Parliament latest updates
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Women Empowerment on Thursday held a meeting with representatives of the Facebook group at the Parliament House Annexe building in view of the rising crime against women on social media.Cyber harassment and bullying is likely to be discussed in the meeting.
Lok Sabha latest updates
Union Minister of Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha said that the process for the Hajj 2020 has been made 100 percent digital. "This includes the online application, E-Visa, Hajj mobile app, digital pre-tagging of baggage of pilgrims. E-MASISA (E-Medical Assistance System for Indian Pilgrims Abroad), Portal for Haj Group Organisers (HGOs) with their details and Haj packages. Government of India takes a number of measures for the welfare of Indian Hajj pilgrims both in India and in Saudi Arabia."
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar responded to Congress P Chidambaram's press conference on Thursday, a day after he was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the INX Media corruption case filed against him.
Javadekar referred to one of the apex court's conditions for the ex-finance minister's bail, which was to not make public statements on the case. He said, "P Chidambaram ji has violated his bail conditions on the very first day. The court had asked him to not give any public statement on the case as a condition for bail but Chidambaram ji today said that his record as a minster was very clear."
Senior Congress leader hit out at Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over her comment during a debate on rising onion prices in which she said that she does not belong to an "onion-eating family".
"What does the finance minister mean when she says she does not eat onions? Does she eat avocados?" Chidambaram asked.
Rajya Sabha latest updates
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman slammed the Opposition for calling the Centre's policies regarding the economy, "elitist". Sitharaman's outburst comes amid trolling and criticism for her "I don't eat onion, garlic" remark in the Lok Sabha earlier on Thursday, when asked about the rising prices of onions.
In the Rajya Sabha, during the debate on the Taxation (Amendment) Bill, she said, "I absolutely condemn the approach of the members calling me elitist. This govt. thinks of the poor much more."
Rajya Sabha latest updates
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman began her arguments in the debate over the Taxation (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha. She broke down the clauses of the amendment and gave details of the government's effort over the legislation.
Asserting that computer software development, mining, printing of books will not to be treated as manufacturing for lower tax, she said, "Good reforms to boost economy will continue."
Lok Sabha updates
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari expressed regret in the Lok Sabha on Thursday over hurdles like land acquisition and environment clearance faced by various road projects, saying the country must have a positive approach towards development.
Parliament latest updates
Union minister Ashwini Choubey on Thursday reacted to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's statement on the increase in prices of onions. Earlier on Thursday, Sitharaman said in the Lok Sabha that she "doesn't eat onions or garic".
He said, "I am a vegetarian. I have never tasted an onion. So, how will a person like me know about the situation (market prices) of onions."
#WATCH "I am a vegetarian. I have never tasted an onion. So, how will a person like me know about the situation (market prices) of onions," says Union Minister Ashwini Choubey pic.twitter.com/cubekfUrYW
— ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2019
Rajya Sabha latest updates
Ram Chandra Singh of the JD(U), asserting that action needed to be taken on direct tax code, said, "When a baby is born, its face is cute. But when it gets small pox, it gets all sorts of scars. The bill has got so many amendments that it's messed up."
DMK MP TKS Elangovan also said, "This government is tapping the poor and patting the rich. The government has not provided anything to the poorer sections of the society. Two crores of job creation every year was promised. Why has domestic consumption gone down? The welfare of 80 percent of the population is left out."
Rajya Sabha latest updates
The Congress, Trinamool Congress, and AIADMK raised objections regarding the Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "There are significant issues between the ordinance that was issued and the bill. We are living in an era of QSQT, not qayamat se qayamat tak; It is quarter se quarter tak. I am not a believer in QSQT. Because economies grow in long term. But when you have 6 consecutive quarters of GDP decline, it is cause of worry. The assumption of the bill is fundamentally flawed."
Sukhendu Sekar Ray of the Trinamool Congress said that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should "consider and clear the pending GST compensations to five states including West Bengal."
Meanwhile, A Vijayakumar of the AIADMK said, "Our economy is under deep stress. The govt is targetting a $5 trillion economy. The size of the economy was $2.7 trillion. Out of the total 7 crore taxpayers, only 11.86 lakh are corporate tax payers."
Lok Sabha latest updates
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday urged the state governments to draft an action plan with the aim of tackling incidents of digital banking frauds across the country. His remark came after an MP raised the issue in the House during the Zero Hour.
BJP's Arvind Kumar Sharma said that on one hand, the nation was moving towards digital India while on the other hand, such fraudulent activities were taking place, News18 reported.
Parliament latest updates
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Women Empowerment on Thursday held a meeting with representatives of the Facebook group at the Parliament House Annexe building in view of the rising crime against women on social media.Cyber harassment and bullying is likely to be discussed in the meeting.
Lok Sabha latest updates
Union Minister of Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha said that the process for the Hajj 2020 has been made 100 percent digital. "This includes the online application, E-Visa, Hajj mobile app, digital pre-tagging of baggage of pilgrims. E-MASISA (E-Medical Assistance System for Indian Pilgrims Abroad), Portal for Haj Group Organisers (HGOs) with their details and Haj packages. Government of India takes a number of measures for the welfare of Indian Hajj pilgrims both in India and in Saudi Arabia."
Parliament LATEST Updates: The Rajya Sabha on Thursday approved the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019, moved by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, replacing ordinance used to slash corporate tax rate.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman slammed the Opposition for calling the Centre's policies regarding the economy, "elitist". Sitharaman's outburst comes amid trolling and criticism for her "I don't eat onion, garlic" remark in the Lok Sabha earlier on Thursday, when asked about the rising prices of onions.
In the Rajya Sabha, during the debate on the Taxation (Amendment) Bill, she said, "I absolutely condemn the approach of the members calling me elitist. This govt. thinks of the poor much more."
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman began her arguments in the debate over the Taxation (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha. She broke down the clauses of the amendment and gave details of the government's effort over the legislation.
Asserting that computer software development, mining, printing of books will not to be treated as manufacturing for lower tax, she said, "Good reforms to boost economy will continue."
Ram Chandra Singh of the JD(U), asserting that action needed to be taken on direct tax code, said, "When a baby is born, its face is cute. But when it gets small pox, it gets all sorts of scars. The bill has got so many amendments that it's messed up."
DMK MP TKS Elangovan also said, "This government is tapping the poor and patting the rich. The government has not provided anything to the poorer sections of the society. Two crores of job creation every year was promised. Why has domestic consumption gone down? The welfare of 80 percent of the population is left out."
Rajya Sabha chairman and Vice President of India, Venkaiah Naidu condemned the incident in which a rape survivor was set ablaze in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao on Thursday.
He said, "This entire House condemns the incident. I got in touch with the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh, he has explained to me that the culprits have been arrested. What is needed, is not a mere arrest in one case. We must send out a signal to the entire country and society that in such incidents action should be taken promptly, swiftly, and adequately, so these things are not repeated again."
One of the major bills to be moved in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday was the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill. The House has now begun a discussion on it.
KK Ragesh of the CPM moved the statutory resolution on the bill. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh began the arguments in the debate over the ordinance and extended his support to it. He said, "There are significant issues between the ordinance that was issued and the bill."
Suresh Kodikunnil, Congress MP from Kerala, spoke about the agrarian crisis that the farmers across the country are reeling under. Detailing the issues being faced by farmers, he said "The BJP govt failed to address crop loss and its impact on farmers."
Addressing the media for the first time since his release from Tihar jail on Wednesday, former finance minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram pointed out in the press conference that even after seven months into the fiscal year, the BJP government believes that the problems faced by the economy are cyclical.
Chidambaram pointed out that the UPA government had lifted 140 million people out of poverty between 2004 and 2014, while the NDA government has, since 2016, pushed millions of people below the poverty line. "The economy can be brought out of the slowdown, but this government is incapable of doing that. I believe that the Congress and some other parties are better equipped to pull the economy out of the slowdown, but we have to wait for better times," he said.
The Congress leader said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been unusually silent on the economy. "He has left it to his ministers to indulge in bluff and bluster," calling the government an "incompetent manager" of the economy.
Chidambaram attacked the Centre over the 'floundering state of the economy' in a press conference. He said that the Narendra Modi-led government is 'stubborn, mullish, wrong'.
The Congress leader reached the Parliament complex to attend the Rajya Sabha proceedings, a day after he was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the INX Media case.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will move the International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha. The Bill provides for the establishment of an Authority to develop and regulate the financial services market in the International Financial Services Centres in India.
Additionally, the House of People will also hold a discussion on crop losses all over the country and the resultant impact on farmers. Among the list of issues expected to be raised during the Question Hour are construction of national highways, bringing in the National Highway Accident Relief Service Scheme, upgradation of state highways to national highways, per capita availability of water and flood management programmes.
In the Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman will table the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which looks at further amending the Income Tax Act, 1961 Finance (No.2) Act, 2019. She will also move that the bill be returned.
The House of Elders will raise questions pertaining to suspension of postal services in Kashmir, safety of citizen's data, self defence training to girls, reasons for change of GDP base year and projects undertaken under the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme, among other issues.
Three members – KK Ragesh, T Subbarami Reddy and Elamaram Kareem will move a statutory resolution which states the House’s disapproval of the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 (No.15 of 2019) promulgated by the President Ram Nath Kovind on 20 September.
The Rajya Sabha proceedings may be attended by former finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who was granted bail in the INX Media case by the Supreme court on Wednesday.
The Parliament is likely to take up the Citizenship Amendment Bill soon, which got a nod from the Union Cabinet on Wednesday.
The Union Cabinet had given a nod to Data Protection Bill on Wednesday. The Parliament had also passed a bill to regularise 1,731 unauthorised Delhi colonies.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had addressed queries regarding the Chinese incursions into Indian territory on Wednesday, saying that intrusions occurred due to perceptional differences over the India-China border. Home Minister Amit Shah had said that a government committee will look at amending the Indian Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code to deal with the rising incidents of mob lynching.
The move will strengthen the November 2022 peace deal between the TPLF and the federal government
Purnesh Modi is a BJP MLA and ex-Gujarat minister. The 57-year-old, who, joined the BJP in 1984, has held several positions within the party including its Surat city chief. Purnesh was in December 2022 among a slew of big names dropped from the Bhupendra Patel cabinet
Former cricket star Khan was prime minister from 2018 until 2022, when he was ousted from office in a parliamentary vote. Since then, he has been demanding a new election and holding protests across the country to press his case.
