Parliament Session July 31 Highlights

Lower House will reconvene at 11 am on August 1

“The size of the Budget has increased 3-fold since 2014, but the rail budget has increased 8-fold,” says BJP MP Jagdambika Pal.

He also adds that the rail construction that takes place, which includes rail line and land acquisition, creating banks, laying the rail lines, putting boulders etc., is around 14.5 km per day, the world’s fastest construction project.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey says that PM Modi’s biggest reform for the poor of this country is to merge the rail budget with the general budget. He adds that whenever the rail budget was discussed in the Lok Sabha from 2009 to 2014, the main discussion was whether train tickets, and platform tickets would increase. “But now it is not being discussed thanks to PM Modi,” he said.

Speaker Om Birla says that PM Narendra Modi will reply to the issue of rural rail projects, railway concession and to commission more train routes raised by Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka.

Congress MP Suresh Kumar Shetkar recalls that this proposal has been pending for the last 10 years. “The government has undertaken a survey for this railway line route and has reported that it is the most viable project. Even after that, due to the lack of follow-up and negligency, this project has not made any progress,” he said.

SP MP R. K. Chaudhary asks the railway minister to create a Railway Over Bridge (ROB) over the railway lines to avoid accidents and it will add to the inconvenience. 

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw invites the house to participate in the food arranged outside.

The house continues to discuss and raise their requests on the railway budget discussion.

Upper House will reconvene at 11 AM on August 1

With Deputy Chairman Harivansh presiding, members make special mentions. Congress MP Neeraj Dangi urges government to mandate displaying preamble of Constitution in all institutions. BJP Dinesh Sharma demands special trains to spiritual places from Lucknow.

AITC MP Kalyan Banerjee asks the railway minister to extend the Howrah Metro line to Seoraphuli, which will benefit many travellers from that region.

He also asks the railway minister to help the state with various other rail and metro development projects in Kolkata.

Pausing the Housing Affairs ministry discussion, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar suggests resuming the same at 1 PM on August 1. The Upper House then takes up special mentions.

“As policy-makers and members of the legislative, we have the highest responsibility in ensuring the well-being of our senior citizens and the interests of the fourth pillar of our democracy (press and media),” says MDMK MP Durai Vaiko. He also asks the railway minister to restore the 50% concession on train tickets that were given to senior citizens and the accredited press media and the monthly seasonal concession that was provided to students that were provided until the pandemic.

He added that the demand for a new railway line in the Trichy constituency from Thanjavur to Madurai via Gandarvakkottai and Pudukkottai was also not met till now.

“Urban sector development is not enough. Flooding of major cities in Odisha is prevalent. We saw deaths due to drowning in Delhi coaching centre. This is because the natural way to clear water from such buildings has been destroyed. Centre should take action on it now. I also request that the Rs 1 lakh allocated under PM Awas Yojana should be increased to Rs 2.5 lakhs,” said BJD MP Muzibulla Khan. 

BJP MP Sasmit Patra is in the Chair.

AITC MP June Maliah says that railways are the lifeline of the country, but over the years, train journeys have been unsafe and unhygienic. She added that between 2017 to 2022, a total of 244 train accidents occurred and 15 major accidents in 2023, most of them because of train derailments. She says that over 50% of the compulsory train safety inspections are not done.

She further adds that only 2% of railway tracks have been covered under the railway department’s automatic train protection system called Kavach (train collision avoidance system).

BJP MP Manju Sharma says that new trains are being added, rail lines are being laid, and coal and diesel engines are slowly going extinct as well, which will be better for the environment as well. “We have innovated new types of bogeys and engines that will reduce our dependency on other nations almost completely,” says Ms. Sharma.

CPI (ML) MP Sudama Prasad says that another railway budget should be presented in the coming days. He also asks that the number of general bogeys be increased as currently there are very few in number and people are travelling in cramped compartments.

“Monsoon this year has been disastrous for construction this year. Flooding of major roads in Delhi including the Rajpath is unnecessary. If the Union Urban Affairs ministry keeps pushing the blame to local corporations, then the ministry can be scrapped. There has to be stringent monitoring of Public Works Department (PWD) works, regulations and implementation of city plans,” says TMC MP Jawahar Sircar in Rajya Sabha. 

He adds, “West Bengal has been completely deprived in the rural development scheme allocation inspite of submitting 11 lakh proposals. Water pollution is causing 7% of urban deaths says Lancet, but has been denied by Centre. Bengal has demanded the pending dues of urban development schemes. Smart cities have been the biggest failures in the past ten years”.

Congress MP Rajmohan Unnithan says that there is a concern that the privatisation of railways will increase ticket fares, affecting the common man and reducing job opportunities for people from socially and economically backward classes.

He also says that the railway minister has made claims that the Centre has allotted a significant amount for Kerala’s railways, the Union Budget only gives a small portion to the southern states. He also says that Kerala ranks third among the Indian states to have received the least allotment for railways.

BJP MP Vijay Kumar Dube says that the people in rural/distant areas of the country should get all the benefits of the modernity of the railways like the laying of electric lines, and fast trains like Vande Vharat or Amrit Bharat, and constructing smart railway stations as well.

He also asks the railway minister to complete the railway projects in Uttar Pradesh and believes that the government will complete it.

“During the Congress era, except Indira Gandhi no one was allowed to be Finance Minister. However, in the Modi era, a tribal woman is the President and we have a female Finance Minister. This is the difference, “ says BJP MP Chandraprabha. She is chided by Chair Harivansh to stick to the topic - discussion on Urban Affairs Ministry’s working. 

BJP MP Sumitra Balmik lauds the historic allocation to Urban development in 2024-25 Budget. She says, “With PM Awas Yojana, women have gotten dignity with pucca houses and toilet facilities. Corporations used to demolish jhuggi-jhopdis (huts), leaving thousands homeless”.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Ganpat Sawant asks that Mumbai Central Station be renamed after Jagannath Shankarseth, who started the Great Indian Peninsula (GIP) Railway and brought the railways to India in 1853. He also asks for a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus to be built at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Station.

Shiv Sena MP Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane says that India being the world’s fourth largest rail network, the railway budget should focus on rail safety.

He adds that rail lines construction from Hatkanangle to Ichalkaranji needs to be completed. Even Kohlapur and Vaibhavwadi and many more lines in Maharashtra are left incomplete. He further asks the minister to restart many trains that were stopped during COVID-19 to be restarted as they affected the elections as well.

“The poor that live in cities are struggling the most as they see the rich live in luxury in front of their eyes. Urban development require allocation of 1.1% of GDP, but currently is only 0.7%. Why are 1.1 crore urban homes vacant in cities but there are over 1 crore slums? It means the Centre’s priorities are not right. We must ensure that the land acquired to construct homes are not misused to line builders’ pockets,” says Congress MP Ajay Maken in Rajya Sabha. 

He lists the drawbacks of the PM Awas Yojana

“I am thankful to the government for the allocation of ₹9,150 crores for railway projects for Andhra Pradesh under the Budget.” Janasena Party MP Balashowry Vallabhaneni says. He asks the railway minister, as they are planning to establish Amravati as the capital of AP, to give consideration to developing new lines, railway station development and ROBs/RUBs (Road Over Bridge).

“For a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) we must make developed cities. As population increases, the cities have to be expanded, This 2024-25 budget has made provisions for housing facilities, sewerage, infrastructure, workers’ housing in its 8-point city development scheme developed by Centre. I request the Union minister to make changes in urban infrastructure laws, keeping state government and corporations in tandem to make developed India by 2047”, says BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari in the Rajya Sabha while discussing Urban Affairs. 

He also condemns the Opposition boycotting the NITI Aayog meeting

BJP MP Anurag Sharma says that Jhansi’s economic and social development has improved because of the rails. There was a time during Congress’s time as government, when people were afraid to go to the railway station, and if anyone went to the station early, the horrible stench would make people sick. But today, Jhansi’s railway is worth noticing.

He asks the railways minister to help complete various railway projects to improve the connection between important areas like Kota, and to restart some trains that were stopped during COVID-19 and other rail development projects.

Quoting a CAG report, IUML MP E. T. Mohammed Basheer says, “Indian railways have not effectively implemented the reservation quotas for SC/ST and OBC in various recruitment processes. Actual recruitment did not align with the mandated reservation percentage, leading to a significant under-representation of this group.” He asks that the minister take steps to improve the reservation quota representation in railways recruitment and also for optimum utilisation of the land available with the railways department.

Tamil Nadu MP Dr. L Murugan moves for suspension of rule 272 to demand grants by ministries. Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Mohanta’s resignation is accepted by Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar. 

Discussion on working of Housing and Urban Affairs begins in the Upper House. Deputy Chairman Harivansh is presiding over the session.

Highlighting the advantages of the NEET exam, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says, “Supreme Court did not scrap the NEET exam. Abolishing the exam was triggered in the UPA era. It was notified in 2010, led by DMK minister S. Gandhiselvan and it was defended by the government in the Supreme Court. NEET does not disadvantage anyone and Tamil Nadu students procure 85% of the seats under the 69% reservation in that state”. 

“In 2011, there were only 1945 medical seats in Tamil Nadu, presently there are 10,423 seats in the state. NEET has ensured cost-effective medical education for backward families and hurt certain vested interests,” said Ms. Sitharaman. She listed names of several students from humble backgrounds who have cracked the NEET exam. 

Her remarks are met with protests by DMK MPs, who urge the FM to talk on the paper leak issue and the rising NEET aspirant suicides.

“The Agnipath scheme ensures we have fit soldiers on the front line. This means that armed forces will have a much younger force, thus reducing the average age of the Indian soldier… I hope on matters related to fitness and battle-readiness of the armed forces we don’t do politics. This is critical for the country.”

“We need to have a greater sense of looking at the national interest. When in 2014, PM Modi reviewed the situation, Indian armed forces didn’t even have bulletproof vests. We had to panic buy and give them to the Indian Army.” 

“It is with the acceptance of armed forces that this scheme was brought,” the Finance Minister told the House.

“The basic duty on crude palm oil, crude soyabean oil, and crude sunflower oil has been reduced from 2.5% to nil. This measure allows crude oil to be imported into India for refining, creating jobs and ensuring the availability of edible oil in the country,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tells Rajya Sabha.

Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) is all set to modernise/ upgrade and add over 100 new hospitals, said the Minister of State for Labour and Employment Ms. Shobha Karandlaje in Lok Sabha earlier this week.

The Minister also noted that the Ayush Units and dispensaries will be established in the Corporation Hospitals and that Ayush units are to be established on co-location basis in those ESIC/ ESI Scheme (ESIS) hospitals & dispensaries and Dispensaries-cum-Branch Offices (DCBOs) where daily average allopathic Outdoor Patient Department (OPD) registration is more than 150 patients during preceding 12 months.

Read more here

In her reply to the discussion on Budget 2024, Finance Minister continues her attack on the UPA regime and its economic policies, saying that the Congress has meant mehangai for the public. The Finance Minister’s remark led to an uproar in the House.

Defending the Finance Minister, Leader of the House J.P. Nadda stated that the Budget is discussed in relative and comparative terms. “We need to inform the House about the previous situation, the current state, and the progress we have made,” he said.

India is among the few nations in the world that have early warning systems in place which can predict disasters more than seven days in advance, Mr. Shah says.

He also reiterates the points made by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya and says that the directive to remove 4,000 families was issued but no action was taken.

“Tax revenues have seen impressive growth. Efforts on metering have improved billing and collection efficiency in power sector, that has also resulted in non-tax revenues increasing from ₹5,148 crores in 22-23 to ₹6,500 crores in 23-24. It’s a big reform step,” says Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Rajya Sabha.

K.C. Venugopal asks Tejasvi Surya to apologise for his remarks against Rahul Gandhi.

Speaker Om Birla says that Mr. Surya has not blamed any MP. “Let’s stick to the topic of discussion,” Speaker says.

Rejecting the Opposition’s charge that Bihar and Andhra Pradesh have been given importance in the Union Budget 2024, the Minister said it was a “deliberate attempt” to mislead people. 

In his speech, Mr. Surya says that Kerala State Forest Minister K. Raju had, in 2021, said the Kerala Legislative Assembly “admitted” that encroachment from landslide-prone areas could not be removed because of “pressure from religious organisations”. 

Mr. Surya also blames Rahul Gandhi, former Wayanad MP, for not raising the issue in Parliament.

In the Rajya Sabha, the Finance Minister addressed allegations of fiscal mismanagement in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budget. She attributed the region’s ongoing distress to a legacy of poor governance and a low revenue base, compounded by externally sponsored terrorism.

“As part of efforts to correct lingering fiscal distortions, the UT administration has brought off-Budget borrowings on to its book. This has been done within the borrowing ceiling allowing to the UT,” Ms. Sitharaman added.

Following K.C. Venugopal’s speech which Speaker Om Birla called “positive”, Mr. Premachandran says that a similar landslide took place in Mallapuram in 2019. He also quotes other similar incidents that have previously occurred in Kerala. “Is it in the notice of the government that this area is ecologically sensitive?” he asks Home Minister Amit Shah through the Speaker.

The Finance Minister responded to the Opposition’s criticism of a decline in sectoral allocations, stating that the agriculture and allied sectors received Rs 1.52 lakh crore in 2023-24, which she said is 8,000 crore more than the previous year. 

Ms. Sitharaman further emphasised that there was no reduction in allocation for the sector.

“In the 2024-25 budget, Rs 1.48 lakh crore has been allocated for education, employment and skilling — 28,000 crore more than the previous year. In 2013-14, it was only Rs 85,000 crore. For women and girls, Rs 3.27 lakh crore has been allocated in the current Budget, which is 41% allocation compared to the previous year. The number was Rs 96,000 crore in 2013-14. For rural development, the current Budget gives Rs 2.66 lakh crore while it was just Rs 87,000 crore in 2013-14.”

We need strong measures for rescue and rehabilitation, the MP says.

He also stresses on the need for early warning systems for such tragedies. “We can’t stop natural calamities, but several lives can be saved through warning systems,” the MP says.

Massive landslides hit Kerala’s Wayanad district in the early hours of July 30, which buried a large area under debris, killing at least 123 people and leaving scores injured. The death toll is likely to go up further given the number of people missing. Follow live updates here

Responding to the debate on the Union Budget, the Finance Minister tells the Upper House, “The Budget is a continuation of the Interim Budget. Since 2014, the principle that has guided is ‘ sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayaas.”

“It strikes a fine balance among several overriding priorities — growth, employment, welfare spending, capital investments and fiscal consolidation are all given an equal place,” she adds.

“Before monsoon, NDRF teams were deployed across the country. One hundred and seventy-five NDRF teams are currently assisting State authorities in flood-affected areas,” he says.

Central government is monitoring the situation, he says.

The CPI(M) John Brittas demanded the Centre to abolish GST on assistive products for persons with disabilities and ensure adequate budgetary support. Making a special mention of the issue in Rajya Sabha, Mr. Brittas said, “There is an urgent need to address problems endured by millions of PWDs. The imposition of 5% GST on essential aids is a financial burden. These devices are not luxury items. They are essential lifelines, enabling their independence, mobility, education and employment. As per Census 2011, 2.68 crore individuals with disabilities. This number is likely to have increased significantly since then.”

“Budgetary allocations for the Artificial Limb Manufacturing of India has significantly reduced over the years, compounding its challenges,” the Kerala MP added. He urged the government to start immediate discussions with the GST Council to eliminate taxes on assistive products for persons with disabilities and increase allocation for their well-being.

Speaker Om Birla points out that Mr. Beniwal has been elected to the House for the first time and has been already received three opportunities to speak. “This may have happened in this House for the first time. Some people were here for five years and did not get a single opportunity to speak,” Mr. Birla says.

In his notice, Mr. Channi says that Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a portion of BJP leader Anurag Thakur’s speech on social media on July 30 that was expunged from the record.

Rule 222 of Lok Sabha says, “A member may, with the consent of the Speaker, raise a question involving a breach of privilege either of a member or of the House or of a Committee thereof.”

Uttar Pradesh BJP leader Sanjay Seth raised the issue of global warming and climate change, urging the Centre to declare extreme heat a natural disaster. AAP’s Ashok Kumar Mittal called for a review of the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to social security and health insurance. He suggested making Ayushman Bharat insurance disease-specific and extending coverage to senior citizens.

Special mention is a device used by a member to raise an issue of public importance in the House. 

In a statement in the Upper House regarding the Wayanad landslides, MoS Home Affairs Nityanand Rai stated, “The Centre has provided all possible assistance to the State government since the incident was reported. As per the latest reports, over a thousand people have been rescued. Multiple teams from the armed forces, NDRF, and SDRF are conducting rescue and search operations. A dog squad has also been deployed.”

The Lower House is discussing the demands and grants for the Ministry of Railways under Budget 2024.

The government is changing its priority to the Chengannur-Pamba project, the MP says.

“The government of India had three opportunities to unfreeze this project, but nothing has been done,” he says.

Even as uncertainty continues to prevail over the future of the more than two-decade-old Angamaly-Erumeli Sabari Railway project, the Kerala government in June 2024 requested the Union Ministry of Railways to consider the project as a major connectivity line to the popular hill shrine of Sabarimala instead of the newly proposed Chengannur-Pampa corridor. Read more here

Expressing solidarity with the people of Kerala, Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed the Upper House that an early warning was given. 

Responding to the discussion on Wayanad landslides, the Minister said, “I express my sympathy with the families of those deceased and injured. Questions were raised about early warning. I want to make it clear in the House that the Government of India had sent early warning system to Kerala Government in July 23 and then again on July 24, July 25. On July 26, it was informed that there will be heavy rains, there is possibility of landslide.”

“However, now is not the time for blame. Instead, we must show solidarity with the people and the State government of Kerala. Regardless of party politics, the Modi government remains committed to supporting Kerala through this tragic incident,” the Minister added in Rajya Sabha.

AIADMK MP Dr. M Thambidurai asks that the rehabilitation programme be given to the people of Wayanad. He asks that the tragedy be declared a national emergency, and that a special package given to the State. 

NCP MP Praful Patel expresses the wish that the government of India and Kerala work hand in hand to help the bereaved people resettle and start a life afresh. He expressed the hope that such an incident does not happen in the Konkan region.

He urges that some kind of mapping of all ecologically sensitive zones, where heavy rainfall happens. He says that development and nature need to be balanced.

BJP MP Surendra Singh Nagar asks whether Kerala has thought about why so many incidents have happened in the State. He points out that had encroachments in the fragile area been tackled earlier, this may have prevented some deaths. 

He says that the previous member of Parliament from Wayanad should have brought up the issues of Wayanad in the Parliament and spoken to the Prime Minister, saying that these deaths would not happened. He says that the member has not even visited Wayanad.

The House is in uproar over his remarks, with members rising to their feet. The member being referred to is Rahul Gandhi, who had been elected from Wayanad during the previous Lok Sabha term.

CPI (M) MP A. A Rahim says that Kerala does not even have a properly functioning advanced radar weather forecasting system. Kerala has been demanding a modern Doppler radar since 2013, he says. Kochi’s radar is not properly functioning and is an old system which does not provide data in digital form, while the radar in Thiruvananthapuram is under the control of the ISRO and cannot be used for these purpose, he says. He notes that North Kerala does not have a single radar. 

Kindly ensure a proper weather forecasting system in Kerala without further delay, it is my prayer, he says. 

During the discussion of the calling attention motion in the Rajya Sabha, members suggest an early warning system and other measures to prepare for flooding and landslides. 

DMK MP Tiruchi Siva speaks about the question of what should be done in the future. Afforestation is one of the things, but deforestation should be stopped, he says, highlighting this is a reason for landslides and flash floods.

He points out that Dr. Madhav Gadgil had given a warning about such a situation happening, saying that had his suggestions been taken, this disaster may not have happened.

Prof. Manoj Kumar Jha says that everyone is vulnerable in such tragedies, but particularly communities on the margin. We should broaden disaster preparedness, prevention, signals and mitigation using technology he says, highlighting that he is from a State (Bihar) which sees many such tragedies. Such massive tragedies should unite us, and should not be viewed through the prism of who is governing the State, he says.

Dr. V Sivadasan says this is not a time to score political points. He says that Wayanad needs the help of the State and the Union. He requests the government that it should be declared a national emergency, and that measures should be taken to tackle climate change.

Dr. John Brittas, CPI (M) MP from Kerala asked the House to understand the extent of tragedy.

The current focus is on rescue, he says, highlighting that the death toll has gone up to 157 and that more deaths are feared. There are also many missing, he says.

Some of the dead bodies were found in the neighbouring district, he points out, saying that the radius of this tragedy is great. He adds that all forces should be deployed to ensure that the rescue operation extends beyond the district.

We have been pleading with the Centre to provide relief to the State of Kerala, he says. He notes that over the last seven years, 3783 landlslides took place over the country, of which 2339 happened in Kerala - around 60 percent of the total.

He shares that 45 relief camps have beem opened in Wayanad, and people of various political affiliations are working in the rescue operations. The Centre has also provided help with Army, Navy and Air Force, he says.

Saying that he had a request, he highlights that the last time Kerala had terrible floods in 2018, the union government provided relief, but it also charged the State. He urged the home minister to consider providing relief without charging the State. 

BJP MP Arun Singh says that the Prime Minister has announced a compensation of Rs. 2 lakhs for the families of those who died in the Wayanad landslide. Rs. 50,000 compensation has also been announced for those who have been injured. 

He highlights that NDRF is engaged in rescue along with rescue helicopters. More than 400 people have been saved so far, he says.

Arun Singh and Dr. John Brittas call the attention of the Minister of Home Affairs to the landslide in Wayanad, as a matter of public importance.

CPI (M) MP Dr. John Brittas asks about whether 10% of reservation for professors of practice will also have SC/ST/OBC reservations. Professors of Practice is envisaged under the National Education Policy. 

Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan says that this is a need-based system, aimed to increase teaching by those with industry experience. He highlights that members of tribal communities have also been selected as Professors of Practice. 

Members ask questions on the progress of expressways in West Bengal, with specific questions about land acquisition for the same. 

Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Harsh Malhotra says that majority of land acquisition for expressways is to be done by States, and that Centre is expediting the process of land acquisition for which it is responsible.

BJD MP Sulata Deo also asks when National Highway 55 will be complete in Odisha. 

Members and Chair Jagdeep Dhankar object to a remark by SP MP Ramji Lal Suman about the first metric of the BJP to measure the worth of an individual being whether or not they belong to the RSS. 

RSS has impeachable credentials, it is a global think tank of the highest order, says the Chair. Institutions have rights under the Constitution, he says, asserting that the member was trampling the Constitution. Nothing will go on record, he says. 

Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge says that members should not be prevented from speaking till it is against Parliament rules, and that what the member is saying is true.

Is there any data to show whether students are moving abroad to study medical degrees due to irregularities in NEET testing, unfair use of examinations and low number of seats in government medical colleges, asks Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi. What is the government doing to stop this brain drain, she asks.

Earlier, she also said that she hoped that the NEET chairperson will answer questions in front of a Parliamentary Standing Committee in detail.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan says that a body such as the NTA is accountable at multiple levels, up to the CAG. 

As for seats, he says that in 2014, there were 51,000 medical seats, while now there are 1,100,000. Our government is committed to opening a medical college in each district, he says. 

Mr Rijiju told the house that members from both treasury and opposition had expressed their desire to speak on the natural calamity in Kerala. The Arunachal Pradesh West MP told the house that the discussion would take place around 3 or 4 p.m. - which would be duly informed. 

In this light, Alappuzha MP of the Congress K.C. Venugopal expressed his disapproval to the contents of Bengaluru South MP Tejusvi Surya’s speech for “politicising” the incident. 

The introduction of the bill was opposed by Kollam MP N.K. Premachandaran. His objections related to the language of the bill. According to him, the contents were difficult to pronounce for the people from Southern part of India. Mr Premachandaran sought to know the legislative requirement for the introduction of the bill. 

Responding to the same, Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu enumerated that the bill that proposes to re-enact the Aircraft Act, 1934 has been existing since the British Era notwithstanding 21 amendments that have been made in “bits and pieces”. He described the endeavour of the latest bill was to remove “redundancy” and “grey areas”. 

Mr Naidu told the bill is a consolidation of the principal act recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization. 

Responding to the language queries, Mr Naidu stated the points had been discussed earlier during the discussion on Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and the Bharatiya Jan Vishwas. He held the bill was not violatiing any constitutional provision. 

“We want to carve a new identity for India by means of constitutional provisions. There should not be any problem,” he said.

Zero Hour ends, Question Hour begins in the Rajya Sabha

Officiating Speaker Dilip Sakia told the house that Speaker Om Birla has accepted none of the adjournment motions moved by members. 

RJD Sanjay Yadav speaks about the need for better sports infrastructure in the country, JP MP Seema Dwivedi raises a demand to provide hostels and canteens to students studying in Delhi and the capitals of each State.

Congress MP Renuka Choudhary asks that the House pass a condolence motion about the derailing of 18 coaches of the Howrah- CSMT express in Jharkhand. The issue brought up by her is the increasing number of train accidents.

Are we not afraid of boarding trains, what are the facilities available, is there anything to protect people. she asks. She further inquires why this decline in train safety happened. saying that it has shan the confidence of lakhs of Indians.

AITC MP Mausam Noor brings up the issue of rising suicide among youth. According to the data from NCRV, 8% of total suicide victims are young, she says, adding that this amounted to 13,000 lives lost in a year. 39% of these victims are those between 18-30, she shares.

This is an issue which demands our immediate attention and action, she says.

She asserts that the failure of our admission and admission system is starkly evident. She highlighted the vast gulf between students applying for NEET-UG and the number of medical seats. Similarly, she points out that the number of persons giving the IITJEE is far greater than the number of seats.

Student’s worth is wrongly tied to exam performance, she says. 

BJP MP Dr. Dinesh Sharma raises the matter of conservation, propogation and restoration of the Sanskrit language. Many books with important ancient knowlege have been written in Sanskrit, he says, pointing to the vedas, Mahabharat and Ramayana as examples. 

Sanskrit-medium schools should be started, this will spark greater interest in the languages.

Amidst loud protests by members from the Opposition benches, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the house till 12 p.m. The opposition uproar were against BJP leader Anurag Thakur’s remarks against the Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi. The protesting members from the Opposition benches stormed into the well of the house sloganeering against the episode. 

Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju condemned the conduct of the Opposition members. “The Opposition and Rahul Gandhi rally about caste the whole day, but when sought about their caste raise issues,” he said. Mr Rijiju accused the Congress of attempting to weaken the country’s morale with their statements against the army, attempting to tarnish democracy and attempting to spread anarchy and violence. 

Mr Rijiju held the house would comply and function as per rules. 

Before Mr Rijiju shared his remarks about the protests, Speaker Om Birla warned the Opposition members against the use of placards. Mr Birla had prior to this indicated his disapproval against LoP Rahul Gandhi for asking his colleague in the opposition to not ask their question.

The Congress leader further stated there have been widespread disappointment with the Union Budget despite Prime Minister Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman talking it up. She added that the govt held no intention to conduct Census due since 2021. She argued, it will avert the possibility of having up-to-date estimate of population. 

Ms Gandhi also voiced her concerns about the situation in Manipur and Prime Minister not visiting the conflict-torn state. 

She sought that elections will be held in 4 states soon and the party must sustain the momentum and goodwill generated in general elections. Ms Gandhi argued ‘Mahaul’ favours them, and everyone must work unitedly. “If we perform well, national politics will undergo transformation,” she stated. 

BJP MP Kavita Patidar asks for a separate baby berth in all trains. She says that the Railway Minister had launched such a provision in some trains on Mother’s Day, and requests that these should be started in all trains. There should be a space only for mother and child, so she may feed her baby with some privacy, she says.

Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge questions why MP Ghanshyam Tiwari asked about why his name was Mallikarjun and also asserted that he was a part of dynastic politics, during yesterday’s session. He shares that he was named for one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, and that he is the first of his family to join politics. He requests that the remarks be expunged from the record. 

The Chair expresses his respect for Mr. Kharge, but says that he did not feel that Mr. Tiwari’s remarks were intended to insult. He assured Mr. Kharge that he would look into the incident with close scrutiny.

Highlighting that there has been severe loss of life and damage due to the Wayanad landslide, Vice-President Jadgeep Dhankhar says that a calling attention motion may be brought on the subject under rule 180. Calling attention motions are used to draw the government’s attention to an urgent matter of public importance. 

The motion may be brought at 1 pm, since lunch hour is being done away with, the Chair says.

On the progress made towards introduction of the bullet train, Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the house that project is “complex and technology-intensive”. Mr Vaishnaw held that complexities emerge with respect to the impact on track and rail when the speed of a train exceeds 250 kmph, as compared to a speed ranging between 50,60 to 100 kmph. 

The rail minister told the house that experts from Japan are being consulted for detailed design. Of the 508 km planned stretch, progress has already been made on 320 kms. 

The Chair announces that the panel of vice-chairpersons of the Rajya Sabha has been reconstituted with the following members:

Seema DwivediDr Fauzia KhanSushmita DevGeeta urf ChandraprabhaKR Suresh ReddyRajeev ShuklaDinesh SharmaSasmit Patra

MP Nityanand Rai moves to elect six persons to the National Language committee. The motion is adopted. 

Rajya Sabha starts proceedings at 11 a.m, with Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar presiding. Members lay papers and statements on the table of the House.

Speaker Om Birla commenced the day congratulating Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh for securing the bronze medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team shooting event at the ongoing Paris Olympics.