Both the Houses will continue with the  Motion of Thanks on the President’s address for the third consecutive day and are set to take up Private Members’ Legislative Business.

Here are the latest updates:

Rajya Sabha | 11.37 a.m.

Discussion on Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address begins

Dr. L. Hanumanthaiah is in the chair. Prasanna Acharya, BJD, Odisha appreciates the government’s nationalistic approach and notes that many people believe that had Netaji been alive after independence, the country would have been shaped different. He notes that the government has rightly taken the decision to start the Republic Day celebrations from Netaji’s birthday.

He also goes on to appreciate the government’s decision to celebrate Veer Bal Diwas. He continues that a memorial should be constructed to commemorate “Veer Bals” of this country. Mr. Acharya notes that the farmers’ income has not been doubled. He states NCRB data and notes that an increase of 6% has been noted with respect to farmer suicides this year.

Rajya Sabha | 11.31 a.m.

Question Hour comes to an end

Question Hour comes to an end in Rajya Sabha. Papers are being laid on the table.

Rajya Sabha | 11-20 a.m.

Questions concerning setting up new industries in Rajasthan and objectives of TRAI are being entertained in the House.

Rajya Sabha | 10.53 a.m.

Minister of Electronics and IT on ‘Bulli Bai’ and ‘Sulli Deals’

To a question raised by BJP MP Sushil Modi on action taken against the Bulli Bai creators and subsequent questions, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “If the house has consensus we are willing to provide even stricter social media rules. At this point we are working within the framework of the Constitution. But yes, going forward we need to make the social media more accountable.”

Mr. Vaishnaw notes that “protecting women” is a fundamental to their government. He says that the investigation was initiated as soon as the issue was brought to notice of the government. He goes on to say that social media has to be made accountable to make them safe spaces.

Rajya Sabha | 10.50 a.m.

Guidelines for social media platforms

Ashwini Vaishaw, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology notes that there are five significant social media intermediaries as mandated by the government. All significant social media intermediaries are obliged to publish their monthly compliance reports. 

Rajya Sabha | 10.42 a.m.

Legal guarantee of MSP

Kailash Choudhary, MoS Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare in a response to a question regarding the committee being set up to look into the legal guarantee of MSP notes that details concerning the committee will be divulged once the government gets permission from the Election Commission to set up a committee as Model Code of Conduct is in place in many States across the country in lieu of the 2022 Assembly Elections.

Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare says, “as Prime Minister had announced we are committed on the issue of MSP. We were to form a Committee for fixing the MSP, but schedule for assembly elections were announced. We wrote to Election Commission seeking their permission, the EC wrote back saying that the Ministry should wait for the elections before setting up the Committee.”

Rajya Sabha | 10.33 a.m.

Question Hour begins

Question Hour begins in Rajya Sabha. Questions concerning construction of over bridges are being entertained in the House.

Rajya Sabha | 10.27 a.m.

DMK MPs and opposition walk out in protest.

Rajya Sabha | 10.27 a.m.

Rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits

Priyanka Chaturvedi, Shiv Sena, Maharashtra, notes that only 15% of the rehabilitation work to aid Kashmiri Pandits has been completed. She urges the government through the Chairman to expedite the construction of transit accommodation units.

Rajya Sabha | 10.24 a.m

Manoj Jha, RJD, Bihar says States and centre will have to work together to National Employment Policy. “Across the party lines we have to work together. It is unfortunate that the even in the elections unemployment does not seem to be an issue. We cannot ignore it any longer, we are sitting at the vortex of a volcano threatening to blow up any time now”, he notes.

Rajya Sabha | 10.21 a.m.

“Include Khasi and Garo in the eighth schedule”

Wanweiroy Kharlukhi notes that Meghalaya is a State of fifty years without a recognised language. He requests that the government include Khasi and Garo in the eighth schedule of the Constitution.

Rajya Sabha | 10.16 a.m.

DMK MPs protest against Tamil Nadu Governor

Zero Hour begins in Rajya Sabha. DMK MPs protest against Tamil Nadu Governor for returning the bill passed by the State assembly exempting the State’s students from NEET. Other opposition MPs also join in the protest. Chairman is asking the MPs to bring up the issue during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.  Tiruchi Siva, DMK MP says that the Governor is insulting the State assembly. DMK MPs are in the well of the House shouting slogans.

Rajya Sabha | 10.06 a.m.

Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge objects to ministers absence with MOS Parliamentary Affairs Minister lays paper for host of ministries. “The concerned minister should come and place the papers. What other work do they have during the Parliament”.

RS Chairman Venkaiah Naidu: I have allowed this only because of COVID pandemic. COVID is not in our hands, otherwise I would not have excused COVID too

Rajya Sabha | 10.00 a.m.

Rajya Sabha proceedings begin

Chairman Venkaiah Naidu starts the proceedings for the day.  Papers are being laid on the Table of the House.

LoB | Rajya Sabha

List of Business in Rajya Sabha (10.00 a.m.)

1. Motion of Thanks on the President’s address.

2. Private Members’ Legislative Business.

LoB | Lok Sabha

List of Business in Lok Sabha (4.00 p.m.)

1. Motion of Thanks on the President’s address.

2. Private Members’ Legislative Business.

 

High taxes hurting toursim sector: Parliamentary Panel

Noting that high tax rates are hurting inbound tourism to India, a Parliamentary Committee has recommended that the tax regime for the travel and tourism sector should be reviewed to make India an attractive travel destination.

India’s total share in International Tourist Arrivals (ITA) remains a modest 1.24%, which is certainly below its huge potential, the Committee on ‘Promotion of Indian Tourism in Overseas Markets – Role of Overseas Tourist Offices and Indian Embassies’ stated.

“The Committee observes that one of the major reasons for India’s inbound tourism remaining grossly under-utilised has been the high rates and multiplicity of taxes that deter inbound tourism and have led to tourist packages being out priced vis-a-vis those in competing tourist destinations of other countries,” it said.

 

 

Ultraviolet tech to mitigate spread of virus in Parliament

Radiation technology to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus has been installed in the Parliament building, Union Minister for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh told the Lok Sabha on Thursday. However, the Minister urged members to continue following COVID appropriate behaviour.

The Minister said the Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) technology, developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has been installed in Lok Sabha and Central Hall chambers to mitigate the airborne transmission of the coronavirus.

Speaking soon after the Question Hour, Mr. Singh thanked Speaker Om Birla for granting permission for the technology.

 

Recap

Day 4 recap

The Members of Parliament participated in Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.

The Question Hour in the Upper House entertained questions pertaining to Indian workers in Gulf countries, number of women judges in the country, status of Marathi as a classical language, and the MediaOne issue.

The Lower House entertained questions pertaining to fuel prices, water supply to households. The Pegasus spyware, special status for Bihar and protests over unemployment were among the key issues that figured in the Lok Sabha on Thursday during the debate on Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address

There was furore in the Lower House when the members of the DMK and the Congress walked out of the Lok Sabha, demanding a recall of Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi, taking exception to his decision to return the NEET Exemption Bill.