Congress MP Shashi Tharoor speaks in the Lok Sabha.| Photo Credit:-
A general discussion on the interim Budget 2024-25 began in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman expected to move the Finance Bill, 2024 for its consideration and passage in the Lower House. PM Narendra Modi is later scheduled to reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in Rajya Sabha. Mr. Modi had replied to the Address in the Lok Sabha earlier this week.
On Day 5 of the session, after a short debate, the Rajya Sabha passed the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024 via voice vote. Later, the Upper House passed the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024 via voice vote after another short debate. The House then continued to debate the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address at the start of the session.
Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024 by voice vote after debate. The Constitution (Jammu & Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and The Constitution (Jammu & Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 were also taken up for consideration and passing in Lok Sabha. Both Bills were passed with support from across party lines.
For updates on Day 5 of the Parliament budget session, click here.
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- February 07, 2024 12:37 ‘India will be the skill manpower hub of the globe’, says Dharmendra Pradhan
Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan is answering questions about the skilling ecosystem. MP K.R. Suresh Reddy asked about unemployment and the status of national skill qualification, to which Mr. Pradhan said the unemployment ratio has drastically reduced. “Skilling are vocational subject. From next academic year, skilling, art and culture and sports will be made part of the proper textbook. This is a paradigm shift by the Modi Government to look into the global need,” he said, adding that India will be the skill manpower hub of the globe..
When asked about the region-specific courses., Mr. Pradhan said Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) have realigned their course on how the drone ecosystem will emerge --in the healthcare, logistical, coding and ITI sectors.
MP V. Sivadasan said there is a lag in the expenditure for the skill development programme, to which Mr. Pradhan said ITI and skilling are not the monopoly issue of Central Government. “[Mr. Sivadasan] can disagree with me, but he cannot laugh about my vocabulary.”
Chairman Dhankhar later said, “[Mr. Pradhan] you are a man of substance...don’t take it to your heart. People laugh about me also, let’s take in our spirit.”
- February 07, 2024 12:25 Nitin Gadkari in Rajya Sabha: ‘We will build roads using the common man’s money and make sure it benefits them’
Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari answered questions about road connectivity for religious tourism, BOT projects and toll plazas in different States. He highlighted the progress made in religious tourism, such as building the Ayodhya circuit. We are trying to do the same for Jain, Muslim religions, he said.
About the functioning of BOT projects, Mr. Gadkari said, “We will build roads using the common man’s money and make sure it benefits them”. About the location and fee of toll plazas, he said the government has tried to place tolls a little farther on the outside of the city, so that villagers who travel far should not have to pay for tolls.
- February 07, 2024 12:21 Congress’ Shashi Tharoor targets Modi government over economic mismanagement
Initiating the debate on interim Budget in Lok Sabha, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor remarked that people have been betrayed by the economic mismanagement of the government over the past decade. It has left the people of India staring at widespread distress, hardships, low income and high unemployment. He spoke about the “reckless decision” of demonetisation, which the MP said broke the back of the Indian economy.
- February 07, 2024 12:13 Discussion begins on interim Budget in Lok Sabha
When the Lower House took up discussion on the interim Budget, the Opposition objected to the absence of the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman from the House. Amid uproar as the Opposition threatened to walk out, Minister Piyush Goyal said that it is the collective responsibility of the government.
- February 07, 2024 12:02 Question Hour concludes in Lok Sabha
With the conclusion of Question Hour, the Lok Sabha agreed to extension of the ongoing Budget Session till Saturday, February 10.
- February 07, 2024 12:01 Question Hour in Rajya Sabha
The Upper House takes up Question Hour.
Two supplementary questions posed to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj went unanswered in the Upper House. MP Fauzia Khan asked about the underutilised funds allocated for tribal communities, and AAP’s Sandeep Kumar Pathak said the PESA law remains only on paper. “It has been 28 years, 10 years since your government came to power, how long will it take to implement PESA?” he asked.
The Minister of Panchayati Raj said both questions were not linked to the question and said they could be provided separately.
Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar later said, “The Minister is well within his rights to say that the supplementary does not emanate from the question before the House.”
- February 07, 2024 11:56 Rajya Sabha: Communal language, unclaimed pension fund among issues raised
Ministers are raising sundry matters with the permission of the Chair. MP K. Laxman drew attention to the merger of Secunderabad Cantt with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation; G.V. L. Narasimha Rao of Visakhapatnam says there is a “rising concern about the high level of ocean pollution...it has huge negative implications for the future.” BJP MP Vijay Pal Singh Tomar said poverty and employment remain a worry, and urged the government to establish schools and colleges in villages. At the start, INC’s Pramod Tiwari said he is seeing a trend of communal language being used by people in power to satisfy communities.
DMK’s M. Shanmugam highlighted the delay in increasing the minimum monthly pension of workers as demanded by various state unions. “A huge amount is lying with the Finance Ministry as unclaimed amount,” Mr. Shanmugam said.
- February 07, 2024 11:52 Congress MP questions import of mobile phone components from China
Lok Sabha Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi questioned the Centre over the import of mobile components from China. “Made in India phones have Made in China components. Why is India importing such components from China? Why are we not reducing our dependency on China especially when there are privacy and surveillance concerns?” the MP asked.
Adding to Minister Anupriya Singh Patel’s quick reply, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said the component ecosystem is responding well to the growing demand in India. “It is not true that all components are coming from China. They are also coming from Japan, Korea, Europe, Taiwan and America. India will soon become a global supplier in this segment,” Mr. Goyal responded.
- February 07, 2024 11:34 ‘Happy to revise unparliamentary expressions. may constitute a committee’: Dhankhar in Rajya Sabha
Heated exchange unfolded in the Upper House over Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s expunged remarks. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said he has gone through Mr. Kharge’s submission and will give his ruling on it later. “I will be too happy to revise unparliamentary expressions. I may constitute a committee on that point,” Mr. Dhankhar said.
Other ministers raised the issue of expunging records. “The way 10-minute long speeches are being expunged records...this never happened before in Rajya Sabha. . The word is removed, not the entire reference,” says MP Pramod Tiwari. To this, Mr. Kharge cites Rule 238(A) proviso: “the chairman may at any time prohiit any member from making any such allegation if he is of the opinion that such allegation is derogatory to the council”.
You will have a ruling on this before the course of the day, Mr. Dhankhar says.
- February 07, 2024 11:27 Heated exchange in Lok Sabha as Railways Minister says non-cooperation from few States stalling projects
Replying to a question from Chalakudy MP Benny Behanan on the overbridge at Kotikulam, Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw remarked that the issue is a case study on how the lack of cooperation from the State government can lead to a lack of development. “The railway overbridge on Kotikulam was sanctioned in 2006-07. The work was entrusted to the State government as requested. From 2006-07 to 2019-20, the State government couldn’t execute the work… Even today, the government of Kerala has no interest in the development of railways… Cooperation from the State government has been lacking due to which the projects in Kerala are suffering.”
Intervening in the discussion later with another question, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the Centre can’t shirk its responsibility on the pretext of the State government. A heated exchange ensued as the Minister said that a few States were not ready to cooperate while the Centre was working with an open mind.
- February 07, 2024 11:22 Mallikarjun Kharge objects to remarks expunged from records
In the Upper House, the Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge objects to his remarks being removed from record. I have neither named a Minister or a State, so no rules of procedures have been violated, Mr. Kharge said. Moreover, in the remarks that have been expunged, there were no comments on “persons of high authority”. He read Rule 238 which clarifies the said violation.
The tweet I referred to was based on a “factual situation”, Mr. Kharge noted. He asked for his remarks to be restored in the House proceedings. “This is the second or third time my speeches are cut. I didn’t want to speak to the media before I bring this to your notice,” he said. We can discuss Manusmriti, but why remove the reference to untouchability, Mr. Kharge added.
Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar asks Mr. Kharge not to read the expunged motion in the House because “it has been held unparliamentary”.
- February 07, 2024 11:08 Lok Sabha extended to February 10: RS Chairman
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announced that Lok Sabha has been extended up to February 10, Saturday “to complete essential government business”. The decision was taken after consensus among members and ministers in a Business Advisory committee meeting held yesterday, he said.
“There will be no Zero Hour or Question Hour on that day,” Mr. Dhankhar said.
- February 07, 2024 11:07 India hasn’t blocked any trade route: Centre in Lok Sabha
Replying to a question by Congress MP Jasbir Singh Gill on the status of trade with Middle East and Central Asian countries, Minister Anupriya Singh Patel informed the House that India hasn’t blocked any trade land route. “We have to understand that all the transit route is via Pakistan. So the responsibility lies with Pakistan and not India,” Ms. Patel said.
- February 07, 2024 11:02 Proceedings begin in Lok Sabha
The Lower House has commenced proceedings of the day with Question Hour.
- February 07, 2024 11:01 Rajya Sabha commences
The Upper House is in session. Papers are being laid on the table.
- February 07, 2024 10:36 Congress MP Manish Tewari gives adjournment motion in Lok Sabha, seeks discussion on border situation with China
Congress MP Manish Tewari has moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha seeking a discussion on the border situation with China in the Lower House on Wednesday.
The MP from Sri Anandpur Sahib constituency sought suspension of Zero Hour, Question Hour, and other businesses of the day.
ANI
- February 07, 2024 10:36 List of business in Rajya Sabha
1. Question Hour
2. Consideration of any business entered in the revised list of business for February 6, 2024, and not concluded on that day
- February 07, 2024 10:36 List of business in Lok Sabha
1. Question Hour
2. Consideration of any item of government business entered in the revised list of business for February 6, 2024, and not concluded on that day.