Parliament Monsoon Session Highlights: The House today resumes after Nirmala Sitharaman presented the NDA’s first Budget after coming to power.
Parliament Monsoon Session Highlights: The Rajya Sabha Monday passed The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019, making use of Aadhaar voluntary for the citizens of the country. The bill was passed by Lok Sabha last week and allows the voluntary use of Aadhaar as proof of identity for opening bank accounts and procuring mobile phone numbers.
The discussion over the bill started with IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tabling the bill and saying that Aadhaar is a boon for the poor community and every other person in the country.
On the other hand, a discussion on Budget is underway in Lok Sabha. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the NDA’s first Budget after coming to power for a second time on Friday.
The echoes of the political crisis in Karnataka were heard in Lok Sabha today, with Congress holding ‘save democracy’ placards. While Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accused BJP of toppling the government, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refuted the argument saying the “spate of resignations were initiated by Rahul Gandhi.”
Home Ministry also introduced a Bill further to amend the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 as well as The National Investigation Agency Act, 2008. He also moved a Bill to further amend the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. HRD Minister Ramesh Pohkriyal Nishank will introduce a Bill to amend the Central Universities Act, 2009.
Nirmala Sitharaman delivered the NDA's Budget in Lok Sabha Friday (File)
Lok Sabha adjourned till 11:00 am tomorrow.
The Opposition on Monday criticised the Union Budget in Lok Sabha for its "distinctive misses" and questioned the hike in fuel prices, even as the BJP described it as a roadmap to achieve the USD 5-trillion economy. Initiating the debate on the Union Budget 2019-20 presented on July 5, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said it was "unnecessarily defensive strokes, dropped catches and quite a few no balls" and alleged that it did not address key issues facing the economy, including farm distress, and rising fuel prices. Former Union minister Jayant Sinha, who spoke just after Tharoor, said that the BJP brought the economy back on track, transforming it into a superfast 'Rajdhani', and it will soon run like a bullet train. (PTI)
"Data sovereignty is integral to us and it will never be compromised," said Ravi Shankar Prasad in Rajya Sabha.
Union Minister RS Prasad said people like Bill Gates and Thomas Friedman are appreciating Aadhar. "We are not touching the architecture of Aadhaar, we are only changing the concerned law," he said.
A bill to set up a central university and a tribal university in Andhra Pradesh was introduced in Lok Sabha on Monday. According to the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2019 introduced by HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank', the two universities will increase access and quality of higher education and also promote avenues of higher education for the people of the state. The Tribal University will provide instructional and research facilities in tribal art, culture and customs and advancement in technology to the tribal population of India. At present, there is no central university in Andhra Pradesh while all other states, except Goa, have one or more such institution. Setting up a central university and a central tribal university in Andhra Pradesh is obligatory under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 for creation of Telangana. (PTI)
A Bill seeking to further strengthen the National Investigation Agency (NIA) by giving it powers to probe terror attacks targeting Indians and Indian interests on foreign soil was introduced in Lok Sabha on Monday. Introducing the National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Union minister of state for home G Kishan Reddy said the legislation will also allow the NIA probe cyber crimes and cases of human trafficking. Through the legislation, the government wants to further strengthen the NIA Act, Reddy said, adding the agency will be empowered to conduct an investigation in any part of the world if any terror attack targeting Indians or Indian interests takes place. The NIA was set up in 2009 in the wake of the Mumbai terror attack which had claimed 166 lives. (PTI)
A day ahead of scrutiny, MDMK founder Vaiko Monday said he was confident that his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections will be accepted. Vaiko’s conviction by a Chennai court in a sedition case last week has led to question marks over his eligibility to contest the poll, though the sentence of one-year imprisonment does not disqualify him under the Representation of People Act. Read more
The DMK on Monday staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha after demanding a reply from the government over the issue of the President rejecting two Bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly to conduct medical admission in the State solely on the basis of Class 12 marks. Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu have for long demanded exemption of the state from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). Read more
"The point simply is that the Supreme Court struck down Section 57 in the original bill, but now the minister has circumvented that judgement and introduced Section 24 and 25 in order to give favoured treatment to telecom service providers and to certain banks and private financial entities. This is a gross violation of the Supreme Court order. Aadhaar cannot be used as an instrument of exclusion. It is meant for identification and to ensure that leakages in the delivery system are eliminated. But according to a recent study by the Indian School of Business, based on an analysis of more than 10 million payments during 2014-18, 38 per cent of all Aadhaar payments of MGNREGA wages in Jharkhand redirected wages to a completely unrelated account. I would like the minister to take a note of this," says Congress' Jairam Ramesh on The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in Rajya Sabha.
"Section 5 of the Aadhaar Bill violates the majority judgement of the Supreme Court," says Congress leader Jairam Ramesh in Rajya Sabha
"Its a completely vision-less budget. This budget speaks of nothing but corporates," says Trinamool Congress' Kalyan Banerjee in Lok Sabha
"When GDP numbers come down, to my understanding, the economy is not growing," says DMK leader T R Balu
"The government has increased the GDP by 70 per cent from Rs 111 lakh crore to 188 lakh crore. This is a forward-looking budget," says BJP's Jayant Sinha while speaking on a discussion on the Union Budget 2019 in Lok Sabha.
Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi opposes The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha, says, "Aadhaar collects a person's personal data, which is the most sensitive thing."
"Since the last 5 years, not a single poor person has complained that Aadhaar has been a problem to them. It has been a boon for the poor community, which is why I want the House to support it too," says IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in the Rajya Sabha while tabling The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
Rajya Sabha starts the discussion on The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019
The Upper House has passed The Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2019
"We are already in the process of drafting a National Oral Health Policy for generating oral health awareness," says Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan while presenting the Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha
"Term GDP was mentioned only once in the whole budget speech. A key contribution to GDP is not expanding but still the government claims of 7 per cent growth rate," says Congress minister Shashi Tharoor
Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday attended the Lok Sabha proceedings. Yadav, who has been not keeping well since some time, was seen sitting in the front row during the Question Hour. On June 18, an unwell Yadav was brought to the House in a wheelchair for taking the oath. Since then, he has not attended any proceedings of the House.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor is addressing Lok Sabha on Budget. Using the cricket analogy, Tharoor said, "We were expecting some boundaries, but all we got are no-balls, white balls." He says perhaps this was the first Budget where allocations were not mentioned in the speech.
Both Houses to resume at 2.00 pm
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accused the BJP of orchestrating the Karnataka political crisis. Countering him, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that whatever is happening in Karnataka has nothing to do with the BJP. "Our party has nothing to do with what is happening in Karnataka. Our party has never indulged in horse trading," Rajnath Singh said. "We're committed to maintaining dignity of parliamentary democracy. Trend of submitting resignations was started by Rahul Gandhi in Congress,it wasn't started by us. He himself asked people to submit resignations,even senior leaders are submitting their resignations," he added.
A Bill to amend UAPA is being introduced by MoS Home G. Kishen Reddy. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor opposes the Bill saying has scope for "gross misuse." The onus is now on the individual to prove he is not a terrorist, he said.
The DNA Bill had been passed by Lok Sabha in January this year, but could not get the approval of Rajya Sabha. As a result, it lapsed once the tenure of the previous Lok Sabha expired.
The Bill seeks to create a regulatory framework for obtaining, storing and testing of DNA samples of human beings, mainly for the purposes of criminal investigations, and with the objective of establishing the identity of a person.
The main debate over the proposed law has been around three issues — whether the DNA technology is foolproof, whether the provisions adequately address the possibility of abuse of DNA information, and whether the privacy of the individual is protected.
The DNA Technology Regulation Bill is being introduced in the House. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury opposes the Bill. Opposing the mandatory screening of undertrials, Chowdhury said the Bill violates the fundamental rights of the people. Health Minister Harsha Vardhan says there is no serious substance in the Opposition's fears. These concerns can be addressed during the discussion.
BJD MP Sasmit Patra talks of Women's Reservation Bill in Rajya Sabha. The Bill is pending for years now but is not even being listed, he said. He requested the government to take steps as early as possible. "This is your first submission. It is the best submission," Naidu said.
DMK MP Tiruchi Siva raised protests against the Centre rejecting Tamil Nadu government's ordinance not to allow NEET in the state.
The Home Ministry had informed the Madras High court that the president has rejected two bills, which were sent to his office in 2017 by the Tamil Nadu government, to exclude the state from the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET.
"This is against the spirit of federalism," Siva said before walking out of Rajya Sabha.
G.V.L. Narasimha Rao suggests Question Hours and Legislative Business in parliament be translated into regional languages. Chairman Venkaiah Naid while the suggestion is worth consideration, he requested the House to think over it. He also said instead of regional languages, they should be called Indian languages
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar takes oath as Rajya Sabha MP. He had won the Rajya Sabha bypoll from Gujarat on Friday having bagged 104 votes in his favour as against his Congress rival Gaurav Pandya who got 70 votes.
Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accused the BJP of being a "poacher" party and said the party will raise the Karnataka political issue in Parliament "We will raise the issue but we won't reveal our weapons. But it is clear that BJP is a 'poacher' party," he said, reported news agency ANI.
BJP MP Ajay Pratap Singh addresses Rajya Sabha speaks in Bagheli. The language is not listed in the 22 Scheduled language and hence not allowed in the Parliament. However, Chairman Venkaiah Naidu allowed it and suggested that the language must be added to the official list. "I could understand what you said. It does sounds simple," the Chair says.
In Rajya Sabha, K.J. Alphons raises the issue of suicide of an NRI, allegedly blaming red-tapism. He suggested the Centre to issue an adivosry to all States to keep up the spirit of ease of doing business.
Meanwhile, Congress has given an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha on 'BJP trying to topple Congress-JDS government in Karnataka', ANI reported. Follow LIVE updates here
Welcome to The Indian Express live blog. Both Houses are likely to discuss NDA's Budget 2019 presented by Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday. Follow this space to track the latest developments in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha