On the 13th day of the second part of the Budget session, the Lower House held separate discussions on climate change, as well as the promotion of sports in the country.
A bill to include certain tribal communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes in four newly-created districts in Uttar Pradesh was passed in Lok Sabha on Friday with members seeking better implementation of the reservation policies for such categories.
The bill, which was approved by voice vote by the Lower House, amends the Scheduled Tribes Order to recognise Gond community in the districts of Chandauli, Kushinagar, Sant Kabir Nagar and Sant Ravidas Nagar.
Piloting the Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022, Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda said that the Narendra Modi government is committed to welfare of tribals and has increased budgetary allocation over the years for the welfare schemes of tribals.
The Indian Antarctic Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh amid objections by Opposition to the government enacting laws to govern the icy continent, which they contend was a “no man’s land.”
Here are the latest updates:
House adjourns till Monday
After Compulsory Voting Bill, 2019 was introduced under Private Member’s Business, Lok Sabha adjourned till April 4, 11 am.
Manish Tewari introduces Bill to amend Hindu Marriage Act, 1955
Congress MP Manish Tewari during Private Member’s Business, introduces a legislation in the Lok Sabha to further amend the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 and Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.
BSP MP Danish Ali demands law against mob lynching
Lok Sabha member Danish Ali on Friday raised the demand that the Centre enact a law against mob lynching and decried attempts by some governors to stall attempts made by state governments in this regard.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Ali claimed that incidents of mob lynching were on the rise and even the Supreme Court had asked the government to enact a law to curb such incidents.
"The central government is fast asleep, it has not enacted such a law," said Ali, who represents Amroha in the Lok Sabha.
Private Members’ legislative Business under way
In Lok Sabha, MPs are now presenting private bills related to issues of public interest like reorganisation of Maharashtra state, amendment in IPC, additional bench of High Court, unemployment allowance under Private Member’s Business.
Lok Sabha passes Constitution (SC/ST) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2022
On Friday, the Constitution (SC/ST) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2022, was passed in the Lower House. Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda said the Bill seeks to include Gond, Dhuria, Nayak, Ojha, Pathari and Rajgond communities living in the districts of Sant Kabir Nagar, Kushinagar, Chandauli and Sant Ravidas Nagar in the list of Scheduled Tribes in the state.
It also seeks to exclude the Gond community living in these four districts from the list of Scheduled Castes.
Congress’ Adhir Chowdhury on amendment in Constitution SC/ST Bill
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleges decline in budgetary provision for tribal community this year, adding that crimes against tribals have increased during the BJP rule, as per National Crime Records Bureau.
"The Standing Committee has also pointed out that Centre's model of Eklavya schools to promote education among ST children were not opened in Jharkhand," claims the Congress MP.
Congress MP claims anganwadis in Telangana not getting fortified rice
A Congress member claims in Lok Sabha on Friday that wheat or fortified rice was not supplied to anganwadi centres in Telangana even though the Centre had stated so in reply to a parliamentary question.
Taking note of his claim, Union Minister for Women and Child Development (WCD) Smriti Irani says it's "a very serious charge" and "a matter of investigation", and assures the House and the Congress member that she will seek an explanation from the Telangana government.
"Not even one grain of wheat or one grain of fortified rice has been supplied to anganwadi centres in Telangana," says Nalgonda MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy during Question Hour.
Discussion on issues of SC/ST communities under way
Currently, the Lok Sabha is discussing the Bill to further amend the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) (Uttar Pradesh) Order, 1967. Earlier today, the Lower House introduced The Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022.
TMC’s Sougata Ray on pace of including STs into lists
Mr. Ray says it takes the government one to two years to include one tribe into the ST list- first the State government recommends it, then a council deliberates on it, taking a long time.
BJD MP flags issues impeding the growth of SC/ST communities
“A number of proposals of different states relating to the inclusion of tribal communities into Scheduled Tribes Lists have been pending since 1978 onwards,” said Sharmishtha Sethi, Biju Janata Dal MP from Odisha.
“It is unjust to keep them pending for so long without a decision,” she said, citing the example of Kudumi and Rautia tribes of Odisha, who have been demanding inclusion for a long time.
She says that beyond inclusion in the Constitution, there are several other factors impeding the development of SC and ST communities.
“As per the guidelines by NITI Aayog, on the allocation for welfare of SCs and STs, it is mandatory to allocate proportionately to the population, but year after year, we see decline in budgetary provisions and inadequate provisions,” she remarked.
She flags the number of unfilled posts in the SC and ST reserved categories in Central Ministries, saying that vacancies have increased substantially. As per the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the backlog vacancies in SC and ST categories were 8,223 and 6,955 respectively, in 2016, which increased to 14,366 and 12,612 in 2019.
TMC MP Pratima Mondal on amendment in Constitution SC/ST Bill
Ms. Mondal, Trinamool MP from West Bengal, says the caste system, while prohibited by law, is still a reality. She says that just including more categories to SC/ST lists “will not serve the real purpose”, and allocation of more funds, implementation and real through education are “the need of the hour”.
Talking about provisions for SC/ST communities, Ms. Mondal sites the SC/ST (Prevention) of Atrocities Act, stating that its implementation has not been satisfactory.
“There is a continuous rise in the number of cases of crime against such communities, according to NCRB data, Uttar Pradesh stands on top, with an increase from 10,138 cases in 2016 to 10,430 cases in 2020.”
Deputy Speaker Harivansh Narayan Singh in the chair
Tribal Affairs Minister proposes second amedment to SC/ST Bill
Arjun Munda move The Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022, for consideration and passing.
The Second Amendment relates to Uttar Pradesh, the Minister proposes to include some communities, namely Gond, Dhuria, Nayak, Ojha, Pathari and Rajgond, into the Scheduled Tribes list of four districts of the State- Sant Kabir Nagar, Kushinagar, Chandoli, and Sant Ravidas Nagar. It also proposed to remove Gond community from the Scheduled Caste list of the four districts.
BSP’s Danish Ali calls for anti-mob lynching law
Stating that incidents of mob-lynching are “constantly rising” in the country, talking about incidents from Haryana, U.P and Jharkhand, BSP MP from Amroha, Danish Ali says during Zero Hour that the Supreme Court had given a direction to the Centre to come up with a law against mob-lynching but the latter has not done that yet.
“When some State governments want to form anti-mob lynching laws and have even passed such laws.... when they’re sent to the Governor, who’s the Centre’s representative, the law is not being given assent,” the MP says.
Zero Hour underway, members discuss matters of urgent public importance
Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022, introduced in the house
Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh proposed the introduction of the Antarctic Bill, 2022. After a voice vote and the ‘ayes’ getting a majority, the Bill is introduced.
Health Minister replies of to Congress MP
“As for the directions given or not given by the Prime Minister, I would like to inform everyone that it is because of the PM’s timely and correct directions that India has been able to do the best COVID management and vaccination,” Health Miniter Mansukh Mandaviya replied to Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
On the matter of ICMR, Mr. Mandaviya said the ICMR has from time to time guided the country, helped in vaccine-related research leading to India having its own indigenous vaccine.
Health Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya speaks in the Lok Sabha during the second part of Budget Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Friday, April 1, 2022. | Photo Credit: PTI
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asks ICMR misguided the Prime Minister?
During discussions on questions regarding research by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on COVID-19, Congress MP from West Bengal Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asks about the predictions made by an ICMR-run medical journal about the pandemic..
“The COVID supermodel published in Oct 2020, in the ICMR-run Indian Journal of Medical Research, predicted that the epidemic in India had passed its peak in September 2020 and that the country would be able to control the virus’s spread by the end of February 2021, by following the safety protocols already in place,” he said.
“Top govt officials including the PM himself mirrored the rosy projections of the supermodel; Modi ji been said in Feb 2021, that India’s fight against COVID-19 had inspired the rest of the world but barely two months later, India reported record-high levels of COVID-19 cases amid a devasting second wave which left lakhs dead and many more severely ill,” the opposition MP said further.
He then asked if the ICMR “misguided” the Prime Minister or the Prime Minister himself had “misguided” the ICMR.
On minors participating in television shows
Smriti Irani, Minister of Women and Child Development, in response to a question on the mental pressures faced by children participating in television shows, “I support her desire that mental health facilities be given to such children...I would take her position as a suggestion, and in collaboration with my colleagues in the Ministry of information and Broadcasting, hope to reach out to the industry at large, to ensure that the industry and especially production houses that engage with children, can equally benefit from the services of NIMHANS.”
Question Hour under way
Question Hour is under way in the Lower House.
Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of AYUSH, is currently answering questions relating to the Siddha System of Medicine
Proceedings for the day commence
Lok Sabha proceedings commence for the day.
Congress MP Suresh Kodikunnil moves motion for adjournment to discuss “the unprecedented events unfolding in Sri Lanka”- ANI
List of Business
1. Jitendra Singh to introduce The Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022.
2. Arjun Munda to move The Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022, for passing.
3. Further discussion on the need to promote sports in India and steps taken by the Government.
4. Private Members’ Legislative Business.
5. Papers and Reports to be laid on the Table.
6. Question Hour.
Day 13 recap
The Lower House held two separate discussions on climate change, and the promotion of sports in the country.
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, during the Zero Hour, raised concerns with regards to the recurrent reduction in budget allocation to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari informed the Lok Sabha that the price of all electric vehicles (EVs) will be equal to the cost of petrol vehicles in the country within two years.
Mr. Gadkari also said MPs can buy electric vehicles once a charging station is installed in Parliament premises.
