Monsoon session highlights: Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day amid protests

Ahead of the INDIA delegation's two-day visit to Manipur, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha said, "We want to tell the PM that we are making an effort to do what he and his team should have done. We are going there with a small desire - to understand the collective pain of the people of Manipur and perhaps present that pain sensitively when the PM comes to the Parliament. That is our aim." (ANI)

Leader of House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal on Friday appealed to the opposition parties to discuss the Manipur and other issues in Parliament in a proper manner saying that any issue can be resolved through dialogue.

"...We once again appeal to our opposition to discuss in a proper manner in Parliament Manipur and other issues. Any issue can resolve through dialogue," Goyal said.

Lashing out at opposition protests during his statement on foreign policy in Parliament, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday posted a video on social media listing out details of visits of President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi abroad.

"Sadly, the Opposition repeatedly disrupted my statement in both Houses of Parliament. Obviously, for them, partisan politics was more important than national progress," Jaishankar said in a video statement on Twitter.

The Opposition has lashed out over the Central government’s extension of tenure to Enforcement Directorate (ED) Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra stating that it was done with the aim of targeting leaders of the INDIA bloc and thus weaken the newly formed alliance.

“This extension has been given to create political unrest in some states. The agency is getting misused by the Centre," Rashtriya Janta Dal MP Manoj Jha said.

As many as 319 pregnant women, including 19 in the high-risk category, have received crucial antenatal care in strife-torn Manipur, while 139 pregnant women have given birth to babies since the onset of the current crisis in the state till July 24, the government informed Parliament on Friday.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said medical teams have been formed in each of the affected districts in the northeastern state to provide overall healthcare services to the victims at the designated relief camps.

The Janata Dal (United) has issued a whip to all its Rajya Sabha members, including Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Harivansh, asking them to ensure their presence in the House till August 11 and vote against the contentious Delhi ordinance bill.

The whip, party leaders said, has been issued as voting is expected on the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which seeks to replace an ordinance negating a Supreme Court order giving power of transfer and posting to the Delhi government. The ordinance has restored the supremacy of the Centre in the matter.

A delegation of 20 INDIA bloc MPs will visit Manipur over the weekend to assess the ground situation first-hand and then make recommendations to the government and Parliament for a solution to the problems in the violence-hit state.

Ahead of the visit, Congress' deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi called for an inquiry under a retired Supreme Court judge into the violence in Manipur.

A bill to allow the private sector to mine six atomic minerals, including lithium, and deep-seated minerals like gold and silver was approved by the Lok Sabha on Friday.

The Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023 was passed by the Lok Sabha through a voice vote, amid continuous sloganeering by Opposition members over the Manipur issue.

The bill seeks to allow the private sector to mine six out of 12 atomic minerals. Under the existing act, all 12 atomic minerals are reserved for mining and exploration by state-owned entities.

The sex ratio at birth has improved by 15 points from 918 in 2014-15 to 933 in 2022-23 in the country, Union minister Smriti Irani told the Lok Sabha on Friday.

Responding to a question in the Lower House of Parliament, the women and child development minister said the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' scheme has stirred up collective consciousness towards changing the mindset of the public to acknowledge the rights of the girl child.

"The scheme has raised concerns around the issue of declining CSR (child sex ratio) in India. This is reflected in the improvement of the sex ratio at birth (SRB) by 15 points at the national level, that is, from 918 in 2014-15 to 933 in 2022-23," she said in a written response.

Over 71,000 cases are pending in various high courts for more than 30 years, Lok Sabha was informed on Friday.

The House was also told that over 1.01 lakh cases which are more than 30 years old are pending in lower courts.

In a written reply to a question, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said that as on July 24 this year, 71,204 cases were pending in high courts for more than 30 years. Similarly, 1,01,837 cases were pending for over 30 years in district and subordinate courts.

There has been an 82-per cent increase in the number of medical colleges in the country, from 387 before 2014 to 704 now, and a 110-per cent increase in the number of MBBS seats, from 51,348 to 1,07,948, in the same period, Parliament was informed on Friday.

In a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said there has also been an increase of 117 per cent in the number of post-graduate (PG) medical seats in the country -- from 31,185 before 2014 to 67,802 as of now.

Mandaviya said 101 medical colleges have been approved in the last five years under a centrally-sponsored scheme (CSS) for the "establishment of new medical colleges attached with existing district/referral hospitals", including one in Assam.

"The government has increased the number of medical colleges and subsequently, increased the MBBS seats," he said.

"There is an increase of 82 per cent in medical colleges, from 387 before 2014 to 704 as of now. Further, there is an increase of 110 per cent in MBBS seats, from 51,348 before 2014 to 1,07,948 as of now. There is also an increase of 117 per cent in PG seats from 31,185 before 2014 to 67,802 as of now," Mandaviya said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday dared the opposition to defeat the government bills on the floor of the house if they believe they had the numbers in the Lok Sabha.

Joshi's sharp riposte came after the opposition objected to the government taking up legislative business at a time when the no-confidence motion was pending before the Lok Sabha.

"They have suddenly brought the no-confidence motion, does that mean no government business should take place," the minister told reporters outside Parliament.

"If they have the numbers, they should defeat the bills on the floor of the House," the minister said.

Lok Sabha approved changes to the country’s mining rules to boost exploration, including allowing private miners to search for some critical minerals like lithium.

The main changes to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, last amended in 2021, would include introduction of exploration licenses for deep-seated and critical minerals and the removal of lithium-bearing minerals and five other atomic minerals from a restricted list, opening up the segment to private miners.

The bill has to be approved by parliament’s upper house and India’s president before it becomes a law. 

"This is just a drama. They (opposition) are running away from discussing the issue in the Parliament and just trying to take (political) mileage of the (Manipur) situation," says BJP leader Ram Kripal Yadav on INDIA alliance leaders' scheduled visit to Manipur on July 29, 30.

"We want an enquiry to be done by a retired Supreme Court judge to look into the administrative failures in Manipur," says Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi.

Opening up on his party not clarifying or articulating its position on a Bill to replace the Centre's Ordinance on control of services in the national capital, Amar Patnaik, a member of the Rajya Sabha from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday said "internal discussions" within the party cannot be revealed and the party will take a decision at an appropriate time.

The Bill is scheduled to be taken up in both Houses next week.

"The party will clear its stand at an appropriate time. Let the Bill be introduced first. The party will take a decision and the honourable Chief Minister of Odisha and our party president (Naveen Patnaik) will take a decision at an appropriate time," Patnaik said.

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, seeks to replace the Ordinance brought by the Centre in May, excluding some services from the 'legislative competence' of the Delhi legislative assembly.

(ANI)

"It's been 7-8 days since Parliament proceedings began, if a single round of discussion would have taken place so far, we would've reached to some conclusion. If then (after discussions) you don't find the government's response satisfactory, you could have said that we need an answer from the PM and created a ruckus as much as you want," says LJP national president Chirag Paswan.

(ANI)

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal speaks on the list of business on the government's agenda in both Houses during the week, commencing Monday (31st July) will consist of "...Discussion on statutory resolutions seeking disapproval of the government of National Capital of Delhi, Amendment Ordinance 2023..."

(ANI)

Lok Sabha adjourned for the day amid protest by opposition members over Manipur issue

(ANI)

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday dared the opposition to defeat the government bills on the floor of the house if they believe they had the numbers in the Lok Sabha.

Joshi's sharp riposte came after the opposition objected to the government taking up legislative business at a time when the no-confidence motion was pending before the Lok Sabha.

"They have suddenly brought the no-confidence motion, does that mean no government business should take place," the minister told reporters outside Parliament.

"If they have the numbers, they should defeat the bills on the floor of the House," the minister said.

Joshi had posed the same challenge to the opposition inside the House earlier in the day.

(PTI)

Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 noon and Rajya Sabha for the day on Friday over the demands of opposition members related to the Manipur situation.

Opposition members in Lok Sabha demanded immediate discussion on the no-confidence motion which has been accepted by Speaker Om Birla.

The Speaker took up the Question Hour after the House met for the day but opposition members raised slogans in support of their demand.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury cited an example of 1978 and said that the House took up debate on the no-confidence motion on the day it was admitted.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that the government is ready for debate on the day and time decided by the Speaker and that rules provide a 10-day window.

(ANI)

Lok Sabha proceedings resume. Opposition MPs continue to raise slogans against the central government over Manipur issue.

On a delegation of INDIA bloc visiting Manipur, BJP MP Ravi Kishan says, "They (Opposition) can go wherever they want, they should go to Pakistan, Sri Lanka and China"

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar was addressing the house while explaining the significance of Question Hours as the ‘heart of parliamentary proceedings’. Following Dhankhar's statement, TMC MP Derek O'Brien raised to voice his objection, to which, the RS Chairman said that ‘it has become your (O'Brien) habit to engage it theatrics’. 

Dhankhar stood up and adjourned the House till Monday, saying ‘we can’t suffer this'.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the House received a total of 47 notices, specifically demanding discussion over Manipur violence. He urged all members to ‘rise above partisan interests’.