Parliament Budget Session Highlights: Waqf Bill to be tabled on Wednesday, discussion to last for 8 hours

206 cases against import of substandard goods worth Rs 206.62 crore have been booked by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and customs field formations till February this fiscal, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said in a written response to the Lok Sabha.

These goods violated intellectual property rights Bureau of Indian Standards, and FSSAI norms.

In a reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Customs field formations under CBIC keep constant vigil to check import of substandard goods into India.

India is the fourth largest country to hold foreign exchange reserves of $658.8 billion, enough to meet the country's imports for 11 months, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Replying to supplementaries during the question hour, she assured members of their concerns on the foreign exchange reserves and the current account deficit.

India is the fourth largest nation in terms of foreign exchange reserves after China, Japan and Switzerland. --PTI

The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday took up the Tribhuvan Sahkari University Bill, 2025, which proposes to set up 'Tribhuvan Sahkari University' in Gujarat's Anand to create qualified manpower for cooperative societies, for discussion and passage.

The university has been named after Tribhuvandas Kishibhai Patel, who was one of the pioneers of the cooperative movement in India and instrumental in laying the foundation of Amul.

The bill, passed by the Lok Sabha last week, was tabled in the Upper House by Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Cooperatives, on behalf of Union Minister for Cooperation and Home Affairs Amit Shah.--PTI

The Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, will unlock India's maritime potential and provide a sustainable alternative to road and rail transport, Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Tuesday.

Moving the bill for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha, Sonowal, who holds the ports, shipping and waterways portfolio, said with the logistics sector seeking low-cost, reliable and sustainable alternatives, the legislation will provide a much-needed push to the maritime industry through a dedicated legal framework for coastal shipping.

Opposition MPs, however, raised concerns about the bill's impact on fishermen and the role of states in coastal shipping governance.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore accused the government of overlooking the struggles of fishermen, particularly in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.--PTI

Ahead of the government bringing the Waqf bill amendments, the Congress on Tuesday issued a whip to all its MPs in the Lok Sabha, ensuring their presence in the House for the next three days, sources said.

The Congress party issued the three-line whip after the government made it clear that the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill will be taken up in the Lok Sabha for discussion and passage on Wednesday.

"Very important issues will be taken up for discussion in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, i.e. April 2, 3 and 4, 2025. All members of Congress party in Lok Sabha are requested to kindly remain present in the House from 11 AM onwards till the adjournment of the House on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday i.e. April 2,3 and 4, 2025, without fail and support the party stand," the whip issued by Congress party's chief whip in Lok Sabha K Suresh said. --PTI

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said security of every Member of Parliament is important after Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav raised concerns over the security of Ramji Lal Suman following threats to him over his remarks on Rana Sanga made in the house.

The chairman also urged Yadav to use his influence on Suman to bring the matter to quietus by adhering to the chair and not reiterate the observations that have already been expunged from the records of Parliament.

Suman had earlier made some remarks against the Rajput ruler which were objected to in the house by BJP and NDA members and the chairman had expunged the same. His remarks had also not gone well with a certain section of society and he faced backlash. --PTI

Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed The Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill, 2025 that seeks to give legal effect to certain international agreements in their application to India.

Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said the legislation will create a lot of security for both the lessors and the lessees and the overall aviation market also because there has been a lot of confusion in this area.

The Bill states that before exercising any remedy, the creditor must notify the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) about the occurrence of a default.

In cases of a default, it gives creditors certain remedies, including the right to take back possession of the asset within two months or a mutually agreed upon period, whichever is earlier. --PTI

An area of 96.97 lakh hectares (ha) has been covered under micro irrigation in Andhra Pradesh since inception of the Per Drop More Drop (PDMD) scheme in 2015-16, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Agriculture Ramnath Thakur, in his written reply to the Lok Sabha, said this includes 20,819 hectares covered under the PDMD scheme in Tirupati district.

Under the PDMD scheme, financial assistance is provided to farmers for installation of micro irrigation systems at 55 per cent and 45 per cent of the unit cost to small and marginal farmers and other farmers, respectively, including those of minority community. --PTI

Senior Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday said it was unfortunate that the country's foreign policy has "weakened" to such an extent that even Bangladesh, whose independence India had supported, has turned against it.

Gogoi, the deputy leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, was reacting to Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus's statement calling his country the "only guardian of the ocean" in the region.

Yunus urged China to extend its economic influence to his country, mentioning that India's northeastern states being landlocked could prove to be an opportunity.

"It is unfortunate that India's foreign policy has weakened to the point where even a nation whose independence India actively supported is now leaning toward strategic opposition," Gogoi, the MP of Jorhat in Assam, said in a post on X. --PTI

JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha highlighted the party's stance on the Waqf Amendment Bill, saying that the bill should not be implemented with retrospective effect.

The Waqf Amendment Bill issue, which has taken the country by storm and remains a central topic in the Parliament.

The opposition and several organisations have protest against its tabling, which will likely take place on Wednesday.

Jha said, "Nitish Kumar has been working in Bihar for the last 19 years. The work he has done for the Muslim community in Bihar is evident. He has never done anything against that went against their interests."

"Several people met our Party and Nitish Kumar ji and gave suggestions, and our member (MP Dileshwar Kamait) in the JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee) has kept his promise. And I think the government will incorporate these considerations as well," he added.

He said, "This is not the first time that the Waqf Bill came to the House, it came back in 2013 as well."

"We ask that the Bill not be implemented with retrospective effect. The Bill should not affect anything that concerns a matter from the past. Our party raised this issue, and I hope that the committee and the government considers this," Jha said.

Rajya Sabha has taken up a discussion on The Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill, 2025, while important papers are being laid on the table in Lok Sabha after the resumption of House proceedings.

Both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha resumed proceedings at 2 pm. While Bills are being tabled in Rajya Sabha, committee reports are being discussed in Lok Sabha.

The Waqf Biill, which was amended after the report of a joint parliamentary panel, will be taken up for consideration and passage on Wednesday in the Lok Sabha, sources said.

After eight hours of proposed discussion, Minorities Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju will respond to the debate and seek the approval of the House for its passage, the sources said on Tuesday.

The issue came for discussion at the meeting of the business advisory committee (BAC) chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, the sources said.

While introducing the bill last year, the government had proposed referring it to a joint committee of the two Houses.

After the report was submitted by the panel, the Union Cabinet had approved certain changes to the original bill based on the committee's recommendation. (PTI)

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill will be moved for consideration and to be passed tomorrow in the Parliament. The discussion over the Waqf Bill is expected to last eight hours.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday asked the government to immediately start the decadal census as well as caste census, saying a large number of people are being left out of welfare schemes due to the delay.

Expressing concern over the delay in conducting the decadal census during the Zero Hour in the House, the senior Congress leader said India has been conducting a census every 10 years since 1881.

It was conducted even during wars, emergencies, or other crises.

He recalled that back in 1931, a caste census was conducted along with the regular census. (PTI)

On MP Rajeev Shukla's question in Rajya Sabha over why the health budget is not being increased, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said, "Don't create a narrative that that budget is not available for health." Nadda further said that MPs should ask states about health spending, as Centre allocates abundant funds.

Ruckus ensued in Lok Sabha after the Question Hour concluded for the day, with Speaker Om Birla saying that no more questions will be raised in today's session.

Samajwadi Party MPs protested against the conclusion of Question Hour, urging that Akhilesh Yadav be allowed to speak. Birla responded that Yadav will be given time to speak during the Zero Hour, but the MPs continued to raise slogans and placards, leading to the adjournment of the House till 2 pm.

After major ruckus ensued in Lok Sabha as Samajwadi Party leaders raised slogans and placards, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the Lower House till 2 pm.

BJD MP Sujeet Kumar urged the central government to take measures to raise awareness about World Autism Day on April 2, requesting that provisions be made in schools, anganwadis, and other areas so that facilities are accessible for parents of autistic children in the country.

Amid ruckus in Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge raises the issue of delay in the national census.

On the Waqf Amendment Bill, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said, "We (Congress) have a very clear stand on Waqf. When the JPC was formed, we had presented all our objections but they were not accepted there. When this (Waqf Amendment Bill) comes to the House, we will oppose it in the same way as we did in the JPC."

Both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha resumed proceedings for the day at 11 am. This is the last week of the Budget Session, which is set to conclude on April 4, Friday.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is expected to be tabled tomorrow, Wednesday, in the Lok Sabha. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the Parliament session may be extended in order to table the Bill in the House, but no official announcement regarding the same has been made yet.