Parliament Highlights: Both houses adjourned for the day amid Opposition protests

On Day 2, Opposition protests continued and both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been adjourned for the day. Venkaiah Naidu expressed his anguish about disruption caused in the House yesterday while refusing to revoke suspension of 12 MPs. The Opposition staged a walkout, but the session is in progress. Nirmala Sitharaman is answering questions about cryptocurrency. Stay tuned for live updates.

13.12 lakh users connected with Jan Aushadhi Sugam App: Mandaviya

Around 13.12 lakh users were connected with the Jan Aushadhi Sugam App as of November 23, 2021, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

Union Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister MansukhMandaviyain a written reply to the Rajya Sabha said that the users of the App are able to find details about name and price of medicines, comparison of prices between generic drugs and their equivalent branded drugs, location of nearby Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs), quality assurance and transaction details, etc. Jan Aushadhi Sugam App is regularly updated with new technological advancements to make it more user-friendly,Mandaviyasaid. (PTI)

No case of Omicron variant reported in India so far: Govt to Parliament

India has so far not reported any case of the new Covid-19 variant Omicron, Union Health Minister MansukhMandaviyainformed Parliament on Tuesday, underlining that the government has taken measures to ensure that it does not reach the country.

The Centre has issued an advisory after looking at developments globally and is keeping a close watch on ports, he said, adding genome sequencing of suspected cases is being done. (PTI)

Lok Sabha adjourned for the day

Kiren Rijiju introduces The High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2021

The High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2021 introduced in Lok Sabha (PRS)

Chants of 'save farmers', 'we want justice' by Opposition MPs as Lok Sabh resumes

Lok Sabha resumes amid commotion

Kharge to write to RS chairman VP Naidu over suspension of 12 MPs

LoP Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge will write to Chairman Rajya Sabha M Venkaiah Naidu on the issue of suspension of 12 Opposition MPs. (ANI)

Directorate of Enforcement investigating 8 crypto fraud cases: Finance Ministry tells RS

Eight cases regarding cryptocurrency-related fraud are under investigation by the Directorate of Enforcement: Finance Ministry in a written reply in Rajya Sabha (ANI)

Even as a party, BJP is the most democratic party in the country. Despite having a public mandate, we are democratic. We want criticism, we want constructive advice and Dam Safety Bill is important. If the Opposition has only boycotted the session for a day, then let them come back tomorrow and we can discuss the Bill: BJP Minister in RS

Anybody can make a mistake and the right next step is to apologise and come back to the House, and hold productive discussions with the government: Piyush Goyal

On August 11, the last day of the session, many Opposition members showed reprehensible behaviour. There could have been an attack on the Chair. Lady marshalls were attacked, some were on the dias trying to break the LED screens: Piyush Goyal

I invite all Opposition members to come back to the House. We can do the division and see who has the majority in the Upper House: Piyush Goyal in Rajya Sabha

Union Minister Piyush Goyal is making a statement in the Rajya Sabha

Lok Sabha adjourned till 3 pm minutes after resumption.

The extension of territorial jurisdiction of BSF would result in better and more effective control on trans-border crimes in conjunction and co-operation with State Police: Ministry of Home Affairs in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

Eight Opposition party leaders led by Mallikarjun Kharge met Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to request him to re-consider revocation of suspension of 12 MPs. Chairman Naidu told them it was not possible without an apology from the suspended members of the House, sources told ANI.

Suspension of RS MPs: Mayawati says govt should resolve matter through talks

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Tuesday said the government should resolve the matter of suspension of 12 opposition Rajya Sabha MPs through talks and not adopt a hard stance on it.

Twelve opposition MPs were on Monday suspended for the remainder of the Winter session of Parliament for their unruly behaviour and misconduct during the last day of the Monsoon session on August 11, after the government moved a motion in this regard.

"The government should not adopt hard stance on the matter and should resolve the issue through talks. The matter is of last Parliament session and now Winter session is in progress," Mayawati told reporters when asked about the suspension.

MP Sushil Kumar Modi demandedseparate legislation for NFTs. He also asked how many people have paid Income Tax on cryptocurrency earnings.

Flurry of misleading ads on social media about cryptocurrency, promising heaven to investors. During IPL, Rs 50 cr was spent on these advertisements. Is there a plan to ban such misleading ads till the Bill comes? Because we do not know when the Bill will come, because last time also it never made it to the House: MP Sushil Kumar Modi

No steps taken yet to curb advertisements about cryptocurrency, but investors have been cautioned. More will come with the Bill: Nirmala Sitharaman

On questions raised on regulation of cryptocurrency, FM Nirmala Sitharaman did not answer, saying, "Keeping the propriety of the House, any answer now will preempt the discussion which will come with Bill. That discussion would be held."

"There is no stated policy or instruction given to banks to not give loans to government employees. But banks exercise certian level of discretion on the basis of available KYC," Nirmala SItharaman told the House when MPs raised issues of banks' reluctance to lend to government officials.

Long live debate-less Parliamentary democracy: Chidambaram on Farm Laws Repeal Bill

A day after the Farm Laws Repeal Bill was passed in Parliament without any debate, Congress MP P. Chidambaram on Tuesday took a jibe at the Prime Minister saying, "Long live debate-less Parliamentary democracy! "

The Omicron variant has been reported in 14 countries; no cases reported in India so far. We have issued an advisory andgenome sequencing has begun. We're taking every possible precaution to make sure the variant doesn't reach India: Mandaviya to RS

Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said that Covid-19 is not gone and people should still follow Covid-appropriate behaviour. "The government is doing all it can to control the virus."

I had allocated nearly four hours for the farm bills discussion, but they were not ready to listen. I calculated today, 93 per cent of the members of the House want the house to run: Venkaiah Naidu

I place on the record with deep anguish the sacrilege witnessed in the House in the spirit of competition. Just like in a temple, devotees are allowed only up to a point, the sanctum sanctorum should not be violated. I struggle to find the provocation of such behaviour: Venkaiah Naidu

Dr Narendra Jadhav is taking up the issue of the newest Covid-19 strain

Congress Loksabha MP K Suresh slipped on Parliament corridor's floor while coming out from the Office of LoP Rajya Sabha. He has been given first aid treatment and now has been taken to the hospital. (ANI)

Opposition stages walkout after VP Venkaiah Naidu refuses to revoke suspension of the 12 MPs

The Rajya Sabha is now discussing matters of rains in Tamil Nadu under matters raised with permission of the chair

The suspension is final. The members showed no remorse, instead, they justified their actions: Venkaiah Naidu

Mallikarjun Kharge calls on Venkaiah Naidu to revoke the suspension.

Responding to him, Naidu said, "The Rajya Sabha is a continuing institution and the chairman of the House is empowered to take action. What happened yesterday is not the chairman taking action, but the House taking action. Go through the records on August 10. We named members and we requested them to go to their seats."

Suspension of any member has to be done according to parameters. Members have to be named, only then can the motion of suspension be moved. This is relevant only on the date of occurrence of the alleged disregard conducted by the member: Mallikarjun Kharge

I was not allowed to raise my point of order. It is a gross violation of parliamentary provisions: Mallikarjun Kharge in Rajya Sabha

Report of Committee on Railways on "Passenger Reservation System of Indian Railways" has been presented in Rajya Sabha.

Question Hour begins in Lok Sabha: First question is about low milk production in India

Update | Parliament proceedings begin

Opposition may boycott Rajya Sabha if suspension against MPs not revoked

Opposition mayboycott Rajya Sabha today if suspension against MPsis not revoked. Floor leaders will meet Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu today.

PM Modi holds strategy meeting with ministers in Parliament

"We fought on the issue of bank privatisationfor Atmanirbhar Bharat. We will not apologise,"said Binoy Viswam, CPI MP, one of the 12 Rajya Sabha MPs suspended for the remaining part of the winter session.

Update | Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda has given suspension of business notice demanding a "discussion on legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price and aid to farmers who lost their lives during protest".

TRS MP DrK Keshava Rao has given an adjournment motion notice in Rajya Sabha over "discriminatory crop procurement policy of Central government and non-procurement of crops from Telengana".

Only 1.73% of forested area encroached, says Govt

Of the total 7,67,419 sq km recorded forest aea (RFA) in the country as per the 2019 data, as much as 13,294.77 sq km - amounting to mere 1.73 per cent - is under encroachment, with Madhya Pradesh and Assam witnessing most encroachments, the Parliament was told on Monday.

Replying to a question about encroachment on wildlife sanctuaries and protected areas by Lok Sabha members Chandra Prakash Joshi and Nihal Chand Chauhan, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ashwini Kumar Choubey said: "The Ministry has not received any reports from the states/UTs indicating that there has been an increase in cases related to encroachment in wildlife sanctuaries and protected areas across the country."

Congress MP Manickam Tagore has given an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha "to discuss reasons for the increase in prices of essential commodities across the country and to direct the government to take appropriate steps to reduce the Excise duty on petrol, diesel andLPG to the level of 2013".

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will table the assisted Reproduction Technology Bill in Lok Sabha today.The Bill is for the regulation and supervision of the assisted reproductive technology clinics and the assisted reproductive technology banks, prevention of misuse, safe and ethical practice of assisted reproductive technology services and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. On Monday, Mandaviya failed to introduce the Bills.

LS members posed over 360 questions on air pollution: Paper

The Lok Sabha members have raised at least 368 questions on air pollution in India from 2000 to 2019, with more than 200 of them raised in 2016 or later, with crop residue burning emerging as the most common source of interest, a new working paper has found.

Launched on Monday, the first day of the winter session of the Parliament, "Airing Differences? Reading the Political Narrative on Air Quality Management in India", the working paper by the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) cited the fact that more than 200 of the 368 questions were asked after 2016 and said, it reflected a sharp increase in political engagement in recent years in Parliament.

Oppn likely to boycott session if suspension of 12 MPs not revoked

The floor leaders of opposition are meeting on Tuesday to discuss strategy after the suspension of 12 MPs in the Rajya Sabha. Sources said that if the suspension was not revoked, the opposition may decide to boycott the House.

The Congress has alleged that the government wants to pass the Bills and now has created a majority number after the suspension of MPs.

"By suspending 12 MPs from the #RajyaSabha, BJP has now gone ahead of the majority number. Can easily pass listed bills through the upper house now. This move has no parallel in history of parliamentary democracy and is entirely undemocratic, unlawful, and unconstitutional!" Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi tweeted. (IANS)

Today in Parliament

The High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2021 will be introduced in Lok Sabha. Rajya Sabha will discuss and pass the Dam Safety Bill, 2019.

Three Committee Reports including the report on ‘Reforms in Content and Design of School Textbooks’ will be tabled.

TMC, Congress MPs 'will not apologise'

Twelve MPs suspended on the first day of the Winter Session will meet withVenkaiah Naidu for a review of his decision. Sources told News18 that TMC and Congress are unlikely to apologise. The report added that the Opposition may boycott the entire Rajya Sabha session.

'Passed without discussion, repealed without discussion': Omar's jibe over farm laws

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Monday targeted the government after Parliament passed without any discussion the bill to repeal the three controversial farm laws which had triggered protests by farmers.

On the first day of the Winter Session on Monday, Parliament passed The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021, to cancel the three agri laws, with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha approving it without any debate within minutes of taking it up amid protests by opposition members who were demanding a discussion.

Lok Sabha passes bill to repeal 3 farm laws; Oppn raises issue of farmers' welfare

A bill to repeal the three contentious agricultural laws, against which farmers have been protesting for over a year, was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday without a debate, within minutes of its introduction.

Opposition members from the Congress, the TMC, the DMK and other parties disrupted proceedings, seeking a debate and raising farmers' issues, leading to repeated adjournments.

Soon after the House reassembled at noon following a brief adjournment on the first day of the Winter Session, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar introduced the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 through which the three laws, passed by Parliament in September last year, were repealed.

According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the bill, "Even though only a group of farmers are protesting against these laws, the government has tried hard to sensitise the farmers on the importance of the farm laws and explain the merits through several meetings and other forums."