Nitin Gadkari lists provisions and amendments proposed by the MVA Bill
Parents of underage drivers will be penalised, if the Bill is passed, says Nitin Gadkari. He also said that since driving capabilities of truck drivers matter, the provision of minimum educational qualification of having passed Class 8 will be done away with.
The Bill seeks to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which looks into road safety, licenses and permits with regard to motor vehicles and standards for motor vehicles.
The Bill proposes a scheme to allow cashless treatment of victims in a road accident during the 'golden hour'. This hour is defined in the Bill as time period of one hour following traumatic injury, during which the likelihood of preventing death through prompt medical care is the highest.
It provides for the constitution of a compulsory road insurance cover for all, under a Motor Vehicle Accident Fund. The Bill proposes to allow the Centre to recall motor vehicles if a defect in the same causes environmental damage or is unsafe for the driver or others on the road.
The Bill seeks to develop a National Transportation Policy, in consultation with the States. It also proposes the constitution of a National Road Safety Board, which will consult the State and the Central governments on road safety and the management of traffic. The Bill also proposes that transport aggregators, like Uber and Ola, be issued licenses by the government.
Jitendra Singh, Minister of State, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension responds to the questions by the MPs on the RTI Amendment Bill, 2019
Hitting out at Opposition MPs who said basic rights are being taken away by the amendments suggested by the RTI Bill, Singh said that the current government has nothing to hide and the darkest hour for the country was during the Emergency period under Indira Gandhi.
Two lakh grievances were filed under the RTI Act in 2014, Singh informed the Lok Sabha, adding that the number rose to almost 16 lakh annually, due to the current government’s commitment to resolving issues.
After a demand by the MPs, a division to be undertaken.
There is no use of the NHRC’s powers if it cannot look into the violation by the Army, Congress’ Ripun Bora said in the Rajya Sabha.
Stating that five people have committed suicide since the inception of detention camps in Assam where persons are sent by the foreigners’ tribunals, he sought that an expert team be sent to the state to examine the conditions there. He said that no action is taken even though the government knows these camps have no water, electricity or other basic facilities.
Bora said that bias will weaken the Commission of a judge is allowed to chair it.
Parliament Updates: The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 proposes to give the Centre the power to set the tenure and salaries of state and central Information Commissioners. The opposition has protested that such a move could dilute the effectiveness of the RTI Act, thereby threatening the autonomy of the Information Commissions.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu announces to the House the successful launch of the Chandrayaan-2 and gets the house to congratulate ISRO scientists for the remarkable feat which, he said, has made the entire country proud. The Chairman further explained to the members that he had heard the grievances of the Opposition members and those who had to move an amendment motion have already done so, therefore, discussion on the human rights bill should proceed.
In Lok Sabha, the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 is being discussed. The bill seeks to remove the fixed tenure of CICs and ICs. Currently, the tenure is fixed for five years. The bill also seeks to change the Central Information Commissioner's salary which was ht same as the CEC and will allow the government to fix his salary.
Rajya Sabha is currently discussing the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill. However, the Opposition is disrupting the House by shouting slogans such as 'Dalit virodhi ye sarkaar, nahin chelegi nahin chalegi' (This government is against he minorities, we won't let it run).
The Deputy Chairman of the Upper House Harivansh Narayan Singh urged the protesting members to return to their seats however, a few members threw papers at his Chair, prompting him to stand up and appeal to the members to maintain the order of the House.
The Upper House was adjourned again as Opposition members raised slogans against the central government over the Sonbhadra incident and disrupted the proceedings of the Upper House during the Question Hour.
The Upper House was adjourned till noon following an uproar over the Karnataka crisis by several legislators. Meanwhile, the Lower House was adjourned till 2 pm as a mark of respect for late MP Ramchandra Paswan.
Six Congress MPs have given Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha over 'Political leaders being prevented from meeting people in Uttar Pradesh's Sonbhadra'. This comes after Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was stopped from meeting the kin of those killed in the 17 July firing incident which killed 10 people.
The last five working days of the first session of the 17th Lok Sabha are going to be jam-packed with pending legislation as government plans to introduce 13 bills and take up the triple talaq ordinance amid speculation about extending the session that ends on 26 July to 2 August.
Union ministers are in touch with opposition parties to bring them on board for the extension. Though some opposition leaders said they are not in favour of such a proposal but the sources asserted that a decision on this session's schedule is the prerogative of the ruling dispensation.
Last week, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan told the Rajya Sabha that the government planned to move 13 bills in the Lok Sabha, which will come to the Upper House. Other than these, there are pending ordinances such as the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2019 that needed to be taken up. The Upper House also has to debate and pass the Union Budget, which was cleared by the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Opposition alleged that none of the legislations had passed the scrutiny of standing committees as the panels had not been formed yet. “Except the Motor Vehicles Bill, none of the Bills has been scrutinised,” Trinamool Congress floor leader Derek O’ Brien said.
The ongoing first session of the 17th Lok Sabha, which started on 17 June, has so far 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. 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 the Rajya Sabha, where the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led dispensation lacks a majority, unlike the Lok Sabha, is also relatively high. The productivity of the Upper House was 98 percent till Tuesday, according to the non-profit organisation.
"I want to say that this is the beginning and I want to thank the people of India for whose sake people from abroad are recognizing our people today," she added.
Rahul Gandhi was convicted by a Surat court on Thursday in a 2019 criminal defamation case. Later, after the Court’s ruling, he was disqualified from the Lok Sabha and lost his position as a Member of Parliament
Macron's brazen move to force a pension reform bill through without a vote has infuriated the political opposition and could hamper his government's ability to pass legislation for the remaining four years of his term
