that the Lokpal cannot be appointed because the 2013 law needs several amendments, which will be taken up only in the monsoon session. The N
Road accidents are possibly the biggest invisible killers, claiming more lives than terrorism, cancer or any other factor. In 2015, there were about five lakh road accidents in India, which killed
After an intense seven-hour-long debate in the Lok Sabha, the cabinet gave a nod to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill. A green signal has also been given to the four crucial supplementary
Law and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday said that the interim orders of the supreme court on Aadhaar delivered in 2015 are meant for an "interim arrangement" and "it
Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda feels that coffee would go well with the conversation we are about to have in the elegant, wood-panelled study of his Delhi house. “Do people drink coffee in
At its most basic level the union budget is a laundry list of the government’s projected receipts and expenditure – just like a typical household budget. But it is a document which all
In 2016, 38 bills were enacted in parliament. During that year, on average, the time spent on legislative debate (without interruptions) was 23 percent in the Lok Sabha and 16 percent in the Rajya
The major reason for high level of pollution in river Yamuna is inadequate flow due to over extraction of surface and ground water and discharge of untreated effluent, union minister Vijay Go
In one of those little paradoxes, the parliamentarians’ pays and perks are decided by nobody other than they themselves. Feroze Varun Gandhi, the BJP MP from Sultanpur who has been champion
The Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017 has been referred to a joint parliamentary committee for examination and presenting a report to the parliament.
For the first time in our history, India has the opportunity to wipe out poverty. If India is able to lift another 350 million people out of poverty by 2030, it would be an achievement that t
Strict consumer rights protection bill will be tabled in the next session of parliament for protection of consumer’s rights, said CR Chaudhary, minister of state for consumer affairs.
Women’s groups have sought the passage of the women’s reservation bill in the winter session of parliament. According to The National Alliance for Women’s Reservation Bi
The winter session of parliament this year is going to be from December 15 to January 5, which will result in fewer sittings and impact legislative productivity. When parliament meet
The government on Thursday said that provisions of the Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017 (FRDI Bill) were meant to protect interests of depositors. The FRDI Bill
The winter session of parliament is starting and I am confident that it will be productive session, said prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday. He hoped that there is “constru
There were 320 Central Public Sector Enterprises in the country, the parliament was informed. Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan said that the total investment therein was Rs. 11,71,84
The members nominated to the Rajya Sabha have time and again failed to be effective parliamentarians – and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar is no exception. Tendulkar, a Bharat Ratna
The budget estimate (BE) for disinvestment during the year 2017-18 is Rs.72,500 crore, parliament was informed. Union minister Subhash Bhamre said that this comprised Rs.46,500 crore
Members of parliament are angling for a 100 percent hike in their salary. The Lok Sabha’s committee on salary and allowances has called a meeting on January 12 where it is like
A Model Contract Farming Act is now at the final stage to help farmers enter into pre-season price agreement on their produce, parliament was informed. Union minister Radha Mohan Sin
The partition happened due to the wrong policies of the Congress party, said prime minister Narendra Modi who called for building a new India. In the reply to the Motion of Thanks to
Listen, O! Lord: Standing things shall fall, That which moves shall stay… As prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday walked across the aisle to reach
On February 8, 2018, V. Vijaysai Reddy, MP (YSR Congress) of Andhra Pradesh asked the prime minister in the Rajya Sabha about the existence of the CIC`s order, the Cabinet Secretariat`s circu
The constitution of India has been amended 101 times so far, parliament was informed. Union minister PP Chaudhary said that there is no proposal to review the working of the constitu
A Bill seeks to have private participation in production and distribution of seed to ensure the availability of quality seeds among the farmers, parliament was informed. Union minist
It was nearly midnight at a small ground in Aminabad of Lucknow, and an enthusiastic crowd was waiting for VP Singh. This was in 1988, after the Bofors scandal had blown up in the face of prime min
The Electricity (Amendment) Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2014 has been pending for well over four years. The ongoing monsoon session is the last chance for the current government to pass the
The central government is set to present a complex and comprehensive report of its revenues and expenditures throughout the financial year in the budget address on February 1. Modi led NDA governme
The beginning of its historic 250th session gave the upper house of parliament an opportunity to take stock of its past and its future, the challenges ahead and the ways to meet them.
The Constituent Assembly completed its task and the final draft of the Constitution was adopted on November 26, 1949. On the seventieth anniversary of the occasion, the government is set to launch
Home minister Amit Shah on Monday introduced in the Lok Sabha the Citizenship Amendment Bill, triggering a long-ranging debate on the ideas of India, with the opposition parties claiming it was reg
After a day-long debate which often turned acrimonious, the Lok Sabha has passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019, seeking to provide citizenship to non-Muslims from three neighbouring countri
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 has been cleared by parliament, as the Upper House on Wednesday passed the legislation that seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from three neighbo
Three points of common perception emerge when we talk of interruptions of parliamentary proceedings: first, the interruption is waste of public time and money; second, it results in failure on the
The budget season is here, and the annual document has gone to print, beginning the lock-in period till its presentation in parliament on February 1. The Halwa ceremony, marking the
For more than three-fourths of known economic history, India has been the dominant financial power globally. During much of this dominance, the economy relied on the invisible hand of the market fo
The Economic Survey, tabled in parliament Friday by minister for finance and corporate affairs Nirmala Sitharaman, devotes a section on what it calls Thalinomics – an attempt to quantify what
Presenting the first union budget of the third decade of the century, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday unveiled a series of far-reaching reforms, aimed at energizing the Indian econo
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the union budget for 2020-21 on Friday, providing significant relief in particular to middle-class taxpayers. Here are the main proposals related to ta
“Our prime minister has laid before us ‘Ease of Living’ as a goal to be achieved on behalf of all citizens,” said minister for finance Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting th
Prime minister Narendra Modi has announced in parliament the cabinet decision to form a trust to oversee the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, as ordered by the supreme court.
Recognising the importance of election manifestos, the supreme court directed the election commission (EC) of India to frame guidelines directly governing the contents of the election manifestos in
According to the “lesser of two evils” principle, whenever we have to choose among two evils, we should go for the lesser one. Flawed election systems provide voters such a limited choi
As parliament on Monday commenced its special session amid the raging Covid-19 pandemic, prime minister Narendra Modi underlined the importance of debate in the house, saying that it is “bene
Laying the foundation stone of the new parliament building on Thursday, prime minister Narendra Modi said it is an intrinsic part of the vision of ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ and will be a la
Coming down heavily on the NDA government for ignoring parliamentary processes, Ghanshyam Tiwari, national spokesperson, Samajwadi Party, has said that there have been more Sundays than working day
The committee of experts appointed by the supreme court to deliberate with the stakeholders on the new farm laws held its first meeting here Tuesday, with one of its members saying that all stakeho
As the budget session of parliament commenced on Friday amid the coronavirus pandemic as well as the farmers protests, prime minister Narendra Modi urged fellow parliamentarians to make “full
Parliament last year passed three laws relating to agriculture. They offer three basic freedoms to farmers; first, the freedom to sell the produce anywhere they like; second, the freedom to store i
India’s effective handling of the Covid-19 pandemic is not the success of an individual or a party but is the success of the nation and should be celebrated as such, prime minister Narendra M
Prime minister Narendra Modi has described the farmer protest as genuine (“pavitra”), while blaming other activists – “Andolanjeevis” – for hijacking it and givi
In a scathing attack on the government, PawanKhera, national spokesperson of the Congress party, has said that the BJP is remote-controlled by RSS, an unregistered organisation that decides who the
Criticising the centre for pushing through the 127th Constitutional Amendment, restoring to the states the power to prepare their own OBC lists, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has sa
Agriculture economist Vijay Sardana has said that middlemen have been siphoning off farmers’ interests, and the repeal of the three farm laws that were brought in to minimise the exploitation
Droupadi Murmu became the 15th president of India, when Chief Justice N. V. Ramana administered the oath of office to her in the Central Hall of parliament on Monday. In her address to the nation o
Effective legislation addressing sustainability is critical for the implementation of India’s sustainability goals. The government planned to introduce a total of 16 new bills and consider se
Who Cares About Parliament: Speaking Up to Protect India’s Great Institution By Derek O’Brien Rupa / 224 pages / Rs 395
A function was organised in the Central Hall of Parliament on Tuesday to commemorate the rich legacy of the Parliament of India as the Members came together to bid adieu to the historical building
As many as 240 bills were introduced in the 17th Lok Sabha, and 222 of them were passed, while 11 bills were withdrawn and 6 bills remain pending; 1 bill was assented. During this Lok Sabha, on ave
The people of the country have given the BJP-led NDA a chance for the third time, and with this, “our responsibility increases threefold", prime minister Narendra Modi said ahead of the
Addressing the first joint session of parliament after the elections to the 18th Lok Sabha, president Droupadi Murmu said she was confident that every moment of Parliament will be fully utilised an
“People of India have wholeheartedly supported and blessed our government’s efforts to serve the country over the past 10 years,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the Rajya Sa
