Parliament Monsoon Session 2026 Day 11: Meta questioned by MPs’ panel over removal of PM Modi’s video

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT on Monday took up the brief removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook video on action against examination paper leaks, with members questioning Meta officials over the incident.

According to sources, Meta officials apologised, saying the video was removed due to a technical error. However, several committee members said the issue went beyond an apology and sought accountability for those responsible, with some reportedly demanding legal action against the officials concerned. Members also sought details on Meta's handling of objectionable content on its platforms.

The meeting, chaired by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, was attended by representatives of Meta, Google, X, Snapchat and YouTube, along with senior government officials including Home Secretary Govind Mohan. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has also summoned Meta over the incident, with Secretary S Krishnan stating that the company's explanation of a "technical error" was not entirely satisfactory.

(With inputs from ANI)

The Rajya Sabha on Monday passed the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 by voice vote despite persistent protests by Opposition members demanding a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the police action against students protesting the NEET paper leak.

Replying to the debate, Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said the Bill would improve payment mechanisms, strengthen the administrative framework and address liquidity challenges faced by MSMEs. Among its key provisions, the legislation empowers courts to direct buyers to deposit at least 50 per cent of the awarded amount to MSME suppliers if an application challenging an order remains pending for more than six months. It also provides for quicker dispute resolution, recovery of mediated settlement agreements as arrears of land revenue, decriminalises certain procedural offences by replacing criminal penalties with graded civil penalties, and proposes a national digital platform for voluntary MSME registration.

The House witnessed repeated sloganeering from Opposition MPs, who sought discussions on the July 20 student protest and alleged police action. Soon after the Bill was passed, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day.

(With inputs from PTI)

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 on Monday presented its report in Parliament, recommending the Bill's adoption with clause-wise modifications to simplify compliance, improve investor protection and modernise corporate regulation.

Chaired by BJP MP Sudheer Gupta, the committee endorsed measures including the decriminalisation of procedural defaults through civil penalties, CSR relaxations, a stronger role for the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA), trust-to-LLP conversions, and reduced compliance requirements for start-ups, One Person Companies and small businesses. It also backed hybrid and virtual shareholder meetings, electronic voting and greater flexibility for entities operating in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). The panel held 25 sittings, examined 130 memoranda, heard 83 stakeholders, and appended dissent notes from two members to its report.

(With inputs from ANI)