Both Houses of Parliament witnessed multiple adjournments and one more suspension on the eighth day of the Monsoon Session on Wednesday, 26 July.
The Lok Sabha passed the National Anti-Doping Bill, 2021, while the Rajya Sabha was informed that the 10 percent reservation for Agniveers in central armed police forces would not affect the 50 percent ceiling.
Amid the ongoing protests and the latest bill that was passed, here are the 10 key developments that transpired in Parliament:
Lok Sabha passed the National Anti-Doping Bill, 2021, by voice vote. The bill seeks to provide a statutory framework for the functioning of the National Anti-Doping Agency and the National Dope Testing Laboratory.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh was suspended from Rajya Sabha for the rest of the week for raising slogans, tearing papers, and throwing them toward the chair on Tuesday.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that the 10 percent reservation to be given to Agniveers in the recruitment to posts of constables in the central armed police forces would be horizontal and won't affect the 50 percent ceiling placed by the Supreme Court.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said in the Rajya Sabha that a total of six Kashmiri Pandits were killed in Jammu and Kashmir during the years 2020, 2021, and 2022. He also informed the House that no Kashmiri Pandit had left the valley in 2022.
In a written reply, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said that as many as 7,22,311 candidates were recommended by recruiting agencies for appointment in different central government departments from 2014-15 to 2021-22. Over 22.05 crore applications were received during this period.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Dola Sen said that the 20 suspended Rajya Sabha MPs would hold a relay protest for 50 hours in the Parliament complex. Opposition parties are taking turns to arrange regional cuisine for those protesting – from curd rice and idli-sambhar to chicken tandoori, gajar ka halwa, and fruits.
The opposition MPs urged the government to revoke the suspension of four Congress MPs suspended from Lok Sabha. "On behalf of the MPs from the Opposition Parties, reassured the Government that we are willing to cooperate with them for the smooth functioning of the Parliament," said NCP MP Supriya Sule.
The government, however, replied that it was ready to withdraw the suspension if the Opposition members gave assurance that they would not enter the well or display placards in the House. "We are ready to withdraw, but are you ready to take guarantee that they will not come inside with placards and will not come into the Well," said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi.
Four Congress MPs who are suspended from the Lower House for the rest of the session protested at Gate 1 of Parliament.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh told the Lok Sabha that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), through its commercial arms, had earned 279 million dollars in foreign exchange by launching satellites for global clients.
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