News Analysis India

Tag: Parliament Session

  • 18th Lok Sabha Inaugural Session To Witness Fireworks Over Speaker Election, NEET Row |

    Monday marks the start of the 18th Lok Sabha’s first session, during which freshly elected members of parliament, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will take the oath of office. The opposition is likely to corner the BJP-led NDA government on the June 26 Speaker election, debates about alleged paper leaks in NEET-UG and UGC-NET, and a dispute over the pro-tem Speaker’s appointment, therefore the first session is expected to be turbulent.

    Bhartruhari Mahtab, a legislator from the Bharatiya Janata Party, will take the oath of office as the acting Speaker of the Lok Sabha from President Droupadi Murmu. Mahtab will next ask Leader of the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to swear in as a member of the House. 

    The Lok Sabha Speaker will be chosen on June 26. The address of President Droupadi Murmu to the joint session of both houses of Parliament is set for June 27.

    The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 293 seats, the INDIA bloc won 234 seats, and the Congress held 99 seats. This is the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha following the general elections.
    In the meantime, a meeting of the newly elected Congress MPs has been arranged for today at 10 a.m. at the CPP office in Parliament.

    NEET Row To Shadow The Proceedings

    After the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance examination National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate 2024 (NEET-UG), Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi targeted the BJP and said that they stand with the students.

    The row over the appointment of BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker is expected to shadow the proceedings as opposition claimed that Congress Member K Suresh, who is the senior most member was disregarded by the government.

    Meanwhile, BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, who has been appointed as the pro-tem Speaker, will administer the oath to newly elected members and oversee the proceedings of the House.

    The Congress has reacted sharply to the central government’s decision to appoint seven-term BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as Pro-tem Speaker of Lok Sabha over senior-most Dalit MP Kodikkunnil Suresh of Congress, saying that the appointment by the BJP deviates from the traditional practice of appointing the senior member.

    Congress leader K Suresh said that there is an eighth-term MP in the House, but a seventh-term MP has been appointed as pro-tem Speaker.
     

  • Parliament session: Congress upset over pro-tem speaker election, will not assist during oath-taking of MPs

    After seventh-term BJP MP Bhratruhari Mehtab was appointed as pro-tem Speaker, instead of Congress leader K Suresh, who is an eighth-term MP, the MPs of the India bloc have decided not to sit on the speaker’s chair to assist the pro-tem Speaker during the oath-taking ceremony of MPs, sources said.

    According to the sources, Congress and India Bloc parties are upset with the fact that tradition has been broken as Mehtab was made the Protem Speaker instead of the 8-time Congress MP K Suresh.

    The Congress has reacted sharply to the central government’s decision to appoint Mahtab as Pro-tem Speaker of Lok Sabha over senior-most Dalit MP Kodikkunnil Suresh of Congress, saying that the appointment by the BJP deviates from the traditional practice of appointing the senior member.Congress leader K Suresh said that there is an eighth-term MP in the House, but a seventh-term MP has been appointed as pro-tem Speaker.

    “We are claiming that an eighth-term MP should be the pro-tem Speaker…They have done wrong, and now the whole country is criticising the decision of the BJP government,” K Suresh said.

    Congress MP Hibi Eden said that the NDA government has violated all the traditions and customs.”There are certain customs related to the Parliament of India, and it is always the senior-most member, irrespective of the party, who is given the opportunity to become the pro-tem speaker. It is merely a matter of two days, but it is the respect given to the member, whichever party he/she is from. Unfortunately, a Dalit member, who is an 8-time MP from Kerala has been denied the right to become the pro-tem speaker. This shows the attitude of the NDA government towards the Dalit and the oppressed community of this country. They have violated all the traditions and customs… Even though this session is hardly for 8 days, it should have been in consensus with the opposition because we are representing almost 45 per cent of the country,” he said.The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will witness the oath-taking ceremony of newly-elected Members of Parliament, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    The first session is expected to be stormy as the opposition is likely to corner the BJP-led NDA government on the election of the Speaker on June 26, discussions regarding allegations of paper leaks in NEET-UG and UGC-NET, and a row over the appointment of the pro-tem Speaker.

    President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath to Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Mahtab will then call upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Leader of the Lok Sabha, to take oath as a member of the House.

    On June 26, the Lok Sabha Speaker will be elected. On June 27, President Murmu is scheduled to address the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament.

    This is the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha after the general elections, which saw the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secure 293 seats and the INDIA bloc win 234, with the Congress holding 99 of them.

    Meanwhile, the Newly Elected Congress MPs meeting is called at 10 am at the CPP office in Parliament today.

    After the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance examination National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate 2024 (NEET-UG), Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi targeted the BJP and said that they stand with the students.

    Meanwhile, BJP MP Mahtab, who has been appointed as the pro-tem Speaker, will administer the oath to newly elected members and oversee the proceedings of the House.

    President Murmu also appointed Suresh Kodikunnil, Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu, Radha Mohan Singh, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Sudip Bandyopadhyay to assist the Speaker Protem in oath taking of the newly-elected members.

    The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will be held from June 24 and conclude on July 3 for oath/affirmation of newly elected Members. The 264th Session of Rajya Sabha will also commence on June 27 and conclude on July 3.

    Moreover, the Samajwadi Party Parliamentary meeting is to be held on Monday in Delhi. The meeting will be chaired by party National President Akhilesh Yadav.

    The last session of the 17th Lok Sabha (Budget session) was held between January 31 and February 10, 2024.

  • 18th Lok Sabha’s First Session To Begin From June 24 |

    The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will be held from June 24 and conclude on July 3for oath/affirmation of newly elected Members, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju said on Wednesday. The 264th Session of Rajya Sabha will also commence on June 27 and conclude on July 3, the minister said. “First Session of 18th Lok Sabha is being summoned from 24.6.24 to 3.7.24 for oath/affirmation of newly elected Members, Election of Speaker, President’s Address and discussion thereon. 264th Session of Rajya Sabha will commence on 27.6.24 and conclude on 3.7.24.”

    First Session of 18th Lok Sabha is being summoned from 24.6.24 to 3.7.24 for oath/affirmation of newly elected Members, Election of Speaker, President’s Address and discussion thereon. 264th Session of Rajya Sabha will commence on 27.6.24 and conclude on 3.7.24. https://t.co/8OCbfg4CT1


    — Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) June 12, 2024

    President Droupadi Murmu will address a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on June 27. The last session of the 17th Lok Sabha (Budget session) was held between January 31 and February 10, 2024. Lok Sabha had 274 sittings in which 202 Bills were introduced and 222 bills were passed. Rajya Sabha had 271 sittings, in which 31 Bills were introduced and 220 bills were passed. In total 221 Bills were passed by both the Houses and became Acts, during the term of the 17th Lok Sabha.

    During the 17th Lok Sabha one of the most important business transacted was the abrogation of certain provisions from Article 370 and Presidential Orders thereunder for ensuring equal opportunities to all sections of Society in Jammu & Kashmir particularly with the restoration of applicability of the provisions of the Constitution of India and all socio-economic legislations thereby ensuring rule of law and equity. Further for ensuring better administration and for curbing terrorism, the State of Jammu & Kashmir was reorganized with the formation of two Union Territories – Jammu &Kashmir and Ladakh.

    Also, three landmark Bills relating to the criminal justice system to ensure victim-centric justice namely the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 replacing the Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 were passed by both the Houses of Parliament.

  • Cabinet clears Telecommunication Bill; may not be tabled in current Parliament session

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet is learnt to have cleared the Indian Telecommunication Bill 2023, but the government may not table it in the current Parliament session, according to sources.

    According to sources, the government has relaxed a significant part of internet-based calling and messaging services from the ambit of telecom rules.

    “Cabinet has cleared Indian Telecommunication Bill 2023 but the government is not in a hurry to table it in the current session,” a source, who did not wish to be identified, said.

    The government had proposed to include internet-based communication services, in-flight and maritime connectivity services, interpersonal communications services, machine-to-machine communication services and over-the-top (OTT) communication services under the ambit of telecom service in the draft Bill floated for public consultation.

    The government during the consultation process had said that users’ protection will be a key focus of the Indian Telecommunication Bill.

    The bill seeks to replace three laws — the Indian Telegraph Act, of 1885, the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, of 1933 and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act, of 1950.

    NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet is learnt to have cleared the Indian Telecommunication Bill 2023, but the government may not table it in the current Parliament session, according to sources.

    According to sources, the government has relaxed a significant part of internet-based calling and messaging services from the ambit of telecom rules.

    “Cabinet has cleared Indian Telecommunication Bill 2023 but the government is not in a hurry to table it in the current session,” a source, who did not wish to be identified, said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    The government had proposed to include internet-based communication services, in-flight and maritime connectivity services, interpersonal communications services, machine-to-machine communication services and over-the-top (OTT) communication services under the ambit of telecom service in the draft Bill floated for public consultation.

    The government during the consultation process had said that users’ protection will be a key focus of the Indian Telecommunication Bill.

    The bill seeks to replace three laws — the Indian Telegraph Act, of 1885, the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, of 1933 and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act, of 1950.

  • Sonia Gandhi meets Opposition leaders on joint strategy in Parliament, no invite to Mamata’s TMC

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday met a group of opposition leaders and held consultations with them to evolve a joint strategy in Parliament, sources said.

    NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, J&K National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and DMK leader T R Baalu were among the leaders who met Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence.

    Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, which is at loggerheads with the Congress, was not invited, sources said.

    Sources said more such meetings would be held in the next few days, in a bid to bring all opposition forces together.

    Opposition parties have been protesting the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs and are holding protests, seeking the revocation of their suspensions.

    Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge were also part of Tuesday’s meeting.

    According to sources, Sonia Gandhi had invited Uddhav Thackeray and DMK chief MK Stalin. Both deputed their leaders –Raut and Baalu– respectively.

    Earlier in the day, opposition MPs in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha held a protest march from the Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex to Vijay Chowk with Rahul Gandhi alleging that the Opposition is not being allowed to raise issues in Parliament, which is now merely a building and a museum.

    “Wherever the Opposition is trying to raise issues, they are suppressed. The government does not allow us to raise issues. This is the murder of democracy. We want to raise issues against the government, but we are not allowed to do so,” he told reporters.

  • Never seen such negative mindset in Parliament: PM Modi slams Opposition over ruckus

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday lashed out at the Opposition for creating a ruckus and preventing him from introducing newly- inducted Union ministers in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, saying such a “negative mindset” has never been seen in Parliament.

    As the Prime Minister rose in Lok Sabha to introduce the new ministers, Opposition members created an uproar by raising slogans.

    Dismayed over the disruption, Modi said, it should make everyone proud that several women, many people belonging to the SC and ST community have taken oath as ministers.

    “It seems some people cannot digest that more women, SC, ST and OBC community members are becoming ministers”, Modi said, and noted that several new ministers are children of farmers and also belong to OBC communities, In Rajya Sabha also, the Prime Minister could not introduce the newly-inducted ministers as several slogan-shouting opposition members trooped into the well of the House to protest over various issues.

    The Prime Minister slammed the Opposition over it, echoing the views expressed by him in Lok Sabha.

    “It is a matter of pride that people from rural India, who come from ordinary families have taken oath as ministers. But some people don’t want ministers to be introduced. They also have an anti-women mindset since they do not want women ministers to be introduced to the House,” he said.

    “Such a negative mindset has never been seen in Parliament,” Modi said in Rajya Sabha.

    Earlier, addressing reporters ahead of the start of the Monsoon session, the Prime Minster said the Opposition should ask the sharpest and toughest of questions in Parliament but asserted that the government should also be allowed to respond to them in a cordial environment.

    The Prime minister’s appeal comes at a time when the Opposition is raring to corner the ruling dispensation over a host of issues, including handling of the second wave of COVID-19, rise in fuel prices, farmers’ stir and an international media consortium report which has claimed that over 300 verified mobile phone numbers, including that of two serving ministers, could have been targeted for hacking through an Israeli spyware.

    Modi said he wants meaningful discussions in Parliament over the COVID pandemic which has gripped the entire world.

    The Prime Minister said he has requested all the floor leaders to take some time out on Tuesday evening when he would like to give detailed information regarding the pandemic.

    “We want a discussion in the House as well as outside the House with all the floor leaders. I am constantly meeting the chief ministers and all kinds of discussions are happening in different forums. So I also want to meet the floor leaders as House is going on and it will be convenient and we can talk about it (the pandemic) face-to-face,” he said.

    Hoping that the session is productive and dedicated to meaningful discussions, Modi said the government is fully prepared to give the answers that the people of the country want.

    “I urge all MPs and political parties to ask the toughest and sharpest of questions but they should also allow the government to respond in a cordial environment as democracy is strengthened by conveying the truth to the people,” Modi said adding that this enhances the trust of the people and improves the pace of development.

    Talking about the vaccination programme going on in the country, Modi said it was moving forward at a fast pace and also urged MPs to cooperate in following all COVID protocols.

    “Vaccine is given in ‘baahu’ (arms), and those who take it become ‘Baahubali’. The only way to become Baahubali to fight against coronavirus is to get vaccinated,” Modi said.

    Over 40 crore people have become ‘Baahubali’ in the fight against coronavirus, the prime minister said the inoculation programme is being taken forward rapidly. Noting that the pandemic has engulfed the whole world, Modi said he wants that there should be a meaningful discussion regarding the pandemic on high priority.

    All practical suggestions given by MPs can usher in newness in the fight against the pandemic, if there are some shortcomings, they can be rectified, and everyone can move forward together in this fight, he added.*

  • Centre may agree to opposition demand for separate discussion on agriculture laws

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha witnessed logjam even on Friday with the Opposition parties persisting with their demand of repealing the farm laws, leading to repeated adjournments. 

    Faced with the prospect of being unable to fulfil the convention of holding discussion on the President’s address to the joint sitting of the two Houses of the Parliament, the government is likely to buy peace and agree to a separate discussion on the farmers’ protests with the Opposition.

    With only five days left for the conclusion of the first half of Budget session, during which it is a matter of prestige for the government to complete the discussion and pass the motion of thanks to the President’s address, the government has little choice.

    ALSO READ | LS adjourned till February 8 as opposition members continue with protest over farm laws

    Sources indicated that one day next week will be marked for a separate discussion on farm laws.

    The government has been insisting that the Opposition speak on the protests in the motion of thanks. The Opposition has been unyielding on their demand for a separate discussion on the subject. Rajya Sabha, on the other hand, has completed the discussion on the motion of thanks.

    On Friday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Arjun Meghwal read out the agenda for the business of the House for the next week, which included motion of thanks, Budget discussion, and a number of legislative proposals, including the Delhi Special Laws (Amendment) Bill.

    ​ALSO READ | Global personalities reiterate their support to farmers despite Centre censure

    Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is learnt to have continued to speak to the floor leaders of the political parties to find a breakthrough. He will be meeting the leaders of the parties again on Monday before the House convenes for the day.

    UN rights body calls for max restraint

    The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday called on both the Indian government and the demonstrators to exercise maximum restraint.

    “We call on the authorities and protesters to exercise maximum restraint in ongoing #FarmersProtests. The rights to peaceful assembly & expression should be protected both offline & online,” it tweeted. “It’s crucial to find equitable solutions with due respect to #HumanRights for all.” 

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