Parliamentary Standing Committee

While BJP’s Radha Mohan Singh will head the committee on defence, external affairs will be chaired by Congress' Shashi Tharoor

iPhone hacking case: Parliamentary standing committee mulls summoning Apple representatives

On October 31, a number of Opposition MPs claimed to have received a notification from Apple stating that their devices could be targeted by state-sponsored attackers.

Parliament panel seeks ex-ante evaluation to prevent monopoly in digital markets

Competition Commission of India (CCI) has established the Digital Market and Data Unit (DMDU) to facilitate cross-divisional exchange and act as a nodal point for stakeholder engagement on digital market matters.

Opposition MPs walk out of Parliamentary panel meet after demand to discuss Manipur denied

At the meeting to discuss prison reforms in Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, TMC's Derek O'Brien, and Congress' Digvijaya Singh and Pradip Bhattacharya submitted a joint letter to panel chairman Brijlal, saying as committee members they cannot ignore the situation in Manipur

Competition Bill | MPs panel’s suggestions will make the law more robust

The Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended some crucial changes to the Amendment Bill that can make the Competition Act more effective at merger control and ensuring fair play

Dip in children coming to adoption agencies points to trafficking, illegal market: Parliament panel

The parliamentary committee on personnel, public grievances, law and justice tabled its report on the review of guardianship and adoption laws in Parliament in the recently concluded Monsoon session.

India’s flagship skills mission struggles with lowly 20% placement rate for trainees

The shortfall was at all three levels –training, certification and job placements.

At parliamentary meet on cryptocurrency, worries over security of investors' money come to the fore

At the Parliamentary Standing Committee meeting with industry associations and experts, all parties concluded that cryptocurrency cannot be stopped, but it must be regulated. However, industry associations and stakeholders were not clear as to who should be the regulator.

Govt to bring new consumer law to check misleading ads: Paswan

A group of ministers, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, will soon meet to finalise the amendments to the new Consumer Protection Bill, 2015, based on the recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee, he added.

LS approves amendment to Lokpal Act for deferring asset filing

While the House provided immediate relief by approving the amendment to Section 44 of the Act, the provision will be examined in detail by a Parliamentary Standing Committee which will submit its report before next session of Parliament.

New law for celebs endorsing unverified products soon

The Centre is working on a new legislation to replace the existing Consumer Protection Act, which will have penal provisions of Rs 50 lakh and five year imprisonment for celebrities promoting sale of items without verifying the quality, Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan said

Environment Min pulled up for poor show in controlling pollution

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forest in its 283rd report of Demands for Grants (2016-17) of the Environment Ministry said the ministry also could not achieve the physical targets relating to Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations and new noise monitoring stations.

Improve performance of NTPC: Parliamentary panel to Govt

The panel observed that even if the expected expenditure of Rs 1,20,700 crore at the end of 12th Plan (March 2017) is achieved, there would be huge shortfall of Rs 98,913 crore which stands for 45 percent of the target (expenditure in the 12th Plan period 2012-17).

Finance Ministry to go green;print less copies of Survey, Budget

As the ministry has decided to print lesser number of documents, it has drastically curtailed the number of printed copies, which would be made available to the media houses.

Plans to turn law panel into permenent body put on hold

The Department of Legal Affairs in the Law Ministry had recently proposed to make the law panel, which advises government on complex legal issues, into a permanent body either through an Act of Parliament or an executive order (resolution of the Union Cabinet).

GST Congress' bill; negativism hurting economy: Jaitley

Acknowledging that there may be merit in Congress‘ demand for 18 per cent rate of GST, he said the NDA government has “not made any significant modifications” to the bill that the Congress-led UPA government had proposed in 2006-07 Budget, “except to bring a consensus between manufacturing and the consuming states”.

Deadlock on Land Bill impacting rural development: PM

Ahead of the Parliament session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday reached out to parties appealing them not to come in the way of prosperity of farmers, saying the deadlock over the land acquisition Bill is seriously impacting rural development.

Warehousing Corporation bill passed in LS

A Bill seeking to absolve the government of its responsibilities as a guarantor of the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) was passed by Lok Sabha on Wednesday, with Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan ruling out any move to privatise the mini-ratna company.

ED probing beneficiary of Rs 425 cr IPL facilitation fee

The government, in an Action Taken report to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, said the award of media rights by the BCCI to the World Sports Group and also the allegation of payment of facilitation fee by Multi Screen Media Singapore of Rs 425 crore are being investigated.

Lok Sabha passes Coal Mines Bill

The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, which replaces an ordinance, was brought in the wake of the Supreme Court order cancelling the allocation of 204 coal blocks on September 24 and resetting the agenda for their allocation.

Gas price hike likely to burden urea cos by Rs 9,000 crore

According to a report submitted by Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance headed by Yashwant Sinha, the production cost would increase by Rs 1,384 per tonne with every increase of USD 1 per Million British Thermal Unit (MMBTU) in gas prices.

Non-adherance to KG-D6 plan be taken as default: Panel

A Parliamentary Standing Committee on petroleum and natural gas has observed that non- adherence by Reliance Industries to the approved field development plan of KG D-6 block be construed as "default".

RBI casts long shadow on proposed Micro Finance Bill

The Bill envisages the RBI as the sole regulator for all micro finance institutions (MFIs) including even those that are not companies.

States oppose inclusion of petro products, liquor in GST

While the centre wants liquor and petroleum products should come under the GST, states are keen to retain their power to tax these items as they are major sources of revenue.

Why is Aadhaar being shoved down our throats?

Electoral logic is driving the UPA towards a patent illegality: forcing people to part with sensitive private information such as biometric data or finger-prints without having any law to protect privacy in place.