Parliament Highlights | Lok Sabha passes Banking (Amendment) Bill, 2024; Houses adjourned for the day

Parliament: Another day, another adjournment without any substantial business

Belying expectations of normal functioning in the second week of Parliament's Winter Session, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for another day on Monday without transacting any substantial business as Opposition demands for a discussion on Adani issue, Manipur and Sambhal violence were rejected.

Read more

Parliament impasse to end as govt, Oppn reach consensus on Constitution debate

The debate on the Constitution will take place in Lok Sabha on December 13 and 14 and in Rajya Sabha on December 16 and 17 in Rajya Sabha.

Read more

Hopefully now Modi govt will allow both Houses to function: Congress as Parliament deadlock broken

The Congress on Monday said the Modi government has accepted its request for a special two-day discussion on the Constitution and hopefully now it will "allow both Houses to function".

Read more

AAP MP Sanjay Singh gives suspension of business notice to discuss the deterioration of law and order situation, rise of crimes and threats to representatives in Delhi

Congress MP Vijay Vasanth gives adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha to discuss the situation in Tamil Nadu to Cyclone Fengal

Congress MP Shakti Sinh Gohil gives Zero-Hour Notice in Rajya Sabha over Gujarat based Khyati hospital row where "unnecessary" angioplasty surgeries on several beneficiaries of PM-JAY was performed in November, leading to at least 2 deaths

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi gives Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha, over Manipur issue.

Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain gives suspension of business notice in Rajya Sabha to discuss constitution of a JPC over Adani matter.

Sambhal incident is a well-thought strategy of the BJP to deviate people from other issues: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav

I hope the Government will cooperate with the Opposition and the issues which Opposition has raised

Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and MPs of I.N.D.I.A. bloc protest over Adani matter, at the Parliament premises

We can pass the bill even without discussion because we have the majority, however, we do not feel right to do so: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju

Proceedings begin in both houses

Protests and sloganeering in Lok Sabha as question hour begins

Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh answers question no. 101 in Lok Sabha on National Commission of Weavers

Motion to elect a member to the AIIMS, Jodhpur and Raipur passes in Rajya Sabha

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar brings up notices based on Section 267; reprimands AAP MP Raghav Chadha for his notice

Question no. 102, on allocation of funds to MGNREGS is brought up in Lok Sabha

Ruckus in Lok Sabha over fund allocations and budget of MGNREGS

MoS Dr. Pemmasani argues funds are sufficient and haven't decreased, Opposition argue that the funds have been reduced year-on-year.

Rajya Sabha discusses Cyclone Fengal and its destruction

DMK MP Mohamed Abdulla requests for relief funds and a survey of the area from Centre; MDMK MP Vaiko requests the same.

BJD MP Khuntia requests an international airport in Puri

Oppn MPs stage walkout in Lok Sabha

TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee asks why West Bengal is being deprived of funds from the Centre under MGNREGS

Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan says Bengal govt is using MGNREGS for itself and its used for corruption; Anurag Thakur questions whether the same is done in other non-BJP states

MP Srinivasan Reddy questions why senior MPs are being sat in farther rows; Speaker says cannot raise question on seating in the House

MP Venugopal raises question no 108 - Wage Disbursement under MGNREGS

Names of 10.43 crore workers deleted from MGNREGA in last 4 years, has Aadhar linked direction led to this? asks Venugopal

AAP MP Raghav Chadha raises issues of Delhi pollution, says farmers cannot be made solely responsible

MoS Pammasani says Aadhar has increased workers; duplicate cards, fake cards are creating job deletion; also Centre not responsible job deletion

Shivraj Singh Chouhan says any discrepancies in MGNREGA will be investigated

MP Govil raises question of setting MP Steel plant in Meerut; Minister Kumaraswamy says cannot be done yet

Various other MPs ask about new steel pants across the countries, HDK says at present their aren't such plans.

We are welcoming Rohingyas in Bengal with open arms; security of the country is at risk: MP Samik Bhattacharya

Question No. 104- Implementation of PM-KISAN yojana in the country raised in Lok Sabha

I and many other people believe that in the elections that were held earlier in Uttar Pradesh, the police in the neighbouring districts did not allow anyone to cast their vote and forcibly took over the elections: Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav

Opposition questions on MSP not being raised and MSP centres not opening on time; Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan lists how they have increased MSPs

More MPs walkout of Lok Sabha over PM-KISAN issue

Question hour begins in Rajya Sabha

MPs lay their papers on the table in Lok Sabha

The House will debate on the Constitution and its 75th anniversary on December 13 and 14

Sambhal violence was a planned conspiracy: Akhilesh Yadav

Police and administrators are responsible for Sambhal violence: Akhilesh Yadav

Ruckus in Lok Sabha over Sambhal issue

Potato trade being interfered with in Jharkhand to increase price, affecting the poor says MP Manish Jaiswal

Rajya Sabha raises questions on new mental health awarenes and care programmes in the country

Let the Gov on India appeal to UN to send peacekeeping forces in Bangladesh to stop violence against minorities there: TMC MP Bandyopadhyay

Rajya Sabha raises questions on utilisation of funds under JSSK

MP Sivadasan questions why Kerala has less budget than Maharashtra; Minister J P Nadda says its population based

Sometimes TMC is missing, and sometimes AAP is missing. Wherever Congress goes to people, public rejects them there: BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya on TMC not joining I.N.D.I.A. bloc's protest in Parliament over Adani matter

DMK MP T R Baalu brings up Cyclone Fengal and its impact on Tamil Nadu in LS

MP John Brittas brings up the setting of AIIMS in Kerala

"4 months back Minister said, he said it is under active consideration, so I ask, will it be announced in the next budget?"

MP Prof. Manoj Kumar Jha asks if an AIIMS will be set-up in Bihar; Minister says one has already been planned

A request for direct trains from Dhanbad to Vaishnodevi, Bengaluru and Delhi is put forward in LS

MP Sagrika Ghosh raises question of middle men existing between government and hospitals, who are the reason there are fewer beds in government hospitals in RS

So many MPs talked about farmers, but the minister doesn't answer any of our questions: TMC MP Jha

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm

Lok Sabha adjourned till 2:05 pm

House moves towards bills for consideration

Minister Hardeep Singh Puri puts forth the Oilfileds (Regulation and Development) Amedment Bil, 2024 in Rajya Sabha

Lok Sabha resumes proceedings

Lok Sabha to discuss matters raised under section 377

There is a long history of frictions, transgressions and faceoff in several sectors of India-China borders: EAM Jaishankar

India-China ties abnormal since 2020 when peace, tranquillity in border areas were disturbed due to Chinese actions: EAM S Jaishankar in LS

Recent developments that reflect continuous diplomatic engagements have set Indo-China ties in direction of some improvement: Jaishankar

We remain committed to engaging with China to arrive at fair, mutually acceptable framework for boundary settlement: Jaishankar

Amassing of troops by China in eastern Ladakh in April-May 2020 resulted in face-offs at number of points: S Jaishankar in LS

It is to credit of our forces that despite logistical challenges and Covid, they countered Chinese troops rapidly: Jaishankar

After Galwan Valley clashes, we were addressing situation that not only saw fatalities but events that needed heavy weaponry deployment: EAM

Disengagement has been achieved in full in Eastern Ladakh: EAM Jaishankar

Following Aug 21 understanding, PM Modi and President XI met during BRICS, asked respective Foreign ministers to rebuild ties: EAM Jaishankar

Maintenance of peace and tranquility requisite of our ties: EAM Jaishankar on China

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman puts forth The Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in Lok Sabha

The changes proposed through the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, will strengthen governance in the sector and enhance customer convenience, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday.

Read more

Proposed amendments will only better governance of Banking sector as well as better its customer service: FM Sitharaman

K C Venugopal questions why LoP Rahul Gandhi is not being allowed to speak on China

Nishikant Dubey replies asking why LoP Rahul Gandhi criticises the government and the country when he speaks abroad

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi begins discussion on Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024

Let us not reduce this House to 'tamasha', says Kiren Rijiju in response to Gogoi's remark on Modi favouring 'one business man'

'What a paradox': Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar on receiving 42 notices, the highest so far, in last quarter of sensitive adoption of Indian Constitution

"Honourable members, what a paradox! We were talking about dignity of this House, I have received 42 notices, the highest so far, in the last quarter of the sensitive adoption of Indian Constitution. These notices are under Rule 267. One of the notices remarkably is in public domain, whereas by bulletin and otherwise, we have mandated that there can be no advanced publicity..." said Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar earlier today.

BJP's Sambit Patra speaks on Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024

Uproar in Lower House after his remark on Indira Gandhi and Nagarwala case, which the MP called 'mysterious thrilling story'.

Kiren Rijiju intervenes to defend Sambit Patra's remark on Indira Gandhi; says House should go as per order

Speaker agrees to expunge 'Indira Gandhi's name' as Opposition objects to Sambit Patra's remark

Kiren Rijiju, L Murugan, and Arjun Ram Meghwal called on the V-P and RS Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar at Parliament House today

Credit: X/@ANI

Rajya Sabha passes bill to boost investment in oil and gas exploration

The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed a bill that seeks to amend existing law governing exploration and production of oil and gas, and delink petroleum operations from mining operations to boost investment in the sector.

The Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, 2024, introduced in the Rajya Sabha in August this year, was passed by a voice vote.

Replying to the debate on the bill, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that the oil and gas sector involves high investment and long gestation period.

"We need oil and gas sector 20 more years. We need to bring this legislation here to provide a win-win confidence not only to our own operators but also to foreign investors so that they can come and do business here with view to benefit everyone," Puri said.

He said policy stability, dispute resolution and sharing of infrastructure , especially for small players are new provisions in the bill.

He also explained the point of helium raised by members, saying that mineral oils are naturally occurring hydrocarbons and thus helium is not a hydrocarbon.

Several opposition members also suggested that the bill be sent to a standing committee for further scrutiny.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu tables Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill, 2024 in Rajya Sabha

 Union Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu on Tuesday moved a bill, which seeks to replace the 90-year-old Aircraft Act, for passage in Rajya Sabha.

The Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024, was passed in the Lok Sabha in the last session of Parliament in August this year.

Moving the bill for consideration and passage, Naidu said that the bill was taken up after a suggestion by The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to amend the principal act.

"We have organised everything in the bill which provides different section for powers of bodies like DGCA. So there is clear demarcation and indication on which each body has to do as recommended by ICAO," he stated.

Naidu mentioned that the aviation sector has the potential to drive the economy and should be expanded.

Opposition MPs fiercely criticise bill aimed at banking reforms

Opposition members in the Lok Sabha on Monday fiercely criticised a bill aimed at banking reforms with TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee describing it as a "donkey passage towards privatisation of the Indian banking sector".

While the bill ostensibly seeks to improve bank guarantees and investor protection, its real intent is to reduce the government’s minimum holding in public sector banks from 51 to 26 per cent, he argued.

Banerjee also flagged cybersecurity concerns, emphasising the need for robust IT systems to detect fraud and ensure strict adherence to data privacy regulations.

"Advanced systems for fraud detection and regulatory compliance are essential to build trust," he said, underscoring the importance of tackling financial crimes.

Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai brought attention to the struggles of common people dealing with credit issues.

“The CIBIL scores of poor people are ruined, middle-class people face the same issue,” he said, lamenting how poor communication from banks often leaves borrowers in financial distress.

Sharing his own experience, Rai recounted how his home loan liabilities unexpectedly increased due to changes in interest rates, with no prior intimation from the bank.

DMK’s Rani Srikumar criticised hidden banking charges, questioning fees for basic services like ATM withdrawals and SMS alerts. She also raised concerns over the vulnerability of senior citizens to cyber frauds.

TDP MP D Prasada Rao praised public sector banks for their support to small businesses, attributing their success to the BJP-TDP alliance, which he described as a "double-engine government" driving the country forward.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai highlighted the growing trend of people moving away from banks to alternative investment avenues.

NCP leader Supriya Sule proposed a stricter approach to financial frauds, suggesting that perpetrators should compensate victims before serving prison sentences. “The focus should be on restoring the investors’ money and punishing the guilty,” she said. 

Rajya Sabha takes up special mentions

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 11.00 am tomorrow; Lok Sabha proceedings extended till 7.00 pm today

FM Nirmala Sitharaman replies to the Banking (Amendment) Bill, 2024 debates in Lok Sabha

All public sector banks turning profitable: FM in Lok Sabha

Indian banks today are stable, healthy, and benefiting economy, says Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Lok Sabha. All public sector banks are profitable; total profit was Rs 85,520 crore in first half of current fiscal, Sitharaman tells Lok Sabha.

India should take pride in its banking sector; public sector banks are professionally managed, not dependent on govt funding: FM

FM Nirmala Sitharaman and Opposition MPs lock horns over 'imposing Hindi'

On account of amalgamation of banks, no employees have been removed: FM in Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha passes The Banking (Amendment) Bill, 2024

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which allows bank account holders to have up to four nominees in their accounts.

Another proposed change relates to redefining 'substantial interest' for directorships, which could increase to Rs 2 crore instead of the current limit of Rs 5 lakh, which was fixed almost six decades ago.

The Bill piloted by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was approved by a voice vote.

Replying to the debate on the Bill, Sitharaman said depositors will have the option of successive or simultaneous nomination facility, while locker holders will have only successive nomination.

She also said that since 2014, the Government and the RBI have been extremely cautious, so that banks remain stable.

"The intention is to keep our banks safe, stable, healthy, and after 10 years you are seeing the outcome," Sitharaman said.

The bill proposes to increase the tenure of directors (excluding the chairman and whole-time director) in cooperative banks from 8 years to 10 years, so as to align with the Constitution (Ninety-Seventh Amendment) Act, 2011.

Once passed, the bill would allow a director of a Central Cooperative Bank to serve on the board of a State Cooperative Bank.

The bill also seeks to give greater freedom to banks in deciding the remuneration to be paid to statutory auditors.

It also seeks to redefine the reporting dates for banks for regulatory compliance to the 15th and last day of every month instead of the second and fourth Fridays.

"The proposed amendments will strengthen governance in the banking sector and enhance customer convenience with respect to nomination and protection of investors," Sitharaman said while moving the bill for consideration and passing.

Lok Sabha adjourned till 11.00 am tomorrow