Tag: Lok Sabha

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju

Cong Will Regret The No-Confidence Motion Later: Rijiju

By LokMarg

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, while arguing against the no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition parties in Lok Sabha, said that the Congress will regret it later.

“This no-confidence motion has been brought at a very wrong time and in a wrong manner. The Congress party will regret it later,” Union minister Kiren Rijiju said in Lok Sabha.

The motion was moved by Congress Party MP Gaurav Gogoi on July 26 and was accepted by Speaker Om Birla. Gogoi, On Tuesday, initiated the debate on the motion.

The minister further slammed the previous UPA government at the Centre for “racial discrimination and atrocities” faced by the people from Northeast in the national capital.

“Before 2014, many people from the Northeast faced racial discrimination and atrocities in Delhi and other major cities of the country. After 2014 the situation changed, and the DGP conference was held in Guwahati for the first time after independence. During this meeting, the PM directed that police must ensure the security of people from the Northeast,” Kiren Rijiju said in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Kiren Rijiju also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi won the trust of eight Northeast states by working for them.

“Working for people and understanding their issues is how we can reach them. PM Modi won the trust of the people living in the eight Northeast states that way,” he added.

Further, hitting out the Opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A– the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, Rijiju said that the name of the coalition will not help the parties when they are working “against India”.  

“Nothing will happen by naming the alliance I.N.D.I.A when you are actually working against India,” he said.

Rijiju also said that because of a ‘strong’ leadership in the country, no foreign power can interfere in India’s internal matters.

“…The days are gone when foreign powers would tell India what to do and what not to do…Today, no foreign power can interfere in our internal matters…,” the minister said.

The debate on the no-confidence motion was initiated by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, with heated exchanges between the opposition and treasury benches.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing his second no-confidence motion in Parliament today, the first in his second term as the PM.

However, Modi’s government won’t lose the vote as his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies have a majority in parliament.

But opposition leaders say the debate will force Modi to speak on ongoing ethnic clashes in Manipur state.

Any Lok Sabha MP, who has the support of 50 colleagues, can, at any point of time, introduce a motion of no-confidence against the Council of Ministers.

Thereafter, a discussion on the motion takes place. MPs who support the motion highlight the government’s shortcomings, and the Treasury Benches respond to the issues they raise. (ANI)

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1,532 Suicides Cases By Personnel Of CAPFS, Assam Rifles, NSG Since 2011: MoS Rai

By LokMarg

Union Minister for State Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Tuesday informed Lok Sabha in a written reply that 1,532 cases of suicides by personnel of CAPFS, Assam Rifles (AR) and National Security Guard (NSG) since 2011.

MoS Home Nityanand Rai in a written reply to the question of Lok Sabha MP Hanuman Beniwal that the number of cases of suicides committed by Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel since 2011 said that 1,532 cases of suicides by personnel of CAPFS, Assam Rifles (AR) and National Security Guard (NSG) since 2011

MoS Home Further inform Lower House on the question of whether the Government is aware of any such cases caused due to harassment by the system and said that No such cases caused due to harassment by the system have

been reported.

“A Task Force has been set up to identify relevant risk factors as well as relevant risk groups and to suggest remedial measures for prevention of suicides and fratricides in CAPFs and Assam Rifles (AR). The report of the Task Force is awaited” MoS Home Nityanand Rai added. (ANI)

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Parliament's Budget Session To Begin On Wednesday

INDIA MPs Begin To Chalk Out Strategy Ahead Of No-Confidence Motion

By LokMarg

As the discussion on the no-confidence motion to be taken up in Lok Sabha today, a meeting of the leaders of I.N.D.I.A. parties began at the Rajya Sabha LoP’s office in Parliament to chalk out the strategy for the floor of the House. 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was reinstated as the Lok Sabha MP a day ago will open the debate on the no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government in the Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday. 

Rahul Gandhi was reinstated as Lok Sabha MP on Monday, three days after the Supreme Court suspended his criminal defamation conviction in the Modi surname case

The Narendra Modi-led NDA Government will face a no-confidence motion. The no-confidence motion was moved by the opposition parties of I.N.D.I.A bloc which was accepted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

According to sources, a time of 12 hours has been fixed for the discussion. The ruling BJP will get around seven hours to partake in the discussion and around one hour 15 minutes has been allotted for the Congress party.

YSRCP, Shiv Sena, JDU, BJD, BSP, BRS and LJP have been given a total of 2 hours, which has been divided according to the number of party’s MPs in the House. A time limit of 1 hour 10 minutes has been allotted for other parties and independent MPs.

The debate on the no-confidence motion against the BJP-led government is likely to take place on August 8 and 9 in the Lok Sabha and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to give a reply on August 10.

Manipur is set to dominate the three-day debate commencing today in the Lok Sabha on the opposition’s no-confidence motion.

Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that he is ready for discussion on Manipur adding that the Centre has nothing to hide. He further said that if the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge agrees to discuss the issue on August 11 then he is also ready.

Opposition members have been seeking discussion under Rule 267 in the Rajya Sabha since the beginning of the monsoon session of Parliament on July 20.

The Rajya Sabha has been facing a similar logjam since July 20, the day when the Monsoon Session started, over the Manipur violence issue.

Manipur had been on the boil for the last three months after ethnic clashes broke out between two tribal communities Meities and Kukis, when the Manipur High Court asked the state government to consider adding one of the communities to the list of Scheduled Tribes. (ANI)

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The Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill 2023

Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill 2023 Introduced In LS

By LokMarg

The Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill, 2023 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday by Union Minister of Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh.

The Bill, after being passed by both Houses of the Parliament, seeks to establish a research foundation that will seed, grow and promote Research and Development (R&D) and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India’s universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories.

The bill, after approval in the Parliament, will establish the National Research Foundation (NRF), an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction of scientific research in the country as per recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP), at a total estimated cost of Rs. 50,000 crore during five years (2023-28), a release from the Ministry of Science and Technology stated.

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) will be the administrative Department of NRF which will be governed by a Governing Board consisting of eminent researchers and professionals across disciplines.

The Prime Minister will be the ex-officio President of the Board and the Union Minister of Science and Technology and Union Minister of Education will be the ex-officio Vice-Presidents. NRF’s functioning will be governed by an Executive Council chaired by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, the press note stated.

NRF will forge collaborations among the industry, academia, and government departments and research institutions, and create an interface mechanism for participation and contribution of industries and State governments in addition to the scientific and line ministries.

It will focus on creating a policy framework and putting in place regulatory processes that can encourage collaboration and increased spending by the industry on R&D, the press release stated.

The bill will also repeal the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) established by an act of Parliament in 2008 and subsume it into NRF which has an expanded mandate and covers activities over and above the activities of SERB. (ANI)

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LS Passes Revamp Age-Based Certification

LS Passes Bill To Curb Film Piracy, Revamp Age-Based Certification

By LokMarg

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed a Bill to curb the menace of film piracy, revamp age-based certification given by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) as well as uniformity in the categorisation of films and content across platforms.

The Cinematograph (Amendment ) Bill 2023 was passed in the Lok Sabha with a voice vote despite protests by the members of the Opposition parties over the ongoing Manipur ethnic violence. The Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on July 27.

CBFC Denies Refusing Certification To ’72 Hoorain’ Trailer


Speaking on the Bill, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur said “We (the government) will do the work of stopping piracy through this Bill.”

“Piracy is like cancer and we are trying to uproot it through this Bill,” Thakur said in support of the Bill, which has provisions to curb transmission of pirated film content on the internet as well as to classify films on the basis of age group, instead of the current practice of ‘U’, ‘A’, and ‘UA’.

“U” is for unrestricted public exhibition and “A” is restricted to adult audiences, while “UA” is for unrestricted public exhibition subject to parental guidance for children below the age of 12 and “S” for special category audiences such as doctors and scientists.

The Bill seeks amendment to the Cinematograph Act, 1952. The amendments will address the issue of unauthorised recording and exhibition of films.

The draft Act constitutes the Board of Film Certification for certifying films for exhibition.  Such certifications may be subject to modifications and deletions. The Board may also refuse the exhibition of films.

The Bill adds certain additional certificate categories based on age. Under the Act, the film may be certified for exhibition without restriction (‘U’); without restriction, but subject to guidance of parents or guardians for children below 12 years of age (‘UA’); only to adults (‘A’); or only to members of any profession or class of persons (‘S’).

The Bill substitutes the UA category with the following three categories to also indicate age-appropriateness UA 7+, UA 13+, or UA 16+.  The age endorsement within the UA category by the Board will inform guidance of parents or guardians, and will not be enforceable by any other persons other than parents or guardians.

Films with an ‘A’ or ‘S’ certificate will require a separate certificate for exhibition on television, or any other media prescribed by the central government. The Board may direct the applicant to carry appropriate deletions or modifications for the separate certificate.

The Bill prohibits carrying out or abetting the unauthorised recording and unauthorised exhibition of films.  Attempting an unauthorised recording will also be an offence.

An unauthorised recording means making or transmitting an infringing copy of a film at a licensed place for film exhibition without the owner’s authorisation.  An unauthorised exhibition means the public exhibition of an infringing copy of the film for profit at a location not licensed to exhibit films or in a manner that infringes upon the copyright law.

Certain exemptions under the Copyright Act, 1957 will also apply to the above offences.  The 1957 Act allows limited use of copyrighted content without owner’s authorisation in specified cases such as private or personal use, reporting of current affairs, or review or critique of that work.

The offences will be punishable with imprisonment between three months and three years, and a fine between three lakh rupees and 5 per cent of the audited gross production cost.

Under the Act, the certificate issued by the Board is valid for 10 years. The Bill provides that the certificates will be perpetually valid.

The Act empowers the central government to examine and make orders in relation to films that have been certified or are pending certification. The Board is required to dispose matters in conformance to the order. (ANI)

Pralhad Joshi on no trust motion

BJP Confident Of Defeating No Trust Motion: Minister

By LokMarg

Amid the clamour from the Opposition for a debate on the vote of no confidence filed against the Centre in the Lok Sabha over the Manipur situation, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday said the government was confident it had numbers to sail through a no-confidence vote, should it happen.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the seventh day of the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament on Friday, the Union Minister said, “They (Opposition) do not take part in discussions and neither cooperate in ensuring passage of Bills in Parliament. We were ready to take constructive suggestions from them, but they brought a no-confidence motion all of a sudden. We will have discussions on the no-confidence motion as and when required. We are not too worried as we have the numbers (to survive the vote of no confidence).”
Joshi also said there is no better floor than Parliament to discuss the prevailing situation in Manipur.

“If they want the truth (regarding Manipur) to come out, there is no better floor than this (Parliament) for a discussion and debate,” he added.

Members of the grand Opposition alliance, I.N.D.I.A, have been adamant on the demand that all listed businesses in both Houses be aside for a discussion on the Manipur situation.

They have also been insisting on a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the prevailing state of affairs in the Northeast state.

The Opposition members are also pushing for the demand that the Lok Sabha Speaker set a date for voting on the no-confidence motion against the Centre filed earlier.

The motion, on behalf of the Opposition alliance, was tabled earlier by Congress Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi.

Further, Opposition parties on Friday alleged that the government was “subverting” parliamentary traditions by passing Bills even after the motion of no confidence was accepted by the Speaker at the Lok Sabha.

Borrowing the words of former Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Satyendra Narayan Sinha, Congress MP Manish Tiwari said, “On July 26, 1966, Satyendra Narayan Sinha, the then Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, made a significant statement in the Lok Sabha regarding No-Confidence Motion. He said, ‘I do concede that whenever there is a no-confidence motion, no substantive motion should he brought just to forestall the whole thing’.”

“These are the Parliamentary traditions that are being subverted by passing bill after bill at a time when a no-confidence motion has been submitted and allowed,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, also demanded an immediate discussion on the no-confidence motion.

“We have moved a no-confidence motion under Rule 198. As per this rule, a discussion on the motion should happen immediately,” he said.

Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha also objected to the tabling and passing of the Bills in both Houses, saying, “no Bill is introduced in Parliament after a no-confidence motion is accepted by the Lok Sabha Speaker”.

“But we are seeing that several Bills are being introduced and passed in Parliament,” he told ANI.

AAP’s Raghav Chadha urged the Speaker to ensure that no legislative business takes place in the Lower House till the no-confidence motion is debated.

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023, as reported by Joint Committee, was passed in Lok Sabha on Thursday after the House resumed at 3 pm amid sloganeering by the Opposition members over Manipur.  (ANI)

Monsoon Session: Parliament Adjourned Till Monday

By LokMarg

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day on Friday, amid continued slogan-shouting from the Opposition benches over the demand for a discussion on the Manipur situation.

Earlier, on Friday, the Lower House was adjourned till 12 noon after convening at 11 am, as Opposition members continued to disrupt proceedings demanding that all listed businesses be set aside for a discussion on the Manipur situation.
Amid persistent uproar over Manipur and the motion of no-confidence against the Centre, both Houses were adjourned till 11 am on Monday.

Upon the resumption of the Parliament Monsoon Session on Friday, Opposition members in the Lok Sabha demanded an immediate discussion on the no-confidence motion, which was filed by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and accepted by Speaker Om Birla.

The Speaker called for Question Hour as the Lower House reconvened but the Opposition members kept disrupting proceedings demanding a discussion on Manipur and the motion of no confidence.

Citing a precedent from 1978, Congress Lok Sabha MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the Lower House, then, had allowed a debate on the no-confidence motion on the day it was tabled and admitted.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday reiterated that the government was ready to debate all issues raised by the Opposition but at a date and time decided by the Speaker, adding that the rules provide for a 10-day window.

The Speaker adjourned the House till 12 noon amid chaos.

Earlier, on Wednesday, speaker Om Birla had accepted the no-confidence motion that was filed by the Congress MP on behalf of the Opposition.

The Rajya Sabha, meanwhile, was also adjourned for the day after the Opposition members raised a ruckus over Manipur.

While in session, the Upper House recalled the contribution of Vinay Dinu Tendulkar, who retired on Friday. (ANI)

Old Parliament

Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha Face Disruptions On Manipur Issue

By LokMarg

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha faced disruptions on Thursday over demands of opposition members related to the Manipur situation and both Houses were adjourned amid the ruckus.

While the Lok Sabha saw an adjournment soon after it met for the day, the Rajya Sabha was first adjourned till 12 noon and then till 2 pm.
Rajya Sabha saw noisy scenes almost from the beginning of the proceedings. Opposition party members raised slogans over their demands related to Manipur situation including discussion under Rule 287.  Many opposition members were wearing black clothes.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who made a statement on ‘Latest Developments in Foreign Policy’, faced constant interruptions as opposition members raised slogans.

The ruling party members also countered them by raising “Modi, Modi” slogans briefly.

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said that the decade belongs to India and the rise of the country is unstoppable.  Dhankhar referred to his visits abroad as Deputy Chairman and said it is a great honour to be a citizen of India.

He asked members if they had supplementaries on Jaishankar’s remarks but the opposition members kept raising slogans in support of their demands including a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation in Manipur.

Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, Piyush Goyal referred to black clothes worn by Opposition MPs and said “people who are wearing black clothes can’t understand the increasing power of the country” and their “future is black”.

“Unfortunate that politics is being done even on such a serious matter. This is a matter of India’s honour, a matter of India’s emerging image before the world…I think that the people who are wearing black clothes can’t understand the increasing power of the country….Their present, past and future are black. But we hope there will be light in their life too…,” he said.

The Chairman adjourned the House till 12 noon amid noisy scenes.

When the House reassembled, the Chair asked Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to make his remarks.

However, the members from treasury benches raised slogans over the black clothes worn by opposition MPs.

Kharge said ruling coalition members were interrupting the proceedings and his speech. “The government itself is obstructing…” he said.

The Chair adjourned the House till 2 pm amid the ruckus.

In Lok Sabha, Speaker Om Birla took up the Question Hour but opposition  members raised their demands relating to Manipur. The Speaker had on Wednesday admitted the no-confidence motion moved by opposition members.

The opposition members have demanded that it should be taken up on Thursday.

The Speaker referred to opposition members showing placards and raising slogans and coming near the podium and said that protecting dignity of the House was a collective responsibility.

He said people have elected MPs to raise their issues and not cause disruptions.

“The entire country is watching. This (behaviour) is not right,” he said.

He then adjourned the House till 2 pm.

The monsoon session of Parliament has seen disruptions since its beginning on July 20 with opposition members pressing their demand for detailed discussion on Manipur and a statement from the Prime Minister. (ANI)

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abrogation of Article 370

29,295 Vacancies Filled In J-K After Abrogation Of Article 370

By LokMarg

A total of 29,295 vacancies were filled in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in the erstwhile state, the Central told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai shared the input in a written reply to a member.
“The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has carried out several governance reforms, including in the area of recruitment in Government. After the abrogation of Article 370, a large-scale recruitment drive has been carried out and the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has filled 29,295 vacancies,” said Rai, adding that recruiting agencies have advertised 7,924 vacancies and examinations in respect of 2,504 vacancies have been conducted.

He said that the identification of vacancies in the Government and recruitment is a continuous and ongoing process.

“The same is taken up under accelerated recruitment drive,” the minister added.

The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has taken various initiatives to bring down unemployment by implementing various self-employment schemes through different departments by providing subsidized loans for the establishment of their own sustainable income generation units, the MoS further said.

He further said that a number of self-employment schemes like Mission Youth, Rural Livelihood Mission, Himayat, PMEGP, Avsar, and Tejaswani are being implemented for providing employment opportunities.

“From the results of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), estimates of the unemployment rate are not available specifically for the educated youth in Jammu and Kashmir for the period April-June 2021,” Rai added.

However, the Minister said, from the PLFS conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) during July 2020-June 2021, an estimate of the unemployment rate according to the usual status among the persons of age group 15-29 years for Jammu and Kashmir was 18.3 percent. (ANI)

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Floor Leaders of I.N.D.I.A

Floor Leaders Of I.N.D.I.A To Meet RS LoP In Parliament Tomorrow

By LokMarg

Floor leaders of the newly formed Opposition alliance the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) will meet at the office of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge in Parliament on Tuesday to chalk out the strategy for the floor of the House.

The meeting of the floor leaders will be held at 10 am on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the proceedings of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha faced adjournments for the third consecutive day.

The situation in Manipur dominated the proceedings of the third day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which began on Thursday, with the Opposition demanding the Centre to discuss the issue.

The Congress and opposition leaders are demanding a statement from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Parliament during the ongoing Monsoon session.

Earlier in the day, in Rajya Sabha, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar suspended Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh on Monday for the remainder of the monsoon session of Parliament for “repeatedly violating” the Chair’s directives.

The Chairman first named Sanjay Singh for interrupting the proceedings of the House when it had taken up the Question Hour amid protests by the Opposition over its demand for a statement from Prime Minister on the Manipur violence and a detailed discussion on the issue.

Lok Sabha also witnessed protests and sloganeering from opposition members over their demand for a discussion on the Manipur situation and a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (ANI)

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