Parliament LATEST updates: The Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019 with the 'aye's having the majority. Several Opposition MPs spoke against the bill and urged the Centre to withdraw it and apply modifications suggested.
However, none of the amendments suggested by the Opposition members like TMC MP Sougata Roy, were accepted by the House.
AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that the chairperson of the NHRC should be from the national commission for minorities. Owaisi spoke about encounter killings, custodial deaths, and mob lynchings.
"The Supreme Court has said that the Centre has to make a law on mob lynchings, but why hasn't the government done so? Why are the police officers who are accused for mob lynchings not punished?" he questioned.
DMK MP Kanimozhi spoke after Union minister Satya Pal Singh defended the human rights bill in the Lower House. Singh questioned Darwin's theory of evolution and slammed NGOs for being "financed by foreign organisations" and for supporting "terrorists, anti-nationals, and rapists".
He also said that the Centre is "committed" to protecting human rights.
Kanimozhi began her speech by saying that preserving "scientific temper" was important for upholding human rights. She said, "I oppose the bill because it tries to include the membership of several chairpersons of other national commissions like for backward classes, child rights and we cannot ignore the fact that they are 'political appointees', so how can the NHRC work independently if there are 'political appointees' who have been included in the commission?"
"In spite of the government being against the NGOs in the country, we cannot ignore the work that social activists have done to uphold the rights of marginalised communities.
"A reduced tenure will result in the chairperson not having the time to understand and resolve the issues that come before it. Per day there are at least one lakh cases that come to the commission, how can only one more additional member help? Now, the whole power rests with the chairperson, which is definitely not democratic."
TMC MP Sougata Roy also raised points in support of Kanimozhi's arguments.
Amid objections from several Opposition MPs — Congress, AIMIM, TMC — the Lower House on Friday passed the Right to Information (Amendment) Bil, 2019. The bill was supported by 224 MPs, while nine MPs objected the bill.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor called the Amendment bill the "RTI elmination bill". He said that the amendment would take the power away from the Information Commission. AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that the amendment bill lacks "legislative competence" because a clause in the amendment takes away the powers of the state.
However, Speaker Om Birla cut off Tharoor, Owaisi, and TMC MP Sougata Roy and asked the Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Public Grievances and Pensions to counter the arguments. "Let us allow the bill to be introduced and then debate," he said, while countering the Opposition MPs' objections.
AIMIM MP from Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi raised the Centre's vaccination drive to curb dengue and said that the government was taking advantage of the locals that were being tested for the vaccine to "benefit big pharmaceutical companies". He said that members of the Parliament should volunteer as testers instead.
Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health and Family Welfare said it was unfortunate that an "educated" member of the House was casting doubts on a universally benefited and accepted thing like vaccines.
The ongoing session of the 17th Lok Sabha has been the most productive in the last 20 years, with the Lower House registering 128 percent productivity till Tuesday, according to think tank PRS Legislative Research.
Lok Sabha members discussed the General Budget for 17 hours, demands for grants for Ministry of Railways for 13 hours and for Ministry of Road and Transport for 7.44 hours, Speaker Om Birla informed the House on Thursday.
He said members discussed demands for grants for Rural Development and Agriculture Ministry for 10.36 hours, and issues related to Sports and Youth Affairs Ministry for 4.14 hours. Since Zero Hour in Lok Sabha could not take place for the past few days, Birla allowed members to raise issues of urgent public importance around 6 pm.
A total of 162 members raised issues during the extended Zero Hour on Thursday, which went on for 4 hours and 50 minutes before the House was adjourned at 10.50 pm. The Lok Sabha has been working for more than its scheduled time and has sat till midnight on two occasions to complete its legislative business.
"This session, the Lok Sabha has been working for more than its scheduled time. Till 16 July, 2019, the Lok Sabha's productivity is at 128 percent which is the highest for any session in the past 20 years," the PRS Legislative Research said.
Similarly, the productivity of Rajya Sabha, where the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led dispensation lacks majority, unlike Lok Sabha, is also relatively high. The productivity of the Upper House was 98 percent till Tuesday, according to the non-profit organisation.
Productivity means the number of hours the House actually functioned compared to the number of hours officially earmarked for it to work. The session started on 17 June and will conclude on 26 July.
Updated Date: Jul 19, 2019 15:41:44 IST
Highlights
Lok Sabha passes Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019
The Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019 with the 'aye's having the majority. Several Opposition MPs spoke against the bill and urged the Centre to withdraw it and apply modifications suggested.
However, none of the amendments suggested by the Opposition members like TMC MP Sougata Roy, were accepted by the House.
Lok Sabha | MPs place amendments to human rights bill on floor of House
Lok Sabha | Nityanand Rai defends amendment bill on human rights
Union minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai defended the proposed amendment to the protection of human rights in the Lok Sabha on Friday. He lauded the Narendra Modi government on its "policies" on human rights. The minister answered the points raised by the Opposition one by one and also jested on some arguments raised by the Opposition MPs in his speech.
Rajya Sabha | MPs voice concern over incidents of building collapses
Rajya Sabha members voiced concern over incidents of buildings collapse and the resultant casualties and suggested cheaper loans to people for the repair of their old buildings.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, senior Congress member Viplove Thakur cited several incidents of building collapse including the recent one in Mumbai which led to several fatalities.
Lok Sabha | Asaduddin Owaisi says chairperson of NHRC should be from minorities commission
AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that the chairperson of the NHRC should be from the national commission for minorities. Owaisi spoke about encounter killings, custodial deaths, and mob lynchings.
"The Supreme Court has said that the Centre has to make a law on mob lynchings, but why hasn't the government done so? Why are the police officers who are accused for mob lynchings not punished?" he questioned.
Lok Sabha | Shashi Tharoor calls Human Rights Amendment bill 'cosmetic'
In the debate on the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill 2019, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor called the bill "piecemeal and cosmetic". He referred to the recent raids on advocates Indira Jaising and Anand Grover, and also spoke about the arrests of human rights activists like Sudha Bharadwaj.
He said, "The bill doesn't even scratch the surface, I recommend the minister to withdraw it and fix it, and bring it back for consideration in the House. It's a damp squib, there is a real fear that we might face an international embarrassment when the United Nations picks faults with the bill.
"57 people in Assam have committed suicide because the National Register of Citizens (NRC) has excluded them, ironically, the majority of these people are Hindus."
Lok Sabha | House takes up the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor spoke in the debate on the Human Rights bill on Friday. He picked six faults with the amendments suggested in the bill. "The entire logic of this bill is to assure the international community that we will strengthen the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and live up to the Paris principles.
"I'm afraid that the bill fails on both counts because of six reasons:
1) There is a lack of autonomy. Our Supreme Court has recognised that the NHRC is a "toothless tiger", because the government doesn't heed its suggestions. Several cases are pending before it. The amendment bill also completely ignores the recommendations of the NHRC itself. The bill has nothing to assure the UN that the government is doing as much possible to safeguard the rights of our citizens.
2) The reduction of tenure. A quick change in the leadership of the NHRC will cause inconsistency throughout the process of the commission.
3) The independence and autonomy of the NHRC must be taken seriously, especially after the government tried to appoint a vice president of the ruling party as a member of the NHRC. We need to expressly keep politicians out of the NHRC, and the bill doesn't do that.
4) Vacancies: The post of the DG of the NHRC was vacant for three years from 2014, until the Supreme Court pulled up the government over the lapse. A hostile government can cripple the Constitution by not appointing people in office.
5) Failure to provide clarity to the NHRC, the act is completely unclear about the jurisdiction of the NHRC courts.
Lok Sabha | RTI Amendment bill passed
Amid objections from several Opposition MPs — Congress, AIMIM, TMC — the Lower House on Friday passed the Right to Information (Amendment) Bil, 2019. The bill was supported by 224 MPs, while nine MPs objected the bill.
Lok Sabha | MPs vote on RTI Amendment bill, 2019
Rajya Sabha | Upper House discusses food subsidy
TMC MP Manas Ranjan Bhunia said there are huge inconsistencies in food subsidies currently. He questioned why states facing the issue of Left Wing extremism, were not being given additional food subsidies.
Ram Vilas Paswan, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, replied saying that that the food is distributed by two channels; DCP states in which the government buys the food and non-DCP states, in which the FCI procures the food. "The food is distributed through these two channels according to various needs submitted by the state governments," he was quoted as saying.
Lok Sabha | Shashi Tharoor, Sougata Roy oppose introduction of RTI Amendment bill
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor called the Amendment bill the "RTI elmination bill". He said that the amendment would take the power away from the Information Commission. AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that the amendment bill lacks "legislative competence" because a clause in the amendment takes away the powers of the state.
However, Speaker Om Birla cut off Tharoor, Owaisi, and TMC MP Sougata Roy and asked the Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Public Grievances and Pensions to counter the arguments. "Let us allow the bill to be introduced and then debate," he said, while countering the Opposition MPs' objections.
Lok Sabha | Right to Information (Amendment) bill to be taken up
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, began the discussion on the Right to Information (Amendment) bill, 2019. However, his submission caused a disruption in the House.
Speaker Om Birla reiterated that MPs must only speak about the topic.
Lok Sabha | Congress asks Centre to appoint commission to regulate juvenile remand homes
Congress MP from Punjab, Manish Tiwari asked the Centre to appoint a commission to study the conditions of remand homes for the accused juveniles in the country. "When juveniles are sent to these homes, they come back as hardened criminals rather than being reformed," he said.
Union minister Smriti Irani replied, "As minister, I have already communicated to the states to regulate these homes, and put the onus on the state government so that we don’t interefere with the powers of the state."
Lok Sabha | MPs question Smriti Irani over Juvenile Justice Act
VCK MP from Tamil Nadu, Thirumaa Valavan Thol, said that there was a large number of states that had not notified its rules on the Juvenile Justice Act and expressed "shock" at the "injustice" being done to children in these states.
"Recently the Supreme Court took suo motu action regarding the registration of child sexual abuse cases. I request the government to set a deadline for the states to implement the rules." He asked what action had been taken by the Centre against states that have not notified the rules.
Union minister Smriti Irani replied, "In the states have not notified their own rules, the Centre’s rules apply, so no child is in the want of justice."
Lok Sabha | Lower House to take up Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill and The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 today
The bills to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday are: The Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019, The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, The Right to Information (Amendment)Bill, 2019, and The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019.
Lok Sabha | MPs question Ministry of Health and Family Welfare over Ayushmann Bharat scheme
Komati Reddy Venkat Reddy of the Congress, an MP from Bhongir in Telangana, said that the implementation of the Ayushmann Bharat scheme was "very important", which was "falling short currently".
Lok Sabha | Congress submits adjournment motion notice over Karnataka crisis
As the Karnataka Assembly is facing a trust vote on the Congress-JD(S) coalition government on Friday, the Congress gave an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha over the "current political situation: in Karnataka. The government slumped into a crisis after 16 MLAs submitted their resignations on 6 July.
Lok Sabha | Om Birla appeals to Opposition members to maintain decorum
As protests from Opposition members continued during the Question Hour of the Lower House, Speaker Om Birla appealed for calm and said that even though the House had agreed not to discuss state-related issues in the Parliament, he had allowed Opposition members to raise their grievances about the Karnataka political crisis.
"I will allow you to speak during Zero Hour. Let proceedings continue right now," he said, but to no avail. "The Question Hour is very important for the House. I will definitely let you speak soon," he added.
Lok Sabha | Asaduddin Owaisi accuses Centre of misleading people over dengue vaccine drive
AIMIM MP from Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi raised the Centre's vaccination drive to curb dengue and said that the government was taking advantage of the locals that were being tested for the vaccine to "benefit big pharmaceutical companies". He said that members of the Parliament should volunteer as testers instead.
Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health and Family Welfare said it was unfortunate that an "educated" member of the House was casting doubts on a universally benefited and accepted thing like vaccines.
Lok Sabha | 162 members raise issues in Zero Hour on Thursday
The zero hour in Lok Sabha on Thursday evening saw 162 members raising issues of their concern over more than four-and-half hours. The sitting was extended to accommodate members who raised matters of urgent importance including those related to their constituencies and states.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Meghawal told the members that central ministries will try to respond to the issues raised by them. The members spoke for four hours and 48 minutes with many of them lauding the opportunities being given by Speaker Om Birla.
NRC coordinator seeks more time for final list
The coordinator for the much-debated National Register of Citizens (NRC), which is to be implemented in Assam, has sought more time from the Supreme Court to draw up the final list of citizens in the state. The court has set the deadline of 31 July for the process, which the apex court is monitoring.
On Thursday, the Centre and the Assam government moved the Supreme Court seeking re-verification of 20 percent names in the draft NRC in the state. The Centre and the state government sought an urgent hearing on the plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, which said it would look into it.
LIVE NEWS and UPDATES
15:31 (IST)
Lok Sabha passes Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019
The Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019 with the 'aye's having the majority. Several Opposition MPs spoke against the bill and urged the Centre to withdraw it and apply modifications suggested.
However, none of the amendments suggested by the Opposition members like TMC MP Sougata Roy, were accepted by the House.
15:30 (IST)
Lok Sabha | MPs place amendments to human rights bill on floor of House
15:21 (IST)
Lok Sabha | Nityanand Rai defends amendment bill on human rights
Union minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai defended the proposed amendment to the protection of human rights in the Lok Sabha on Friday. He lauded the Narendra Modi government on its "policies" on human rights. The minister answered the points raised by the Opposition one by one and also jested on some arguments raised by the Opposition MPs in his speech.
14:53 (IST)
Rajya Sabha | MPs voice concern over incidents of building collapses
Rajya Sabha members voiced concern over incidents of buildings collapse and the resultant casualties and suggested cheaper loans to people for the repair of their old buildings.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, senior Congress member Viplove Thakur cited several incidents of building collapse including the recent one in Mumbai which led to several fatalities.
14:51 (IST)
Lok Sabha | Asaduddin Owaisi says chairperson of NHRC should be from minorities commission
AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that the chairperson of the NHRC should be from the national commission for minorities. Owaisi spoke about encounter killings, custodial deaths, and mob lynchings.
"The Supreme Court has said that the Centre has to make a law on mob lynchings, but why hasn't the government done so? Why are the police officers who are accused for mob lynchings not punished?" he questioned.
14:00 (IST)
Lok Sabha | Kanimozhi slams Centre over human rights bill
DMK MP Kanimozhi spoke after Union minister Satya Pal Singh defended the human rights bill in the Lower House. Singh questioned Darwin's theory of evolution and slammed NGOs for being "financed by foreign organisations" and for supporting "terrorists, anti-nationals, and rapists".
He also said that the Centre is "committed" to protecting human rights.
Kanimozhi began her speech by saying that preserving "scientific temper" was important for upholding human rights. She said, "I oppose the bill because it tries to include the membership of several chairpersons of other national commissions like for backward classes, child rights and we cannot ignore the fact that they are 'political appointees', so how can the NHRC work independently if there are 'political appointees' who have been included in the commission?"
"In spite of the government being against the NGOs in the country, we cannot ignore the work that social activists have done to uphold the rights of marginalised communities.
"A reduced tenure will result in the chairperson not having the time to understand and resolve the issues that come before it. Per day there are at least one lakh cases that come to the commission, how can only one more additional member help? Now, the whole power rests with the chairperson, which is definitely not democratic."
TMC MP Sougata Roy also raised points in support of Kanimozhi's arguments.
13:42 (IST)
Lok Sabha | Shashi Tharoor calls Human Rights Amendment bill 'cosmetic'
In the debate on the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill 2019, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor called the bill "piecemeal and cosmetic". He referred to the recent raids on advocates Indira Jaising and Anand Grover, and also spoke about the arrests of human rights activists like Sudha Bharadwaj.
He said, "The bill doesn't even scratch the surface, I recommend the minister to withdraw it and fix it, and bring it back for consideration in the House. It's a damp squib, there is a real fear that we might face an international embarrassment when the United Nations picks faults with the bill.
"57 people in Assam have committed suicide because the National Register of Citizens (NRC) has excluded them, ironically, the majority of these people are Hindus."
13:20 (IST)
Lok Sabha | House takes up the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor spoke in the debate on the Human Rights bill on Friday. He picked six faults with the amendments suggested in the bill. "The entire logic of this bill is to assure the international community that we will strengthen the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and live up to the Paris principles.
"I'm afraid that the bill fails on both counts because of six reasons:
1) There is a lack of autonomy. Our Supreme Court has recognised that the NHRC is a "toothless tiger", because the government doesn't heed its suggestions. Several cases are pending before it. The amendment bill also completely ignores the recommendations of the NHRC itself. The bill has nothing to assure the UN that the government is doing as much possible to safeguard the rights of our citizens.
2) The reduction of tenure. A quick change in the leadership of the NHRC will cause inconsistency throughout the process of the commission.
3) The independence and autonomy of the NHRC must be taken seriously, especially after the government tried to appoint a vice president of the ruling party as a member of the NHRC. We need to expressly keep politicians out of the NHRC, and the bill doesn't do that.
4) Vacancies: The post of the DG of the NHRC was vacant for three years from 2014, until the Supreme Court pulled up the government over the lapse. A hostile government can cripple the Constitution by not appointing people in office.
5) Failure to provide clarity to the NHRC, the act is completely unclear about the jurisdiction of the NHRC courts.
13:03 (IST)
Lok Sabha | RTI Amendment bill passed
Amid objections from several Opposition MPs — Congress, AIMIM, TMC — the Lower House on Friday passed the Right to Information (Amendment) Bil, 2019. The bill was supported by 224 MPs, while nine MPs objected the bill.
12:51 (IST)
Lok Sabha | MPs vote on RTI Amendment bill, 2019
12:45 (IST)
Rajya Sabha | Upper House discusses food subsidy
TMC MP Manas Ranjan Bhunia said there are huge inconsistencies in food subsidies currently. He questioned why states facing the issue of Left Wing extremism, were not being given additional food subsidies.
Ram Vilas Paswan, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, replied saying that that the food is distributed by two channels; DCP states in which the government buys the food and non-DCP states, in which the FCI procures the food. "The food is distributed through these two channels according to various needs submitted by the state governments," he was quoted as saying.
12:34 (IST)
Lok Sabha | Shashi Tharoor, Sougata Roy oppose introduction of RTI Amendment bill
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor called the Amendment bill the "RTI elmination bill". He said that the amendment would take the power away from the Information Commission. AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that the amendment bill lacks "legislative competence" because a clause in the amendment takes away the powers of the state.
However, Speaker Om Birla cut off Tharoor, Owaisi, and TMC MP Sougata Roy and asked the Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Public Grievances and Pensions to counter the arguments. "Let us allow the bill to be introduced and then debate," he said, while countering the Opposition MPs' objections.
12:26 (IST)
Lok Sabha | Right to Information (Amendment) bill to be taken up
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, began the discussion on the Right to Information (Amendment) bill, 2019. However, his submission caused a disruption in the House.
Speaker Om Birla reiterated that MPs must only speak about the topic.
12:08 (IST)
Lok Sabha | Congress asks Centre to appoint commission to regulate juvenile remand homes
Congress MP from Punjab, Manish Tiwari asked the Centre to appoint a commission to study the conditions of remand homes for the accused juveniles in the country. "When juveniles are sent to these homes, they come back as hardened criminals rather than being reformed," he said.
Union minister Smriti Irani replied, "As minister, I have already communicated to the states to regulate these homes, and put the onus on the state government so that we don’t interefere with the powers of the state."
12:06 (IST)
Lok Sabha | MPs question Smriti Irani over Juvenile Justice Act
VCK MP from Tamil Nadu, Thirumaa Valavan Thol, said that there was a large number of states that had not notified its rules on the Juvenile Justice Act and expressed "shock" at the "injustice" being done to children in these states.
"Recently the Supreme Court took suo motu action regarding the registration of child sexual abuse cases. I request the government to set a deadline for the states to implement the rules." He asked what action had been taken by the Centre against states that have not notified the rules.
Union minister Smriti Irani replied, "In the states have not notified their own rules, the Centre’s rules apply, so no child is in the want of justice."
11:47 (IST)
Lok Sabha | Congress MPs raises menstrual hygiene issues
Congress MP from Kerala Shashi Tharoor raised the issue of female students dropping out of school and women labourers leaving the labour force due to a lack of menstrual hygiene facilities by the government.
He said, "We discovered that many girls were dropping out of school because of lack of good toilet facilities and menstrual hygiene facilities. In primary school, both the sexes are there, but in older classes, there are less girls.
"I tried to bring a bill that would provide menstrual sanitary napkins in schools, I think the government can afford to provide sanitary napkins and incinerators in schools. It has been done in Ernakulam."
The minister, Harsh Vardhan replied, "Multiple ministries are helping the HRD ministry and have provided dispensation of sanitary napkins and incinerators in schools. The Centre is doing everything possible."
To which, Tharoor said, "Female participation in the labour force has dropped, so are you prepared to extend schemes to all the districts of the country and also to go beyond adolescent girls in schools and cover all working women?
In his reply, Vardhan said that the Centre was already providing "disposable and reusable sanitary napkins" and was making efforts to bring all women under the scheme's ambit.
11:33 (IST)
Lok Sabha | Lower House to take up Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill and The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 today
The bills to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday are: The Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019, The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, The Right to Information (Amendment)Bill, 2019, and The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019.
11:29 (IST)
Lok Sabha | MPs question Ministry of Health and Family Welfare over Ayushmann Bharat scheme
Komati Reddy Venkat Reddy of the Congress, an MP from Bhongir in Telangana, said that the implementation of the Ayushmann Bharat scheme was "very important", which was "falling short currently".
11:23 (IST)
Lok Sabha | Congress submits adjournment motion notice over Karnataka crisis
As the Karnataka Assembly is facing a trust vote on the Congress-JD(S) coalition government on Friday, the Congress gave an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha over the "current political situation: in Karnataka. The government slumped into a crisis after 16 MLAs submitted their resignations on 6 July.
11:19 (IST)
Lok Sabha | Om Birla appeals to Opposition members to maintain decorum
As protests from Opposition members continued during the Question Hour of the Lower House, Speaker Om Birla appealed for calm and said that even though the House had agreed not to discuss state-related issues in the Parliament, he had allowed Opposition members to raise their grievances about the Karnataka political crisis.
"I will allow you to speak during Zero Hour. Let proceedings continue right now," he said, but to no avail. "The Question Hour is very important for the House. I will definitely let you speak soon," he added.
11:16 (IST)
Lok Sabha | Asaduddin Owaisi accuses Centre of misleading people over dengue vaccine drive
AIMIM MP from Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi raised the Centre's vaccination drive to curb dengue and said that the government was taking advantage of the locals that were being tested for the vaccine to "benefit big pharmaceutical companies". He said that members of the Parliament should volunteer as testers instead.
Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health and Family Welfare said it was unfortunate that an "educated" member of the House was casting doubts on a universally benefited and accepted thing like vaccines.
11:10 (IST)
Lok Sabha | Opposition members raise slogans as Question Hour begins
BJP MP Rekha Arun Verma of Uttar Pradesh questioned Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health and Family Welfare over the health care and nutrition facilities provided to anganwadis in the state.
However, as the minister responded that the government was taking efforts to implement the 'Indradhanush' (rainbow) scheme, members of the Opposition raised slogans over the Karnataka political crisis.
11:04 (IST)
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha begin day's proceedings
11:02 (IST)
Lok Sabha | 162 members raise issues in Zero Hour on Thursday
The zero hour in Lok Sabha on Thursday evening saw 162 members raising issues of their concern over more than four-and-half hours. The sitting was extended to accommodate members who raised matters of urgent importance including those related to their constituencies and states.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Meghawal told the members that central ministries will try to respond to the issues raised by them. The members spoke for four hours and 48 minutes with many of them lauding the opportunities being given by Speaker Om Birla.
11:01 (IST)
NRC coordinator seeks more time for final list
The coordinator for the much-debated National Register of Citizens (NRC), which is to be implemented in Assam, has sought more time from the Supreme Court to draw up the final list of citizens in the state. The court has set the deadline of 31 July for the process, which the apex court is monitoring.
On Thursday, the Centre and the Assam government moved the Supreme Court seeking re-verification of 20 percent names in the draft NRC in the state. The Centre and the state government sought an urgent hearing on the plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, which said it would look into it.