News Analysis India

Tag: Rajya Sabha

  • Kharge resigns as Leader of Opposition in RS; Digvijaya, Chidambaram in race to replace him 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge has resigned as the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, sources said on Saturday, a day after he filed his nomination papers for the AICC president’s election.

    Kharge’s resignation, which the 80-year-old leader sent to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, is in line with the party’s declared ‘One person, One post’ principle that was announced at the Udaipur ‘Chintan Shivir’ in May.

    The resignation letter was sent by Kharge last night, the sources said.

    Senior leaders P Chidambaram and Digvijaya Singh are learnt to be the front-runners to take on the mantle of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha.

    ALSO READ | Congress President poll: Mallikarjun Kharge set to win with backing of party big guns 

    The stage was set on Friday for a contest between Kharge and Shashi Tharoor for the Congress president’s post. Kharge, a Dalit leader from Karnataka has emerged as the clear favourite. 

    The third candidate in the fray, K N Tripathi, a former Jharkhand minister, is considered a lightweight for the contest.

    Kharge, Tharoor and Tripathi filed nominations on the last day of the process which saw the AICC headquarters come back to life after a long time, with workers swarming the complex.

    Kharge, flanked by top Congress leaders, has filed 14 sets of nomination papers with the proposers including Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh, A K Antony, Ambika Soni, Mukul Wasnik and members from the G-23 ginger group comprising Anand Sharma, Bhupinder Hooda, Prithviraj Chavan and Manish Tewari.

    NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge has resigned as the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, sources said on Saturday, a day after he filed his nomination papers for the AICC president’s election.

    Kharge’s resignation, which the 80-year-old leader sent to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, is in line with the party’s declared ‘One person, One post’ principle that was announced at the Udaipur ‘Chintan Shivir’ in May.

    The resignation letter was sent by Kharge last night, the sources said.

    Senior leaders P Chidambaram and Digvijaya Singh are learnt to be the front-runners to take on the mantle of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha.

    ALSO READ | Congress President poll: Mallikarjun Kharge set to win with backing of party big guns 

    The stage was set on Friday for a contest between Kharge and Shashi Tharoor for the Congress president’s post. Kharge, a Dalit leader from Karnataka has emerged as the clear favourite. 

    The third candidate in the fray, K N Tripathi, a former Jharkhand minister, is considered a lightweight for the contest.

    Kharge, Tharoor and Tripathi filed nominations on the last day of the process which saw the AICC headquarters come back to life after a long time, with workers swarming the complex.

    Kharge, flanked by top Congress leaders, has filed 14 sets of nomination papers with the proposers including Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh, A K Antony, Ambika Soni, Mukul Wasnik and members from the G-23 ginger group comprising Anand Sharma, Bhupinder Hooda, Prithviraj Chavan and Manish Tewari.

  • Former Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb elected to Rajya Sabha 

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: Former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Thursday won the byelection to the state’s lone Rajya Sabha seat, a poll official said here.

    Deb, who has been recently made the BJP in-charge of Haryana, polled 43 votes- 36 of the saffron party and seven of its ally, the IPFT, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Kiran Gitte said.

    All 15 CPI(M) legislators in the state cast their votes in favour of their nominee Bhanu Lal Saha, the former finance minister.

    Interestingly, Congress’s lone MLA Sudip Roy Barman abstained from voting.

    State Congress president Birajit Sinha told PTI, “Since we fielded no candidate, the party had requested Barman to skip the voting process.

    ” The seat had fallen vacant as Manik Saha, on being made the chief minister, resigned to contest an Assembly bypoll.

    Taking to social media, Deb expressed his gratitude to the legislators of the BJP and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) for electing him as Rajya Sabha MP from the state.

    He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for giving him an opportunity to represent Tripura in the Upper House of Parliament.

    “With the blessings of Mata Tripurasundari, I will continue to serve the beloved people of Tripura till my last breath,” the former CM said in a Facebook post.

    AGARTALA: Former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Thursday won the byelection to the state’s lone Rajya Sabha seat, a poll official said here.

    Deb, who has been recently made the BJP in-charge of Haryana, polled 43 votes- 36 of the saffron party and seven of its ally, the IPFT, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Kiran Gitte said.

    All 15 CPI(M) legislators in the state cast their votes in favour of their nominee Bhanu Lal Saha, the former finance minister.

    Interestingly, Congress’s lone MLA Sudip Roy Barman abstained from voting.

    State Congress president Birajit Sinha told PTI, “Since we fielded no candidate, the party had requested Barman to skip the voting process.

    ” The seat had fallen vacant as Manik Saha, on being made the chief minister, resigned to contest an Assembly bypoll.

    Taking to social media, Deb expressed his gratitude to the legislators of the BJP and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) for electing him as Rajya Sabha MP from the state.

    He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for giving him an opportunity to represent Tripura in the Upper House of Parliament.

    “With the blessings of Mata Tripurasundari, I will continue to serve the beloved people of Tripura till my last breath,” the former CM said in a Facebook post.

  • President Murmu appoints Gulam Ali from Jammu & Kashmir to Rajya Sabha

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: President Draupadi Murmu has appointed Gulam Ali to the Rajya Sabha on Saturday. Ali hails from Jammu and Kashmir.

    “In exercise of the powers conferred by Sub-Clause (a), of clause (1) of article 80 of the Constitution of India, read with clause (3) of that article, the President is pleased to nominate Shri Gulam Ali to the Council of the state to fill the vacancy caused due to the retirement of one of the nominated members,” read a Union Home Ministry notification on Saturday.

    Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party lauded the appointment saying that now the Jammu and Kashmir community is being recognised after the abrogation of Article 370.

    “The President on the recommendation of GoI has appointed Shri Gulam Ali, a Gurjar Muslim, from J-K, to the Rajya Sabha. This is a significant step assuming that prior to abrogation of Article 370, the community was literally not recognised and all social benefits to them were denied,” BJP’s IT Cell head Amit Malaviya said in a tweet. 

    NEW DELHI: President Draupadi Murmu has appointed Gulam Ali to the Rajya Sabha on Saturday. Ali hails from Jammu and Kashmir.

    “In exercise of the powers conferred by Sub-Clause (a), of clause (1) of article 80 of the Constitution of India, read with clause (3) of that article, the President is pleased to nominate Shri Gulam Ali to the Council of the state to fill the vacancy caused due to the retirement of one of the nominated members,” read a Union Home Ministry notification on Saturday.

    Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party lauded the appointment saying that now the Jammu and Kashmir community is being recognised after the abrogation of Article 370.

    “The President on the recommendation of GoI has appointed Shri Gulam Ali, a Gurjar Muslim, from J-K, to the Rajya Sabha. This is a significant step assuming that prior to abrogation of Article 370, the community was literally not recognised and all social benefits to them were denied,” BJP’s IT Cell head Amit Malaviya said in a tweet. 

  • Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma resigns from Himachal committee

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: After veteran party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad turned down the role of Jammu and Kashmir Congress Campaign Committee Chairman, senior leader and member of G23 ginger group Anand Sharma Sunday resigned as Chairman of the Himachal Congress Steering Committee, months before state elections.

    In a letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Sharma expressed reservations that he has not been kept in the loop of key election strategy meetings and decisions related to poll-bound states and that his self-respect is non-negotiable.

    Sharma, who hails from the state, added that he will campaign for the party in the state and would proceed on a four-day tour of the state. In the letter, he cited a multiplicity of committees and overlapping functions.

    This comes as a setback to the party ahead of the elections in the state where the party has chances to make a comeback. Earlier, Azad had declined the role of the campaign committee chairman. Elections in UTs of Jammu and Kashmir can be held anytime with the process of finalizing electoral rolls in full swing. Both the leaders have been denied Rajya Sabha tickets by the party and were reportedly upset over the decision.  

    In April this year, the party announced key election committees, and Sharma was named as Chairman of the Steering Committee. Former Rajya Sabha deputy leader said that he had requested the general secretary organisation and AICC in charge to clarify the mandate of the steering committee to delineate its mandate and role.

    “On 20th June meetings of senior leaders including PCC President, CLP leader and Chairman Campaign Committee and those of other committees were held for election preparations. On August 7 and 8, in charge and central AICC observers visited Shimla. Meetings of the core group, senior leaders, and HPCC General house were convened. The Chairman of the Steering Committee was neither informed nor invited for any of the meetings held, not even for the general house,” the letter stated.

    The two have been part of the senior party leaders of the G23 grouping that wrote to Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking organisational elections in the party and revamping the functioning of the party. The process of election of Congress president is to be completed between Aug 21 and Sep 20 this year.

    NEW DELHI: After veteran party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad turned down the role of Jammu and Kashmir Congress Campaign Committee Chairman, senior leader and member of G23 ginger group Anand Sharma Sunday resigned as Chairman of the Himachal Congress Steering Committee, months before state elections.

    In a letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Sharma expressed reservations that he has not been kept in the loop of key election strategy meetings and decisions related to poll-bound states and that his self-respect is non-negotiable.

    Sharma, who hails from the state, added that he will campaign for the party in the state and would proceed on a four-day tour of the state. In the letter, he cited a multiplicity of committees and overlapping functions.

    This comes as a setback to the party ahead of the elections in the state where the party has chances to make a comeback. Earlier, Azad had declined the role of the campaign committee chairman. Elections in UTs of Jammu and Kashmir can be held anytime with the process of finalizing electoral rolls in full swing. Both the leaders have been denied Rajya Sabha tickets by the party and were reportedly upset over the decision.  

    In April this year, the party announced key election committees, and Sharma was named as Chairman of the Steering Committee. Former Rajya Sabha deputy leader said that he had requested the general secretary organisation and AICC in charge to clarify the mandate of the steering committee to delineate its mandate and role.

    “On 20th June meetings of senior leaders including PCC President, CLP leader and Chairman Campaign Committee and those of other committees were held for election preparations. On August 7 and 8, in charge and central AICC observers visited Shimla. Meetings of the core group, senior leaders, and HPCC General house were convened. The Chairman of the Steering Committee was neither informed nor invited for any of the meetings held, not even for the general house,” the letter stated.

    The two have been part of the senior party leaders of the G23 grouping that wrote to Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking organisational elections in the party and revamping the functioning of the party. The process of election of Congress president is to be completed between Aug 21 and Sep 20 this year.

  • Naidu’s last three years see Rajya Sabha clocking record 82 per cent productivity

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The productivity of Rajya Sabha which has been steadily declining for 25 years since 1995 was reversed during the last three years of the tenure of Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, a new publication says.

    The improvement was revealed in a publication titled ‘Rajya Sabha – 2017-22: An Overview’ brought out by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.

    The publication is a first of its kind giving details of various aspects of the functioning of Rajya Sabha during the tenure of a Chairman.

    It presents the functioning of the House from 1978 on, the year since when all required data for doing so is maintained.

    For the first 17 years since 1978, the annual productivity of Rajya Sabha was more than 100 per cent, while during the next 27 years, it has been so only twice, in 1998 and 2009, the publication says.

    The lowest annual productivity was recorded in 2018 at 40 per cent, it said.

    With its decline started in 1995, the annual productivity of the house was 95 per cent during 1995-97, 90 per cent during 1998-2003, and over 80 per cent during 2004-13.

    The trend continued till the 248th session in 2019.

    It was reversed in the 249th session.

    The decline in productivity was steep during the first five full sessions (244th to 248th) presided over by Venkaiah Naidu with the house clocking productivity of only 42.77 percent, the publication said.

    The 248th session held during January-February, 2019 recorded the lowest house productivity at 6.80 per cent.

    For the next eight sessions (249th to 256th), it said, the productivity of Rajya Sabha almost doubled to 82.34 per cent and it functioned for 105 per cent of the scheduled time during 2019 budget session between June and August with 35 sittings.

    This has been the first session to report such high productivity during the tenure of Naidu marking a break from the past.

    Thereafter, four more sessions clocked close to or above 100 per cent productivity.

    During the 13 sessions presided over by Naidu from the 244th session, Rajya Sabha has clocked productivity of 82.

    34 percent for two-thirds of the total sittings (173 of 261 sittings) enabling the reversal of declining productivity trend.

    The publication lists several “first of a kind” initiatives taken by Naidu for the turnaround, some of which were: the review of department-related parliamentary standing committees since their introduction in 1993 and of other committees of the house, starting reviewing the rules of the house, examination of the attendance of members, and their participation in the proceedings of the house.

    They also included time allocated on different items of business in the house, use of Indian languages in the proceedings of the house, extent of public outreach on various aspects of the functioning of Rajya Sabha through media, and commissioning the first-ever comprehensive study on ‘system improvement’ in the Secretariat etc.

    During Naidu’s tenure as Chairman, Rajya Sabha clocked over 951 working hours till the last session, losing 26 sittings due to different waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    In five years, the eight parliamentary standing committees of Rajya Sabha held 558 meetings till this June and submitted 369 reports.

    Due to regular review and monitoring of their functioning by Naidu, the average duration of the meetings has substantially improved with an average attendance of over 45 per cent per meeting, the publication said.

    NEW DELHI: The productivity of Rajya Sabha which has been steadily declining for 25 years since 1995 was reversed during the last three years of the tenure of Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, a new publication says.

    The improvement was revealed in a publication titled ‘Rajya Sabha – 2017-22: An Overview’ brought out by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.

    The publication is a first of its kind giving details of various aspects of the functioning of Rajya Sabha during the tenure of a Chairman.

    It presents the functioning of the House from 1978 on, the year since when all required data for doing so is maintained.

    For the first 17 years since 1978, the annual productivity of Rajya Sabha was more than 100 per cent, while during the next 27 years, it has been so only twice, in 1998 and 2009, the publication says.

    The lowest annual productivity was recorded in 2018 at 40 per cent, it said.

    With its decline started in 1995, the annual productivity of the house was 95 per cent during 1995-97, 90 per cent during 1998-2003, and over 80 per cent during 2004-13.

    The trend continued till the 248th session in 2019.

    It was reversed in the 249th session.

    The decline in productivity was steep during the first five full sessions (244th to 248th) presided over by Venkaiah Naidu with the house clocking productivity of only 42.77 percent, the publication said.

    The 248th session held during January-February, 2019 recorded the lowest house productivity at 6.80 per cent.

    For the next eight sessions (249th to 256th), it said, the productivity of Rajya Sabha almost doubled to 82.34 per cent and it functioned for 105 per cent of the scheduled time during 2019 budget session between June and August with 35 sittings.

    This has been the first session to report such high productivity during the tenure of Naidu marking a break from the past.

    Thereafter, four more sessions clocked close to or above 100 per cent productivity.

    During the 13 sessions presided over by Naidu from the 244th session, Rajya Sabha has clocked productivity of 82.

    34 percent for two-thirds of the total sittings (173 of 261 sittings) enabling the reversal of declining productivity trend.

    The publication lists several “first of a kind” initiatives taken by Naidu for the turnaround, some of which were: the review of department-related parliamentary standing committees since their introduction in 1993 and of other committees of the house, starting reviewing the rules of the house, examination of the attendance of members, and their participation in the proceedings of the house.

    They also included time allocated on different items of business in the house, use of Indian languages in the proceedings of the house, extent of public outreach on various aspects of the functioning of Rajya Sabha through media, and commissioning the first-ever comprehensive study on ‘system improvement’ in the Secretariat etc.

    During Naidu’s tenure as Chairman, Rajya Sabha clocked over 951 working hours till the last session, losing 26 sittings due to different waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    In five years, the eight parliamentary standing committees of Rajya Sabha held 558 meetings till this June and submitted 369 reports.

    Due to regular review and monitoring of their functioning by Naidu, the average duration of the meetings has substantially improved with an average attendance of over 45 per cent per meeting, the publication said.

  • Lok Sabha passes bill to promote non-fossil fuel

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A bill seeking to mandate the use of non-fossil energy sources such as biomass, ethanol and green hydrogen was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday.

    Piloting the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, Power Minister R K Singh said “this is the bill for the future,” and urged the members to approve it.

    The bill was later passed by the House after rejecting amendments moved by some Opposition members. The Minister said the renewable energy capacity addition in the country was fastest in the world.

    The Bill provides for penalties for violations by industrial units or vessels, and on manufacturers if a vehicle fails to comply with fuel consumption norms.

    “With the passage of time, and in the context of the energy transition with special focus on the promotion of new and renewable energy and National Green Hydrogen Mission, a need has arisen to further amend the said Act to facilitate the achievement of ‘Panchamrit’ as five nectar elements presented by India in Conference of Parties -26 in Glasgow last year,” the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill said.

    The amendments also seek to promote renewable energy and the development of a domestic carbon market to battle climate change.

    It also seeks to introduce new concepts such as carbon trading and mandate the use of non-fossil sources to ensure faster decarbonisation of the Indian economy and help achieve sustainable development goals in line with the Paris Agreement.

    NEW DELHI: A bill seeking to mandate the use of non-fossil energy sources such as biomass, ethanol and green hydrogen was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday.

    Piloting the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, Power Minister R K Singh said “this is the bill for the future,” and urged the members to approve it.

    The bill was later passed by the House after rejecting amendments moved by some Opposition members. The Minister said the renewable energy capacity addition in the country was fastest in the world.

    The Bill provides for penalties for violations by industrial units or vessels, and on manufacturers if a vehicle fails to comply with fuel consumption norms.

    “With the passage of time, and in the context of the energy transition with special focus on the promotion of new and renewable energy and National Green Hydrogen Mission, a need has arisen to further amend the said Act to facilitate the achievement of ‘Panchamrit’ as five nectar elements presented by India in Conference of Parties -26 in Glasgow last year,” the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill said.

    The amendments also seek to promote renewable energy and the development of a domestic carbon market to battle climate change.

    It also seeks to introduce new concepts such as carbon trading and mandate the use of non-fossil sources to ensure faster decarbonisation of the Indian economy and help achieve sustainable development goals in line with the Paris Agreement.

  • Parliament adjourned sine die four days ahead of schedule

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Monsoon sesion of Parliament ended on Monday four days ahead of schedule.

    Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla adjourned the house sine die, saying it met for 16 days and passed seven legislations.

    Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, whose tenure will end on August 10, adjourned the house sine die, saying that detailed statistics pertaining to the session will be circulated during the course by the Rajya Sabha secretariat.

    Generally, before adjourning the house sine die the chair reads out the statistics about the business transacted in the house in detail.

    The session was scheduled to be held from July 18 to August 12.

    NEW DELHI: The Monsoon sesion of Parliament ended on Monday four days ahead of schedule.

    Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla adjourned the house sine die, saying it met for 16 days and passed seven legislations.

    Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, whose tenure will end on August 10, adjourned the house sine die, saying that detailed statistics pertaining to the session will be circulated during the course by the Rajya Sabha secretariat.

    Generally, before adjourning the house sine die the chair reads out the statistics about the business transacted in the house in detail.

    The session was scheduled to be held from July 18 to August 12.

  • Nitish Kumar’s ‘hanuman’ RCP Singh quits JD-U after corruption charges

    Express News Service

    PATNA: Former Union minister RCP Singh resigned from primary membership of Janata Dal (United) on Saturday, only a few hours after he was charged with corruption and amassing of huge wealth.

    Singh, once considered as ‘hanuman’ of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, hinted at forming a new party soon. He had resigned from Union Cabinet after his term of Rajya Sabha came to an end on July 7.

    Describing JD-U as a ‘sinking ship’, Singh exhorted his supporters to accompany him. “Aap sabhi log mere saath chaliye. JD-U ab dubta hua jahaj hai (You all come with me. JD-U is now a sinking ship),” he added.

    He alleged that the corruption charges were levelled against him by some party workers under a conspiracy. The charges of corruption were levelled by two leaders of his home district Nalanda, a charge denied by Singh.

    According to the allegations, Singh had purchased 58 plots of land under two blocks of Nalanda district between 2013 and 2022. The plots were purchased in the name of his wife and two daughters, including an IPS officer.

    Taking cognisance of the allegations, JD-U state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha issued a show cause notice to Singh asking him to reply at the earliest. Kushwaha said the allegations against Singh were serious in nature.

    Former Union minister and JD-U parliamentary board chairman Upendra Kushwaha said since the matter has come into public domain, investigating agency may take suo motu cognisance of the charges levelled against Singh.

    Responding to a query, Upendra Kushwaha said that the party first wanted reply of Singh on the issue. “Party phir apna kaam karegi (party will take action accordingly),” he asserted.

    Singh had served as national president of JD-U before he was inducted in union cabinet and made steel minister in the Narendra Modi government. Singh’s relationship with Nitish got strained after he was denied nomination for Rajya Sabha for the third term. He had joined JD-U after taking voluntary retire from IAS in 2010.

    Subsequently he was appointed general secretary of JD-U. He owed political success to his proximity with Nitish during the latter’s tenure as railway minister at the centre.

    When Nitish became chief minister of Bihar, Singh was brought to Bihar from his home cadre Uttar Pradesh and made principal secretary to chief minister, a post he held till he opted voluntary retire from service. He was made national president of the party in January last year after Nitish Kumar relinquished the post under ‘one man one post policy’, which he had been holding for the past several years.

    PATNA: Former Union minister RCP Singh resigned from primary membership of Janata Dal (United) on Saturday, only a few hours after he was charged with corruption and amassing of huge wealth.

    Singh, once considered as ‘hanuman’ of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, hinted at forming a new party soon. He had resigned from Union Cabinet after his term of Rajya Sabha came to an end on July 7.

    Describing JD-U as a ‘sinking ship’, Singh exhorted his supporters to accompany him. “Aap sabhi log mere saath chaliye. JD-U ab dubta hua jahaj hai (You all come with me. JD-U is now a sinking ship),” he added.

    He alleged that the corruption charges were levelled against him by some party workers under a conspiracy. The charges of corruption were levelled by two leaders of his home district Nalanda, a charge denied by Singh.

    According to the allegations, Singh had purchased 58 plots of land under two blocks of Nalanda district between 2013 and 2022. The plots were purchased in the name of his wife and two daughters, including an IPS officer.

    Taking cognisance of the allegations, JD-U state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha issued a show cause notice to Singh asking him to reply at the earliest. Kushwaha said the allegations against Singh were serious in nature.

    Former Union minister and JD-U parliamentary board chairman Upendra Kushwaha said since the matter has come into public domain, investigating agency may take suo motu cognisance of the charges levelled against Singh.

    Responding to a query, Upendra Kushwaha said that the party first wanted reply of Singh on the issue. “Party phir apna kaam karegi (party will take action accordingly),” he asserted.

    Singh had served as national president of JD-U before he was inducted in union cabinet and made steel minister in the Narendra Modi government. Singh’s relationship with Nitish got strained after he was denied nomination for Rajya Sabha for the third term. He had joined JD-U after taking voluntary retire from IAS in 2010.

    Subsequently he was appointed general secretary of JD-U. He owed political success to his proximity with Nitish during the latter’s tenure as railway minister at the centre.

    When Nitish became chief minister of Bihar, Singh was brought to Bihar from his home cadre Uttar Pradesh and made principal secretary to chief minister, a post he held till he opted voluntary retire from service. He was made national president of the party in January last year after Nitish Kumar relinquished the post under ‘one man one post policy’, which he had been holding for the past several years.

  • Bill granting statutory cover to family courts in Himachal, Nagaland gets Parliament nod  

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Parliament on Thursday passed a bill granting statutory cover to family courts set up in Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland and retrospectively validating all actions taken by them.

    Rajya Sabha passed the Family Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2022 by a voice vote amid sloganeering by the Opposition, led by Congress members who alleged misuse of the Enforcement Directorate by the government.

    In reply to the discussion on the bill, Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju stressed on the need to have the legislation passed considering the long list of pending cases.

    There are at present 715 family courts in the country with over 11 lakh pending cases, he said, adding the emphasis of the government is to have at least one family court in each district so that there could be speedy disposal of the cases.

    According to the Family Court Act of 1984, it is mandatory for a state government to set up a family court for every city or a town whose population exceeds one million. Rijiju also said the Centre has already asked judicial officers to give importance to family matters.

    In India, marriage is not only a getting together of two individuals but it is an union of families and communities and when a marriage breaks down the whole structure crumbles, he said.

    The minister said he wanted to have a detailed discussion on the important bill but the way the Opposition, specially Congress members, are behaving, it won’t be possible. Lok Sabha had passed the bill last week.

    The Family Courts (Amendment) Bill seeks to insert a provision in sub-section 3 of section 1 to provide for setting up family courts in Himachal Pradesh with effect from February 15, 2019 and in Nagaland with effect from September 12, 2008.

    The bill also seeks to insert a new section 3A to retrospectively validate all actions under the act taken by the governments of Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland and the family courts of these states.

    Two family courts were established in Nagaland in 2008 and three in Himachal Pradesh in 2019 through notifications issued by the respective state governments.

    The issue of lack of jurisdiction of the family courts in Himachal Pradesh came to the fore during proceedings of the Himachal Pradesh High Court last year.

    Another petition in the Himachal Pradesh High Court stated that the central government had not issued any notification extending the Family Court Act to Himachal Pradesh and the state government directives to establish such courts were without any legal authority.

    The Family Courts Act was enacted to set up family courts to promote conciliation and secure speedy settlement of disputes related to marriage and family affairs.

    Earlier, taking part in the discussion, Saroj Pandey (BJP), Ram Nath Thakur JD(U), and AD Singh supported the bill.

    Similarly, Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar (TDP) supported the bill but said there is no mention in it about the time limit for disposal of cases. M Thambidurai (AIADMK) also made a similar demand.

    As soon as the bill was cleared, Deputy Chairman Harivansh adjourned the House for the day.

    Earlier in the day, the proceedings were also adjourned for an hour till 12 PM as Congress members created uproar over the issue of alleged misuse of central probe agencies by the government.

    Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge charged that autonomous bodies were being misused by the government to settle political scores, an allegation that was countered by Treasury benches. This led to heated exchanges between MPs of the two sides.

    NEW DELHI: Parliament on Thursday passed a bill granting statutory cover to family courts set up in Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland and retrospectively validating all actions taken by them.

    Rajya Sabha passed the Family Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2022 by a voice vote amid sloganeering by the Opposition, led by Congress members who alleged misuse of the Enforcement Directorate by the government.

    In reply to the discussion on the bill, Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju stressed on the need to have the legislation passed considering the long list of pending cases.

    There are at present 715 family courts in the country with over 11 lakh pending cases, he said, adding the emphasis of the government is to have at least one family court in each district so that there could be speedy disposal of the cases.

    According to the Family Court Act of 1984, it is mandatory for a state government to set up a family court for every city or a town whose population exceeds one million. Rijiju also said the Centre has already asked judicial officers to give importance to family matters.

    In India, marriage is not only a getting together of two individuals but it is an union of families and communities and when a marriage breaks down the whole structure crumbles, he said.

    The minister said he wanted to have a detailed discussion on the important bill but the way the Opposition, specially Congress members, are behaving, it won’t be possible. Lok Sabha had passed the bill last week.

    The Family Courts (Amendment) Bill seeks to insert a provision in sub-section 3 of section 1 to provide for setting up family courts in Himachal Pradesh with effect from February 15, 2019 and in Nagaland with effect from September 12, 2008.

    The bill also seeks to insert a new section 3A to retrospectively validate all actions under the act taken by the governments of Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland and the family courts of these states.

    Two family courts were established in Nagaland in 2008 and three in Himachal Pradesh in 2019 through notifications issued by the respective state governments.

    The issue of lack of jurisdiction of the family courts in Himachal Pradesh came to the fore during proceedings of the Himachal Pradesh High Court last year.

    Another petition in the Himachal Pradesh High Court stated that the central government had not issued any notification extending the Family Court Act to Himachal Pradesh and the state government directives to establish such courts were without any legal authority.

    The Family Courts Act was enacted to set up family courts to promote conciliation and secure speedy settlement of disputes related to marriage and family affairs.

    Earlier, taking part in the discussion, Saroj Pandey (BJP), Ram Nath Thakur JD(U), and AD Singh supported the bill.

    Similarly, Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar (TDP) supported the bill but said there is no mention in it about the time limit for disposal of cases. M Thambidurai (AIADMK) also made a similar demand.

    As soon as the bill was cleared, Deputy Chairman Harivansh adjourned the House for the day.

    Earlier in the day, the proceedings were also adjourned for an hour till 12 PM as Congress members created uproar over the issue of alleged misuse of central probe agencies by the government.

    Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge charged that autonomous bodies were being misused by the government to settle political scores, an allegation that was countered by Treasury benches. This led to heated exchanges between MPs of the two sides.

  • Over 45000 teaching posts vacant in IITs

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Over 4,500 teaching posts are lying vacant in the so-called elite Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), including Kharagpur, Bombay and Madras, considered among the top institutes. 

    The education ministry said all IITs had been asked to fill up the vacancies in the faculty cadre through a particular recruitment drive in mission mode. Most have initiated the process; the centre told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. 

    As many as 4,596 faculty positions are vacant in 23 IITs in India, as per the education ministry.

    IIT Kharagpur needs to fill 798 faculty positions; Bombay has 517 posts empty, while Madras has to fill up 482.

    Replying to a written question, Minister of State of Education Dr Subhas Sarkar said that the IITs are autonomous institutes governed by the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 and the statutes are framed there from time to time. 

    “Filling up vacancies is a continuous process and IITs issue rolling advertisements, which are open throughout the year for all candidates, who fulfill the required qualifications and experience for faculty positions in IITs,” the minister said.

    “Ministry of Education has requested all IITs to fill up the vacancies in faculty cadre through Special Recruitment Drive in Mission Mode, and most of the IITs have initiated the process,” he added.

    After these three top three institutes, IIT Dhanbad had 446 posts to be filled, followed by Roorkee, with 419 vacant positions.

    The other institutes are – Kanpur (382), Guwahati (307), BHU (271), Jodhpur (138), Bhubaneswar (114) and Hyderabad (113).

    NEW DELHI: Over 4,500 teaching posts are lying vacant in the so-called elite Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), including Kharagpur, Bombay and Madras, considered among the top institutes. 

    The education ministry said all IITs had been asked to fill up the vacancies in the faculty cadre through a particular recruitment drive in mission mode. Most have initiated the process; the centre told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. 

    As many as 4,596 faculty positions are vacant in 23 IITs in India, as per the education ministry.

    IIT Kharagpur needs to fill 798 faculty positions; Bombay has 517 posts empty, while Madras has to fill up 482.

    Replying to a written question, Minister of State of Education Dr Subhas Sarkar said that the IITs are autonomous institutes governed by the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 and the statutes are framed there from time to time. 

    “Filling up vacancies is a continuous process and IITs issue rolling advertisements, which are open throughout the year for all candidates, who fulfill the required qualifications and experience for faculty positions in IITs,” the minister said.

    “Ministry of Education has requested all IITs to fill up the vacancies in faculty cadre through Special Recruitment Drive in Mission Mode, and most of the IITs have initiated the process,” he added.

    After these three top three institutes, IIT Dhanbad had 446 posts to be filled, followed by Roorkee, with 419 vacant positions.

    The other institutes are – Kanpur (382), Guwahati (307), BHU (271), Jodhpur (138), Bhubaneswar (114) and Hyderabad (113).