A day after the BJP wins in the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections, both Houses of Parliament reconvened for the winter session on Tuesday.
On Monday, proceedings in both Houses were disrupted by Opposition members who demanded an apology from the Prime Minister for his recent remarks about former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh .
Mr. Javadekar rises to respond to Members' comments on the Bill.
The Bill is taken up for voting. Clause by clause consideration begins.
The Indian Institutes of Management Bill, 2017 has been passed.
Special Mentions are made in the House.
House is adjourned for the day.
Nitin Gadkari rises to respond to Members' statements on the Bill.
He says the government will begin a luxury cruise line from Mumbai to Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The Bill is taken for consideration. Clause by clause consideration begins.
The Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2017 is passed. This Bill allocates a share of cess collected under the central road fund towards the development of inland waterways.
The Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill, 2017 is now introduced. This Bill enables the centre to requisition immovable property for purposes of "defence and national security."
House is adjourned for the day.
N. Gokulakrishnan of the AIADMK says there is a need to expedite the expansion process of the IIMs, and create more quality PhD programmes. "Several private business schools are charging huge fees for admission. This needs to be stopped immediately."
Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu is in the Chair now.
K. Somaprasad of the CPI (M) rises to say he supports the Bill.
Ratna De Nag is in the Chair.
Discussion on the Road Fund Bill continues. Gajanan Kirtikar of the Shiv Sena rises to speak.
The Bill is introduced and taken for consideration. Sukhendu Sekhar Roy is in the Chair.
Vinay P. Sahasrabuddhe proposes a syllabus that focuses on 'Indian management science.'
Naresh Agrawal rises to speak next.
Vara Prasadarao Velagapalli, the YSR Congress Member from Tirupati speaks next.
The IIM Bill proposes to give the IIMs university status, and governmental interference in the institutes will stop, says Mr. Javadekar.
Ramen Deka is in the Chair.
Member from Nellore, YSR Congress' Rajamohan Reddy speaks about Andhra Pradesh's road needs and the Polavaram project.
Mr. Chidambaram asks, "When there is a Director's Identification Number, why are you taking power to prescribe another number?"
Clause by clause voting on the Bill begins.
Before the Minister rises to move that the Bill be passes, Mr. Chidambaram says that this is not "unqualified support" and that the issues in the Bill need to be addressed.
The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2017 is passed.
Next, Prakash Javadekar rises to move The Indian Institues of Management Bill, 2017 for introduction.
Naresh Agrawal of the SP says that there are other issues to be discussed. "We aren't here to do the government's work. We are here to represent the people." He wants a discussion for a short duration.
Chair says that there is listed business, and there is time till 6 p.m. He asks Mr. Agrawal to take his request for a discussion to the Chairman.
Minister continues his speech on the Bill.
Hukm Deo Narayan Yadav is in the Chair.
Rajiv Pratap Rudy of the BJP speaks in favour of the Bill.
V. Vijaysai Reddy of the YSR Congress lists his issue with the provisions of the Bill relating to a company which defaults.
Mr. Kurien is back in the Chair.
P.P. Chaudhary, MoS, Corporate Affairs rises to respond to the Opposition's statements.
The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2017 and The Repealing and Amending (Second) Bill, 2017 have been passed.
Next, the Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2017 is taken for consideration and passing.
Basawaraj Patil is in the Chair.
Naresh Gujral of the SAD speaks now. "Small and medium enterprises will stop functioning if you stop directors from giving loans to the company. However, if the company is giving a loan to the director, we can put some limits there."
Pinaki Misra, the BJD MP from Puri, speaks about the Bill now. "One of the things that the Law Minister could do is that at least for appropriations there could be an automatic sunset clause." He also says that the Centre has to repeal section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.
Amalapuram MP Ravindra Babu Pandula of the TDP says he supports the Bill, but he asks for judicial scrutiny into the draft. Narendra Sawaikar of the BJP rises in support of the legislation.
Mr. Prasad rises to respond. He calls this Bill a cleanliness mission. He adds that it is up to the legislature to make laws and that they cannot outsource this to the judiciary. On 377, he says that this needs debate and discourse.
Ajay Sancheti of the BJP speaks for the Bill now.
Sanjay Seth of the SP speaks next. Vivek Gupta of the Trinamool Congress follows him. "This Bill is inconclusive," he says.
Harivansh of the JD(U) rises to speak next.
Arjun Charan Sethi is in the Chair.
The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2017 and The Repealing and Amending (Second) Bill, 2017 are being moved by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad for introduction. The second Bill seeks to repeal 131 Acts. Among the Acts being repealed, 30 are pre-Independence laws. This Bill also repeals nine Ordinances promulgated before Independence.
Discussion begins on the Repealing and Amending (Second) Bill, 2017.
Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien is in the Chair.
The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2017 is moved for introduction. This Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in the Monsoon session.
P. Chidambaram rises to speak on the Bill. He says the Minister could have taken a little more effort to explain certain provisions of the Bill.
"Eventually, we must have a separate law for small and medium companies and have a comprehensive Companies Act only for large companies."
A Member asks about the revenue collected after the introduction of GST. Mr. Jaitley says the government has been making steady progress as far as revenues are concerned.
P. Chidambaram asks when the GST Council will decide on reducing GST slabs. "What prevents the government from moving the GST Council to decide on the slab for petroleum products under GST?"
Mr. Jaitley says that when UPA was in power they knew the limitation for petroleum products. "The UPA's draft on GST did not include petroleum. Now that you are in Opposition, you have a far greater flexibility in reversing your position. The States have reluctantly agreed to include petroleum. The deal with the states was that petroleum will be brought within the GST in the Constitutional Amendment was concerned, but it is only when the states decide and agree upon it will petroleum be brought into the GST. The Centre is in favour of bringing petroleum under GST."
House is adjourned till 2 p.m.
Zero Hour continues in Lok Sabha. BJD MP Balabhadra Majhi speaks about the need for an LIC division in Malkangiri, Odisha.
M. Srinivas Rao of the TDP speaks about the government's stake sale in the Dredging Corporation of India.
House is adjourned till 2 p.m.
Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raises a point of order. He speaks about the Prime Minister's comments on Dr. Singh.
"Dr. Manmohan Singh's integrity and loyalty to the country has been questioned," says Mr. Azad. Slogans of ' Maafi maango' begin taking over the Rajya Sabha too. Protesting voices can be heard from the Treasury Benches too.
Chair says that in the interest of democracy, they have to sort this issue out. "I suggested that if there is some agreement, let both sides discuss and come up with a solution."
Mr. Jaitley says that he will be happy to invite all his colleagues to conduct a discussion.
Question Hour begins.
Anil Desai of the Shiv Sena asks a supplementary question on power infrastructure. His question, for which the answer has already been tabled was "whether adoption of renewable energy in Maharashtra is yet to benefit industries and commercial power consumers who continue to pay one of the highest tariffs in the country", and "if so, by when the renewable energy centre in collaboration with the Power Grid Corporation of India would be set up in the State to benefit industries and commercial power consumers?"
Raj Kumar Singh, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for New and Renewable Energy answers the question.
Kanimozhi of the DMK asks when the Tamil Nadu AIIMS is going to open. Health Minister J.P. Nadda says that the AIIMS will be opened once land acquisition is finalised.
House reconvenes. Chair rejects all motions of adjournments.
Papers are laid on the table. The din of slogans gets louder.
Matters of urgent public importance are being submitted now.
Pratap Singh Bajwa of the Congress rises to speak about stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.
D. Raja of the CPI speaks next about the damage caused by cyclone Ockhi. "The farming community in the coastal belt stands thoroughly devastated. I ask the government, 'Why can't you declare this as a national disaster? What is preventing this?'"
K.K. Ragesh of the CPI(M) speaks about the damage done to Kerala specifically, by the cyclone.
Sukhendu Sekhar Roy of the Trinamool Congress rises to speak about the security of the Aadhaar database. "To ensure that the fundamental right of privacy is protected, it is incumbent upon the government to enact legislation to secure and ensure the safety of the database, and till then Aadhaar card should not be mandatory."
K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao of the Congress speaks about the government's decision to sell 75 per cent stake in the Dredging Corporation of India. "It is detrimental to the interests of the nation."
Revati Raman Singh, a Member belonging to SP speaks about cold storage for the potato crop in Uttar Pradesh.
A. Navaneethakrishnan of the AIADMK rises to speak about funds for scholarship for SC/ST students.
Naresh Gujral of the SAD speaks against the renaming of the Dyal Singh Evening College in New Delhi, stating that it is an attack on a minority community. HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar responds that the government is also against the renaming, and that they have asked the State government to take action.
Renuka Chowdhury of the Congress speaks about the failure of BT cotton, and the use of toxic pesticides by farmers. "There is no regulatory mechanism in the government. What is the government going to do to compensate farmers for financial losses as well as losses of lives? And what measures are they going to put into place to prevent marketing of toxic pesticides?"
Ripun Bora, a Member from Assam, of the Congress party speaks about contamination in the Brahmaputra caused by China's construction of a tunnel to divert the river.
The next question is on the government's anti-terror measures. A Member asks what the government is doing to motivate the youth of the country to join the Armed Forces, and what is being done to encourage the youth of Kashmir to join activities such as sports.
Slogan shouting continues and the Chair asks them not to disturb the Question Hour. "If you don't want the House to function, give that in writing," Ms. Mahajan says before adjourning the House till 12 noon .
House reconvenes. Chairman of the House, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu is in the Chair.
Papers are laid on the table.
Zero Hour begins.
Naresh Agrawal of the Samajwadi Party raises a point of order on Article 14, which states that all are equal before the law.
Derek O'Brien of the Trinamool Congress rises to speak about the select committee on the FRDI Bill. Chair says he will give him time later.
- "Equality before law: The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth."
Anand Sharma of the Congress says that if the perception is created that special courts are needed only for MPs, other people should not have to bear the brunt of it. "If you single out only elected representatives, this affects public perception. It has an inherent potential to be abused in entirety by the government of the day."
Majeed Memon of the Nationalist Congress Party also says that there shouldn't be any discrimination in speedy dispensation of justice.
Leader of the House Arun Jaitley rises to respond on behalf of the government. "We are lawmakers. Can we say that we have a vested interest in saying our cases should be delayed?"
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan is in the Chair. Question Hour begins.
The first question relates to drug addiction. Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot answers the Member's question, as one section of Opposition shout slogans asking the Prime Minister to apologise.
Radha Mohan Singh, the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare answers a question on the increase in the minimum support price.
