Thursday's proceedings began with Sampathiya Uike being sworn in as a member of the Rajya Sabha. Ms. Uike has been elected from Madhya Pradesh. The House also spent the better part of the day discussing India's foreign policy.
In the Lok Sabha, the Speaker read obituary references to the passing away of Nar Bahadur Bhandari and Sontosh Mohan Dev. The House paid silent tributes to them. The House, later in the day, passed the Banking Regulation Amendments Bill and took up the The Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to Chandigarh) Amendment Bill, 2017 for discussion and voting.
The Rajya Sabbha too discussed India’s foreign policy and wrapped it up with Ms. Swaraj’s assurance on diplomatic dialogue on the Doklam standoff. The House also passed the IIIT (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
Live updates
8.05 pm: And the House is adjourned till tomorrow.
7.58 pm: HRD Minister called to reply. He promises to wrap it up within a minute. Says IIM Bill is coming next week and the issue of faculty during that time.
Motion put to vote. Adopted. Clause by clause voting. Amid peels of laughter over the rushing through, Subbirami Reddy speaks on an amendment, he is not moving.
Like school students members says aye and the Chair says Ayes have it.
Reddy rises again. Amendment Reddy, says Chair. Not moving amendment. Another clause is rushed through.
Motion is put to vote and passed by voice vote.
7.53 pm: After the sour experience on Monday of conceding a clause during a Amendment Bill passage, and a reprimand by the BJP chief, the Treasury benches are full , while the Oppn. attendance is thin. Late in the day, that too needs to be accounted!
7.42 pm: Chair suggests why not pass it since everyone supports it. Ravishankar Prasad says let's hold a separate debate on the quality of teaching in IITs. But the debate continues. Vijila Sathyananth asks why top firms not coming to IIT-Madras to recruit. Chair curtails speech time to two min. per speaker.
JD(U)’s Kehkashan Perveen earns praise from the Chair by finishing on time. CPI(M)’s Ritabrata Banerjee races to wrap it up in “120 seconds”. Makes case for IT grads, says companies should only take IT grads instead of recruiting other streams and retraining them.
7.27 pm | RS: HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar introduces the IIIT (Amendment) Bill 2017. Jairam Ramesh rises to speak. “We have three categories of ‘Triple I” Ts. IIIT, international in three cities. Second category of IIITs in 15 cities in PPP mode. Now a third category of the 5 IIITs funded by govt. I request you to rationalise this set up at some point of time.” He wants collaboration between institutions such as the IIIT to be set up in Kurnool and the IIT in Tirupati. He turns to the lack of teaching faculty. “39% vacancies in established IITs,” he says. “Why our institutes of higher education are not attracting good talent for their faculty,” he asks.
7.20 pm: Ms. Swaraj reads out the statement on the govt. stand on the China standoff. In 2006 China handed over a non-paper, saying both sides should verify the boundary alignment in Sikkim sector to replace the 1890 Treaty .
“We will continuously engage with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels,” she says and concludes her reply.
7.18 pm: Asks Manmohan Singh, “How many times did you take Salman Khurhid with you during foreign tours,” in response to the Oppn.’s claim that the PMO, not the MEA, that runs the foreign policy. “I’m fortunate to have a PM who gives me autonomy to run my Ministry”.
7.16 pm: Responding to AIADMK’s A. Navaneethakrishnan, the Minister said that India is not soft towards Sri Lanka.
7.13 pm: She says, “As Modi ji goes on foreign tours he has become a PM who shapes global agenda.”
7.11 pm: Derek O’ Brien stands up to clarify about the alleged non-mention on Jawaharlal Nehru’s name at the Bandung Conference. Ms. Swaraj, once again takes pains to explain it's not so.
7.10 pm: Ms. Swaraj refutes Oppn. claim that India is subordinate to U.S. interests. Says when Donald Trump criticised India on Paris Accord, Mr. Modi issued a statement against his speech in an hour.
7.05 pm: On West Asia, Ms. Swaraj all is well with ties with the Arab world. Cites the top civilian award by Saubi monarch to Mr. Modi and the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as chief guest during R-Day. “The successful Yemen evacuation is a victory to our foreign policy.”
6.56 pm: Ms. Swaraj refutes Oppn. criticism and says under Modi both the U.S. and Russia are with India. “Though we are friendly with Israel, we’ll never let down the Palestinian cause.”
6.53 pm: MEA turns to the H1B visa issue. Says the numbers hasn't come down from UPA levels.
6.50 pm | Ms. Swaraj thanks the Opposition for agreeing with the government’s actions on the standoff after the all-party meeting. She promises to read out the govt.’s stand in a statement format to avert any doubt.
6:40 pm | Rajya Sabha
On Pakistan policy, we had bilateral meeting the next day of swearing-in. We decided to restart the comprehensive bilateral dialogue. All the details of Prime Minister's Lahore visit is available in the public domain.
The stand had to be changed after Burhan Wani's killing, when Nawaz Sharif called him a 'martyr.' Terror and talks can't go together. This is our roadmap. We'll restart talks once terrorism ends, he says.
I wished the Opposition approached us regarding Doklam. But the leader approached Chinese Envoy instead of approaching us, she says. Opposition protests.
6:32 pm | Rajya Sabha
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj begins her response. She thanks Anand Sharma for initiating the tone for the debate. Nehru earned the laurels of the world as a person, but Mr. Modi has earned laurels for the country.
She summarises the issues taken up during the debate. On relation with neighbours, she says a country is your friend when we help them in time of distress. It was India who helped Maldives battle drinking water crisis, Nepal's earthquake and Sri Lanka's floods. We have proved were friends of these countries.
We have secured Hambantota. The security of the port will be in the hands of Sri Lanka and not China, she says. We have carried forward Manmohan Singh's land boundary agreement with Bangladesh. If there is a best friend of India, then it is Bhutan, she says.
6:30 pm | Rajya Sabha
Naresh Gujral says the government is following a pragmatic foreign policy. We are the fastest growing country and this has caused jealousy among our neighbours. Negotiations and dialogues are the way out to diffuse tension between nuclear armed nations, he says.
Our neighbours shouldn't feel we are showing a big brother attitude, he says. A certain percentage of GDP should be set aside to implement projects in neighbouring countries in a time-bound manner, he says.
6:20 pm | Rajya Sabha
Biswajit Daimary raises the issue of undocumented migrants settling in the north-east. Many of them are from Bangladesh, they haven't gone back, he says. We should take it up with Bangladesh.
We had an agreement to connect India with Bhutan through railway line. But there is hardly any progress in this issue, he says. We are with Bhutan and Bhutan has always been with us. There should be people-to-people contact, he says.
6:15 pm | Rajya Sabha
Pratap Singh Bajwa requests the government not to create a situation wherein the minorities side up with the insurgents and terrorists. There is nobody with us today, he says. It's time to re-frame our policy. By minorities, I don't mean only the Muslims. It includes Sikhs, Jains and many more, he says.
Foreign policy will be beneficial only when internal policy is strengthened, he says.
6:10 pm | Rajya Sabha
D. Raja gets his five minutes. India's foreign policy evolved during freedom movement. We supported those who were fighting against fascim. But of late, there is a shift in foreign policy, he says.
Yes, there is a stand-off between India and China. We should keep in mind that this stand-off should not continue for the benefit of both countries. There are mechanisms to end this stand-off. We cannot go for confrontation or military conflicts with our own neighbours.
Pakistan should be treated as a nation, not as a religion, he says. India has the moral responsibility to take up the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils, he says.
6:00 pm | Rajya Sabha
Mr. Javadekar comes back to the House hoping IIIT Bill will be taken up. But no, the debate is still underway. The Treasury, Chair and Opposition bargain time for other businesses. They come to a conclusion that the debate will run for another 30 minutes.
5:50 pm | Rajya Sabha
It appears that the members like the External Affairs Minister but are unhappy with the External Affairs, says Rajeev Shukla. For the first time we are facing border dispute on both sides.
Even a child is against us in Nepal. We can change the mindset of a State but it is very difficult to change the mindset of common people, he warns.
You gave tall promises when you were in Opposition. But soldiers are dying daily, says Mr. Shukla. You are more interested in publicity, it is spoiling you, he says.
During the 1971 war, every Muslim nation was with India. This is called diplomacy, he says.
5:40 pm | Rajya Sabha
Every speaker praises Sushma Swaraj. Kanimozhi too begins her speech on that note. If Indian policy is measured by the number of foreign trips the PM has made, then it is a grand success. But the success story ends there.
Pakistan is more aggrasive. Is it because someone is promoting them?
In Nepal, there is a seething anger beneath the surface against India. In Bangladesh we are putting all eggs in one basket. What will happen if the opposition participates in elections?
You like Ram a lot. Lord Ram is revered because He stood by justice, come what may. Are we doing it?
Our relation with US is one-way. What is our strategy with Sri Lanka. Any adversity will affect Tamil Nadu the most?
What is our policy with WTO? Are we going to compromise our MSP?
Sri Lankan refugees are in Indian camps for two or three generations. For them India is their homeland. We should grant them citizenship. At least, can't we negotiate for fishing rights around Katchatheevu?
A country is strong how peaceful it is, how inclusive its people feel. There can be no security by ruining food security, she says.
5:30 pm | Rajya Sabha
Vijaisai Reddy says the general perception of rural Andhra Pradesh people in so far as foreign policy is concerned, they feel they are secured. The confidence they reposed on India should be maintained.
He says there are five issues in the foreign policy: neighbourhood first, Paris accord, H1B visa, undocumented migrants, and China policy. We have stashed our funding to neighbours, says Mr. Reddy.
US is more polluting the planet, but they have pulled out of the Paris accord claiming it is unfairly favouring India. The country's America first policy is affecting Indians who wish to immigrate to US, he says.
India has huge trade deficit with China. However, China has put many barriers on Indian companies. But FDI from China is coming uninterrupted. This should be checked, he says.
5:18 pm | Rajya Sabha
Swapan Dasgupta says one of the self-induced myth in India is there is a bipartisan foreign policy. The primacy of the neighbourhood determines India. That gives India her power. The other approach is when we talk loftily, when we forget that we have a neighbourhood to protect. There was a time Indian rupee was used in Aden and Gulf.
He contrasts the situation of 1962 and 1971 of how India approached UN and how we supported Bangladesh, though we had 'non-alignment policy.' Mr. Modi's US trips are a continuation of the previous government.
Ruthless pursuit of national interest is most important, he says. we have never been quick in taking the appropriate decision. That is why we have been beaten to the post by the neighbouring country, which wants to emulate 19th century imperialism, he says.
The disapora should be given pride, make them stand tall and give them stake. I commend the EAM for doing this. The PM has given the pride, he says.
5:15 pm | Rajya Sabha
Vandana Chavan says our allys Nepal and Maldives have switched sides to China. The China Pakistan nexus has been on the rise for the last 15 years. China has huge economic interest with India, which should be leveraged. They shouldn't get a message that markets are open, so are our borders, she says.
5:00 pm | Rajya Sabha
Satish Chandra Mishra (BSP) says China is cornering India on all sides. It has its presence in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal and even in Bangladesh. We have to enhance our strength. China has our government contracts. The country is dependent on us financially. This has to be taken into account during talks, he says.
4:55 pm| Rajya Sabha
Dilip Kumar Tirkey congratulates Ms. Swaraj and Gen. (Retd.) V.K. Singh for evacuating Indians from war-torn nations. China is supporting us in Paris Accord but they are opposing us in NSG. We used to say Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai. What happened now? he asks. The government has taken a good step in improving relationship with 54 African nations. Our relationship with US should not be at the expense of Russia. This holds same with Israel and Palestine too, he says.
Pakistan is facing political uncertainty domestically. We have always treated Pakistan well, even though they have not reciprocated it. We have to be extremely cautious now, he warns.
4:45 pm | Rajya Sabha
Mr. Yechury moves to India's relationship with Israel. Our solidarity with Palestinians goes before our independence. Today, you have given up India's standing in world affairs. All your policies are benefiting multi-nationals, accuses Mr. Yechury.
Why do you do Malabar exercise in Bay of Bengal with USA and Japan? Who is the common enemy in the Bay of Bengal for all the three nations? You think that country won't know this, he asks.
China has a silk route. We have a spice route too, a maritime route, says Mr. Yechury.
4:40 pm | Lok Sabha
The NABARD amendment Bill is being discussed. The Bill allows transfer of shares of RBI to the Central government.
4:30 pm | Rajya Sabha
Next to speak is Sitaram Yechury. While praising Ms. Swaraj, Mr. Yechury says the External Affairs Ministry should formulate the foreign policy, instead of the PMO. There was a time when we led the world with Non-Alignment Movement, he says. India was taking the lead in total abolishment of nuclear weapons. The agenda put forth by Rajiv Gandhi is still with United Nations General Assembly, he says.
Where do we align ourselves with? with unipolarity led by the US or a multi-polarity? he asks. Does joining the unipolarity is in India's interest, asks Mr. Yechury. What has India achieved with India-US nuclear deal? Was there any transfer of technology? he asks.
India has been reduced to a junior strategic ally of United States in our neighbourhood, says Mr. Yechury. This is the last nail in the coffin of our foreign policy, he adds.
4.15 pm | Rajya Sabha
We stand behind the foreign policy initiatives taken by the India government, says AITC MP Manish Gupta. He speaks about issues along the Northeast corridor, including the border disputes with China. "After the 1962 war with China, military intelligence has repeatedly said that chicken neck corridor in East was not protected sufficiently," he said.
"The government's policy of neighbours first has not borne any fruition. If you look back, we can observe that we are not into outright non-alignment at this point. Nor are we shifting towards a policy where we are building strategic partnerships," he says.
He also touches upon the impact of demonetisation on Nepal and Bhutan, who he says hold large numbers of old Indian currency. "We have not made clear what our position on them is," he says.
4.00 pm | Rajya Sabha
JD(U) MP Sharad Yadav makes a case for strengthening India, its core. "Don't forget our farmers and the common people," he says.
AIADMK MP Navaneethakrishnan says, "Out of 100 goods, 98 goods are made in China. Only two are made in India. This trade deficit must be taken care of by the Central government."
Mr. Navaneethakrishnan lists out his requests. Katchatheevu to be retrieved and the international maritime boundary line between India and Sri Lanka to be re-drawn. "The traditional rights of Tamil Nadu to fish in our traditional waters must be protected," he says. "Don't take a soft stance towards Sri Lanka, it will be of no use," he says.
4.00 pm |Lok Sabha
The LS quickly moves on to the third Bill of the day, the NABARD Amendment Bill, 2017 and takes it up for discussion and voting.
3.50 pm | Lok Sabha
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley replies to the discussion on the The Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to Chandigarh) Amendment Bill, 2017. Seventeen taxes and 23 cesses have been subsumed under GST, he says.
He talks about the fluctuating prices of cigarettes and entertainment taxes in Chandigarh, and explains that when cigarettes had a sudden drop in prices, it was immediately corrected.
Mr. Jaitley's speech is short and the LS passes the Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to Chandigarh) Amendment Bill, 2017.
3.35 pm | Rajya Sabha
SP MP Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav, up next, digs into some history. He talks about the non-aligned movement and how India's foreign policy fared with the U.S and Russia during the Cold War. "India has changed the geography and written the history too," he says, pointing to Mr. Anand Sharma's earlier statement.
He talks about the relations between India and Russia, points out how it has declined in recent times. Mr. Yadav also talks about China and the 1964 war. "We had the Panch Sheel and they said Indi-Chini bhai bhai, but what happened in the end? There was war," he says.
"Even before PM Modi's government, we were starting to be pro-US. When we concluded the nuclear deal, we should have brought Russia into confidence, as we had always been close," he says.
"Preparing for war is one of the most essential ways of keeping the peace," he says, talking about the need to strengthen India's defence as he concludes.
3.25 pm | Rajya Sabha
BJP MP Dr. Vinay P. Sahasrabuddhe discusses the five pillars of India's foreign policy.
During the last three years, we have taken the India foreign policy way ahead of the olden days of non-alignment. In true spirit of ' sabka saath, sabka vikas ' we have aligned with everybody, he says. "India is not just a land of snake charmers or cattle. India has become one of the best, attractive destinations for investors worldwide," he concludes.
Member says UPA had a better relations with Israel, Chair says his statement should not going on record because it was a counter claim to Mr. Sahasrabuddhe's original claim.
3.20 pm | Lok Sabha
LS reconvenes. In the chair is Deputy Speaker M. Thambi Durai. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley introduces The Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to Chandigarh) Amendment Bill, 2017.
The Bill amends the Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to Chandigarh) Act, 1994, which extends the provisions of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976 to the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
3.15 pm | Rajya Sabha
Mr. Sahasrabuddhe goes on to list PM Modi's achievements abroad and says," We need harmonious engagements, but on our terms. Not with some kind of a compromise with Indian interests."
He talks about the issue of hyphenation with respect to Mr. Modi's Israel visit and asks why we should pit one country against other, he asks.
3.05 pm | Rajya Sabha
BJP MP Dr. Vinay P. Sahasrabuddhe is up next. "Was hoping that the discourse will be taken beyond rhetoric, that there will not be trivialisation," he says. The Modi government has restored a robust sense of authenticity and purpose in our foreign policy, he says.
"He has taken India's diplomatic ties far ahead of an exchange of pleasantries."
He calls Opposition's reactions to PM Modi's foreign travels as "utterly irresponsible". "They must understand that every international relationship is a matter of cultivation. Such criticism is churlish," he says.
India's domestic success linked to how it can shape its external relationships, he says. PM Modi has successfully changed the way India is perceived abroad and we must rise about partisanship and appreciate it, he says.
3:00 pm | Rajya Sabha
He talks about 50 years of NAM. When every member recalled the contribution of Nehru, the government didn't mention his name, says Mr. Sharma.
Please ensure there is a balance. While engaging with a country, make sure we don't forget our commitments with other countries, Mr. Sharma says ending his speech.
2:50 pm | Rajya Sabha
Russia stood by us in difficult times. But today, it appears that the government is not in good terms with Russia as well, Mr. Sharma says.
The import duty of Harley Davidson has been reduced while we are struggling to get H1B visa, says Mr. Sharma.
India made many concession on Paris Accord. The biggest polluters are out! and India is there, says Mr. Sharma.
India has strategic interest in Gulf and Middle East, says Mr. Sharma. Please tell us if the billions of dollars committed have come and how many jobs have been created, he asks. We must not lose our sight in the region.
Israel is important. Equally important is our commitment to Palestine, says Mr. Sharma.
2:45 pm | Rajya Sabha
Mr. Sharma continues his speech. China has managed to take all our strategic partners to the Economic Corridor. It appeared that we are isolating ourselves, he says.
Our relationship with Nepal is equally critical and sensitive, he says. We shouldn't have a big brother attitude, he says. We musn't do something that fuels anti-India sentiments in Nepal. We have so much in common with Nepal, he says.
Now, he talks about Sri Lanka. China has taken Colombo and Hambantota port. Maldives which was under India's influence, is no longer in our influence. There is Chinese from Gwadar to Hambantota, he says.
Various commitments made to Bangladesh have to be taken forward. They must be honoured and fulfilled. It is question of India's credibility, he says.
2:40 pm | Rajya Sabha
Mr. Kurien hurries Mr. Sharma to conclude his speech. Mr. Sharma says he has more topics to be covered. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj says she is fine with extending the discussion. But Parliamentary Affairs Minister Naqvi wants the Chair to allot time for the IIIT Bill too.
Opposition members suggest the time be extended. After much deliberation the Chair says the discussion will end at 6 pm and then the Minister will reply. HRD minister Javadekar tries hard to buy time for IIIT Bill, but invain. It will be taken up only after the discussion.
2:30 pm | Rajya Sabha
Why has China denied that the heads had a discussion of the sidelines of Astana meet? asks Mr. Sharma. During 1962, when Mr Vajpayee urged Nehru to convene the Parliament and discuss the Sino-Indian tension, parliament was convened. Today, the Prime Minister is silent, Mr. Sharma.
2:20 pm | Rajya Sabha
Anand Sharma recalls how the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was ridiculed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when a soldier was beheaded. The Prime Minister talks Mann ki Baat, but when he has to talk he is observing 'moun vrat,' says Mr. Sharma.
During his visit to Washington, Mr. Modi said the world has recognised the prowess of India seeing the surgical strike. The world recognised but our neighbour has not recognised it, says Mr. Sharma. What happened in 1971 was surgical strike, he says referring to Bangladesh Liberation War.
China's profile in Pakistan is increasing and it is our concern, says Mr. Sharma. Our relationship with China is complex and uneasy. We are aware of the growing confrontation with China. There are India's security interest in Doklam. We stand with the government when it comes to India's national interest. China is being unusually aggressive, he says. What is India's response, he asks.
However, diplomacy should still be given a chance. That does not be retreat. It means a negotiation safeguarding India's interest, says Mr. Sharma.
2:15 pm | Lok Sabha
The banking regulation amendments are taken up for clause-by-clause voting. The Bill is passed. House to meet again at 3:20 pm.
2:00 pm | Rajya Sabha
Anand Sharma kickstarts a short duration discussion on India’s foreign policy and engagement with strategic partners. Our foreign policy is marked by strong national consensus irrespective of the government in power. Mr. Sharma recalls the contribution of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in creating roadmap for foreign policy.
Our engagement with our neighbours is tensed, says Mr. Sharma. Managing the periphery comes first, rest comes later, he says. We have rightful aspirations to play leadership roles. But unless we manage our neighbourhood well, it is impossible to play neither a regional nor global role, warns Mr. Anand Sharma.
He talks about India's relations with Pakistan, raises the issue of cross border attacks, terrorism and killing of soldiers. India had succeeded in de-hyphenating India and Pakistan. The real concern is that the hyphenation is back, because many countries have commented their intent to mediate between us. China has made this statement, he says.
Turkey has made a statement. These nations have never spoken before. We cannot change history or geography. The Prime Minister repeatedly says we have isolated Pakistan. A mature country doesn't make such statements, says Mr. Sharma.
Isolation is factually incorrect. Pakistan has economic relations with China and Turkey. They have defence ties with Russia. Where is isolation? he asks. Mr. Sharma asks what is the roadmap of the government?
1:55 pm | Lok Sabha
Mr. Jaitley continues. Yes, banks can seize properties. But can banks run a discom or textile mill? Our laws on corruption are from pre-liberalisation era. This is why even honest decisions on bankers may appear to be like a corrupt practice in the hindsight. So bankers are hesitant to take decisions.
The bigger loans are given by consortium of banks. In a joint mechanism, there are multiple views. This has caused stalemate, Mr. Jaitley.
The bankruptcy code was passed by the parliament in a record 5-6 months, says Mr. Jaitley. Under the new insolvency code, when insolvency is filed, the NCLT has to hear within 180 days.
1:45 pm | Lok Sabha
Arun Jaitley responds. He says the members have used this debate to talk about banking reforms. "We need a strong banking system to support the roles," he says. Banking reforms also includes financial inclusion. Banks went through troubled times earlier too. There were instances of over 13 per cent NPAs.
How did the NPAs raise so much? Mr. Jaitley says steel sector has most NPA. Government thought steel industry should be helped as it is linked directly to the growth of country. There was a crisis in steel. We too tried to reduce the stress by imposing custom duty and so on. When the industry rebounds, the NPAs will become performing assets.
The second sector was discoms. Governments were producing electricity at a higher rate but selling it as lower rate. This caused stressed assets. Today, we are a power surplus nation. The supply was more than demand and hence it gave rise to NPAs. We brought schemes like UDAY to help discoms, he says.
He requests the members to raise above politics on the issue.
1:43 pm | Lok Sabha
One minute speeches underway.
Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav says poor farmers are treated badly in the name of loan recovery.
Kaushalendra Kumar asks about merger of State Banks.
Bad loans are eating the credibility of banking systems. It is corporate defaulters are taking our banks for a ride, says Jayadeva of CPI.
Prem Das Rai, SDF, says there is a lack of high quality bankers and that is why NPAs are increasing. He says the credit flow is restricted in north-east.
Rajesh Rajan aka Pappu Yadav says chit funds must be regulated. He also asks about Panama papers. Unless you rein in black money, no bank reforms will be enough. He also says most defaulters are politicians.
1:40 pm | Lok Sabha
After multiple requests, Speaker allows RSP's N.K Ramachandran to present his thoughts on the Bill. He questions the necessity of the Bill when Section 35A of the RBI already provides it the power to regulate banks. He points out that the NPAs are increasing not due to lack of legislation but due to inefficient implementation of the existing legislation. He asks the government to show political will in tackling the issue.
1:30 pm | Lok Sabha
AAP's Bhagwant Mann says that the large-loan defaulters are enjoying abroad and no one is concerned, but when it comes to writing off farmer's loan, the word 'populism' is thrown around. He points out, smiling, that since the RBI is already struggling to count the notes that it collected four months back, he isn't sure if it would be proper to put additional burden on their shoulder.
1:20 pm | Lok Sabha
P.Karunakaran, (CPI(M) Kasaragod, Kerala) says that there are 50 to 70 large borrowers, but the clearance is given only for 15 borrowers i.e. only 25 per cent of total amount is being targeted. He says that there is a good chance of the RBI being selective in identifying and bringing to book the defaulters.
He says banks should be given autonomy in identifying the defaulters and the committee should be advisory and not binding in nature i.e. bank management should, ultimately, be held accountable.
1:00 pm | Lok Sabha
Jithendar Reddy says bankers will now putting onus on RBI to recover large loans, if the Bill is passed. He welcomes this move. He asks who authorised such big loans? He adds that the previous government did nothing to solve this, the current government is trying to find a solution to this problem.
Responding to Opposition's accusation that the government doesn't have enough machines to count the money that have been collected during demonetisation, Mr. Reddy takes a dig at the Karnataka Minister at whose residence Rs. 5 crore was recovered yesterday . All the counting machines have been put to use at his home, says Mr. Reddy.
1:00 pm | Rajya Sabha
Question Hour ends. House adjourned till 2 pm.
12:55 pm | Lok Sabha
M. Srinivasa Rao welcomes the Banking Regulation amendments. The insolvency code has facilitated the resolving of stressed assets in a time-bound manner, he says. The problem of NPAs have not been taken seriously, he says adding farm loan NPAs is much lesser than corporates. Banks are not coming forward to give loans to farmers and MSMEs. Banks should help these sector more than big corporates, Mr. Rao says.
Mr. Rao suggests framing stringent and hard rules for wilful defaulters. There should be less political interference in bank sector, he says.
12:45 pm | Lok Sabha
Mr. Adsul says many poor deposited their hard-earned money through Jan Dhan Yojana. The amount equals to the amount defaulted by Vijay Mallya. The poor's money is handed over to the corporates. Shouldn't the banks be held liable, he asks.
Demonetised money is still lying in cooperative banks. Demonetisation has killed cooperative banks, Mr. Adsul says. Cooperative banks have adopted technology such as core banking or ATMs and so on. Government should help such banks, he says.
12:40 pm | Rajya Sabha
Vijaisai Reddy talks about 'anti-India television channels' that are spreading 'fake news.' Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore says guidelines are being framed to tackle this menace.
Digvijaya Singh asks how will the government take action against spreading of fake news. Mr. Rathore says broadcasters have self-regulation in the form of National Broadcasting Council. The Ministry also takes suo motu action, he says.
12:37 pm | Lok Sabha
Speaker allows Karunakaran to continue his statement. The Chief Minister has called RSS, BJP and Left leaders for a meeting. In Delhi, Mr Yechury's office was attacked, claims Mr. Karunakaran. Many CPI(M) workers have been killed. It is unfair to blame CPI(M), he says.
Commotion continues in Lok Sabha. Anand Rao Adsul continues his speech on Banking Regulation amendments, which he had to end abruptly yesterday.
12:30 pm | Lok Sabha
Speaker proceeds with Zero Hour. Jyotiraditya Scindia begins to speak, but members Left MPs continue to protest yesterday's references.
Mr. Scindia takes up the issue of Sardar Sarovar project. He says the villagers have to be be adequately compensated.
July 31 deadline was given by Supreme Court to look into rehabilitation. The State government is looking into it, says Union Minister Narendra Tomar.
12:27 pm | Rajya Sabha
Subramanian Swamy asks if Ayurveda will be included in the subjects for civil services examinations. Many AYUSH graduates have joined for civil services, says Jithendra Singh, MoS PMO.
12:25 pm | Rajya Sabha
Kiranmay Nanda says the issue is not limited to Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, but with West Bengal and Bangladesh, and Gujarat and Pakistan.
This will be elaborately taken up in the short duration discussion, says Ms. Swaraj.
12:20 pm | Rajya Sabha
La Ganesan asks if it is true that Sri Lankan Navy apprehends trawlers and not traditional fishing. Ms. Swaraj answers in affirmative. She says bottom trawling is restricted in India also.
V. Maithreyan asks about a law enacted by Sri Lankan government that allows two years jail to captured fishermen. This law applies only to bottom trawlers, says Ms. Swaraj. It is not the issue of Indian fishermen but it is an environmental issue, she adds.
12:15 pm | Rajya Sabha
MPs raise the issue of Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan jails. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj says 251 fishermen and 52 boats have been released so far. The Prime Minister has taken up the issue with Sri Lankan President and Prime Minister.
D. Raja asks how India-Sri Lanka maritime boundary is defined? Indian fishermen have access to Katchatheevu but Indians are denied the traditional fishing rights of fishermen, he says.
Ms. Swaraj says the permanent solution for the issue is to move towards deep sea fishing. Indian fishermen will be taught deep sea fishing within three years. Rs. 15,000 crore have been earmarked for this.
12:00 noon | Lok Sabha
Ministers are laying on table various papers mentioned against their names in the list of business.
CPI(M) members raise the issue of BJP members Meenakshi Lekhi and Prahlad Joshi levelling allegations against Left leaders yesterday during Zero Hour. P.Karunakaran says it is unfair to take names of Kerala Chief Minister when he cannot present his views in the House. BJP and Left members in war of words. Speaker adjourns the House.
11:56 am | Rajya Sabha
Vinay Sahasrabhuddhe says in Kerala, youth who were associated with BJP and RSS were attacked and many of them have been killed. Left MPs oppose him. He also goes on to mention how people with alternative ideologies are being attacked. Now, BJP MPs object to it.
Mr. Naqvi says the Sate government should take action. Rajya Sabha takes up questions.
11:50 am | Rajya Sabha
Kanimozhi speaks about encroachments in Ennore Creek. The North Chennai Thermal Power plant is dumping fly ash. The wetland has to be protected, she says.
Vijila Sathyanath says beedi workers are suffering due to high GST on the products.
11:42 am | Rajya Sabha
During Zero Hour, members raise the issue of medicines getting expensive. The difference in the rate of a generic drug versus branded drug is too high. There must be a regulation says SP member Naresh Agrawal. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi says the Jan Aushada Mission has been launched to make healthcare affordable. The Opposition wants the concern minister to reply but the Health Minister has already left the House.
11:40 am | Lok Sabha
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari responds on allegations of Highway contracts bagged by paying bribes. He says probe has been initiated and the details will be shared soon.
11:35 am | Rajya Sabha
Amar Shankar Sable raises the issue of 'Blue Whale Challenge,' due to which a Mumbai youth committed suicide allegedly to complete a 'task.' More members associate with him. Vikas Mahatme says more such games are available online and all of them should be curbed. The children should be imparted with value system, he says.
11:30 am | Lok Sabha
Andrao Adsul asks about river linking. Ms. Bharti was as the first step, rivers Ken and Betwa will be linked. Vapi and Narmada will also be linked, she says. We will also be able to generate 15,000 MW of electricity through linking rivers, she says.
Rajya Sabha
Rajiv Shukla suggests women sportspersons should be encouraged. He cites the recent performance of Indian women's cricket team.
11:15 am | Rajya Sabha
Derek O'Brein takes up the issue of lowering interest rates on bank deposits. This is due to the negative effect of demonetisation, he says.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley responds. He says a banking ragulation amendment is taken up in Lok Sabha and it will come up in Rajya Sabha too. The higher rates of fixed deposits was at a time when inflation was as high as 11 per cent. It is not the same now, he says. For senior citizens, we have launched a new scheme to retain fixed deposit rates as eight per cent, says Mr. Jaitley.
11:10 am | Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha proceeds with Question Hour. Members are asking question on Namame Gange project, a flagship scheme of the NDA government to clean up river Ganga. Union Minister Uma Bharti says sesilting work is underway throughout the route and it will be soon taken up in other rivers too.
11:05 am | Rajya Sabha
After various papers were laid on the table, member Naresh Agrawal raises Point of Order claiming there is a breach of privilege as a newspaper carried a report "condemning the Rajya Sabha." Deputy Chairman P J Kurien asks members to give privilege motion and the Chair will take action.
11:00 am Both Houses of Parliament convene.
