Tuesday marked the 22nd anniversary of the attack on the Indian Parliament. On December 13, 2001, terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) attacked the Parliament complex and opened fire, killing nine people. Members of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha paid their tributes to those killed in the attack.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed both Houses today, informing the members about the scuffle between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh. Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops tried to transgress the LAC on December 9 but were forced by the Indian Army to retreat, the minister said in the Parliament. He also added that no loss of life or serious injury was recorded on the Indian side. “The issue was also taken up with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels,” Mr. Singh said.
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Lok Sabha
Proceedings in the Lok Sabha started on a stormy note as the Opposition demanded a discussion on the clash between Indian and Chinese armed forces along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh. The House had to be briefly adjourned amid the uproar and resumed with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s address. Opposition MPs walked out of the House, dissatisfied with Mr. Singh’s statement and assurances. Business in the House, however, continued as members laid papers and committee reports on the table of the House.
Members of the Lok Sabha participated in a discussion on the demand for excess and supplementary grants. TDP MP from Srikakulam (Andhra Pradesh) K Ram Mohan Naidu asked the government to reconsider their decision to privatise Vizag Steel Pant. “If you pick up unprofitable units and then privatise, maybe somewhere it (privatisation) makes sense. But Vizag Steel Plant is one of the most profitable units in the country, and steel is such a strategic asset for this country, you cannot depend on other countries for such an important attribute for nation-building,” he said.
In a written reply on the topic of government expenditure on advertisements, the Centre said that ₹76 crore were spent on ads in electronic media and ₹91.96 crore on those in print (till December 7, 2022).
As per the Centre, no deaths have been reported due to manual scavenging in the last three years, while 233 people have died due to accidents during activities related to hazardous cleaning of sewer and septic tanks.
Rajya Sabha
The Upper House too was adjourned early in the day following an uproar over the Chinese transgression along the LAC. Chaos continued even after Mr. Singh’s statement, but proceedings continued.
BJP MP Lt. Gen (Retd.) Dr. D.P Vats raised the issue of medical seats remaining vacant. He asked why the National Medical Council did not relax standards to ensure seats are filled, while YSRCP MP Subhas Bose Pilli asked about seats in specialised medical streams.
Replying to the questions, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that the government is seeking to ensure that Indian medical students get the opportunity to study in India. There has been an increase in seats from 44,000 to 96,000, and over eight years, postgraduate seats have also increased – from 31,000 in 2014 to 64,000 seats today, the minister informed the Upper House.
Meanwhile, Opposition members walked out of the House after Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh refused to allow clarifications on Defence Minister’s statements.
Rajya Sabha took up the Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Second Amendment) Bill for discussion after the lunch break. The Bill seeks a revision of the lists of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in four districts of Uttar Pradesh. While members largely supported it, they expressed concerns about several requests by States pending with the Centre to include other communities in the lists.
As for written replies, the Upper House was informed by the Health Ministry that around 2,300 claims worth ₹50 lakh each were paid under the insurance scheme for health workers fighting the pandemic, adding that 465 of these pertained to families of doctors. The Ministry also informed that no coronavirus vaccines in the government’s buffer stock were nearing expiry.
Compiled by Sumeda, Sruthi Darbhamulla, Saptaparno Ghosh, Diksha Rajesh Munjal, Shalu Chowrasia, and Priyali Prakash.
