Rajya Sabha

Stampede at New Delhi station caused by falling headload, says Vaishnaw

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told Rajya Sabha that a falling headload triggered the February 15 stampede at New Delhi station, which killed 18 people; ₹2.01 cr compensation paid

VP election to be held on September 9, with nominations due by August 21

The Election Commission announces the Vice Presidential election for September 9, with the last date for filing nominations set for August 21. The result will be declared the same day

Opposition protests rock Rajya Sabha; proceedings adjourned for the day

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Friday amid vociferous protests by Opposition members over the issue of Special Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. The House could not function and both the Zero Hour and Question Hour were washed out. The House was earlier adjourned soon after laying of papers within minutes. When the House reassembled at 12 noon, there was no let up in the protests forcing the Chair to adjourn for the day. Some of the Opposition members even entered the Well and raised slogans against the SIR. The House will meet again on Monday. The Opposition has been demanding a discussion in the House in the SIR issue and the withdrawal of the EC's exercise which has come ahead of Assembly elections slated to be held later this year. In the morning session, Deputy Chairman Harivansh said he received 30 adjournment notices under Rule 267 for discussion on SIR, alleged discrimination against Bengali migrant workers in other states, impact of the US deci

'Scientist of the soil': New book reveals untold stories of MS Swaminathan

New book 'The Man Who Fed India' reveals untold stories of MS Swaminathan, chronicling his journey, personal life, Green Revolution role, and lifelong service to Indian farming

Highlights: India to take all steps to protect national interests, says commerce minister

Latest news updates: The Congress stated that that President Trump is "piling it on India". Catch all the news developments here

Over 78,000 hectares of India's forest land diverted since 2021: Centre

The Centre on Thursday informed Rajya Sabha that over 78,100 hectares of forest land have been approved for diversion across the country in the last four years for various projects. In a written reply, Union minister Kirti Vardhan Singh also said that the government approved diversion of 12,324.32 ha of forest land in the first half of 2025. The data, shared by Singh, shows that a total of 78,135.84 hectares were approved for non-forest use between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2025. Madhya Pradesh accounted for the highest area of forest land approved for diversion at 17,393.65 hectares, followed by Odisha with 11,033.08 hectares, Arunachal Pradesh with 6561.47 hectares, Uttar Pradesh with 5480.43 hectares and Chhattisgarh with 4,092.01 hectares. Gujarat reported diversion of 4,959 hectares of forest land, while Jharkhand saw 4,431.91 hectares being approved for non-forest purposes. Rajasthan recorded diversion of 4,180.06 hectares, Maharashtra 3,603.62 hectares and Uttar Pradesh .

RS adjourned till 2 pm as Opposition parties press for discussion on SIR

Proceedings of the Rajya Sabha were adjourned till 2 pm on Thursday after Opposition MPs created uproar over the issue of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls. The House was adjourned twice during the pre-lunch session over the SIR issue. Soon after the House met at 12 noon after one adjournment in the morning, Opposition MPs were on their feet raising slogans in support of their demand for a discussion on SIR of Bihar's electoral rolls. The MPs demanded that the special revision of electoral rolls should be discussed in the House. The Opposition has been demanding a roll back of the SIR in Bihar till the after the Assembly polls, which are due later this year. Ghanshyam Tiwari who was in the Chair urged the potesting MPs to maintain decorum in the House and allow the Question Hour to function. Unrelenting Opposition members, however, continued to raise slogans. Some of the TMC members also trooped into the Well and continued with their sloganeering. Amid t

Congress gave away PoK, BJP committed to bring it back: Amit Shah

Shah said the three terrorists involved in the incident were neutralised in 'Operation Mahadev' on Monday, and that investigations had confirmed their affiliation with the Lashkar-e-Taiba

Around 489 road projects delayed due to land and clearance issues: Gadkari

As many as 489 road projects, which were originally scheduled for completion by March 2025, are pending due to delays in land acquisition, forest/wildlife clearances and railway approvals, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, said the government is making all efforts to resolve the pending issues in close coordination with state governments and other stakeholders to complete these projects. Gadkari said cost overrun has been incurred in some of the delayed projects due to various factors like enhanced cost of compensation for land and structures, price escalation, Goods & Services Tax (GST) impact, additional VUPs/PUPs on public demand or otherwise, change in General Arrangement Drawing (GAD)/design for Road Over Bridges/Road Under Bridges (ROBs/RUBs) to meet the Railway standards, etc. If projects are inordinately delayed due to some reasons and further progress under the ongoing ...

Jan Aushadhi outlets saved ₹38,000 crore for citizens in 11 years: Govt

Jan Aushadi outlets have saved about Rs 38,000 crore for the citizens over the last 11 years, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Anupriya Patel said 16,912 Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs) have been opened across the country till June 30, 2025. "As a result of the scheme, in the last 11 years, estimated savings of about Rs 38,000 crore have accrued to citizens in comparison to the prices of branded medicines," the minister stated. The scheme has contributed significantly to the sharp reduction in out-of-pocket expenditure by households from 62.6 per cent of total health expenditure in 2014-15 to 39.4 per cent in 2021-22 as per the National Health Accounts Estimates, she added. "With a view to further expand reach to jan aushadhi medicine and thereby reduce out-of-pocket expenditure, the government has set a target to open 25,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras by March 2027," Patel said. The outlets cover 2,11

Parliament Highlights: Op Sindoor showed India knows how to protect its sovereignty, says Rajnath

Parliament Monsoon Session Highlights: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to open discussion on Operation Sindoor in Rajya Sabha today. Follow live updates on the debate and proceedings here

Op Sindoor debate: Nadda apologises to Kharge over 'mental balance' remark

The Rajya Sabha witnessed heated exchanges between the Opposition and treasury benches after Leader of the House J P Nadda made some objectionable remarks against Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge that he later withdrew and apologised. Rising soon after Kharge spoke over one hour during the discussion on Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack, Nadda first accused him of "losing his mental balance" as he made some remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Nadda demanded that Kharge's remarks on the Prime Minister be expunged from the records as they were made in a "flow of emotions". However, Kharge as well as Opposition benches made strong objections to Nadda's "mental balance" remark and demanded an apology. Kharge also said that Nadda is one of the ministers in the NDA government whom he respected, but said it was a matter of shame that he made such remarks against him and demanded his apology. Nadda soon got up to say that he has already withdrawn his wo

India ready to help Pakistan act against terrorism, says Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said if Pakistan cannot take action against terrorism on its soil, India is ready to help the neighbouring country as Indian forces are capable of fighting terror on the other side of the border as well. Initiating a special discussion on Operation Sindoor in the Rajya Sabha, Singh said three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack have been eliminated by Indian forces. He further said that Operation Sindoor India's response to the Pahalgam attack -- has been suspended, and can be resumed anytime if Pakistan indulges in terror activities in India again. "India wants terrorism to end in the whole world, including Pakistan. I would advise Pakistan, if you are not able to take action against terrorism, take help from India, we are ready to help. Our forces are capable of fighting terror on this side of the border, as well as on the other side, this has been proved by Operation Sindoor," he said. "If Pakistan commits any terror incidents in

3 terrorists killed in Op Mahadev linked to Pahalgam attack: Amit Shah

Speaking on Operation Mahadev on the floor of the Lok Sabha, Home Minister Amit Shah said the killed terrorists have been identified as Suleiman, Afghan, and Jibran

Parliament Highlights: Retaliation by Army forced Pakistan to bow down, says Rajnath Singh

Monsoon Session Highlights: Top leaders from NDA and INDIA bloc to face off in Parliament over Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor. Follow live updates on the debate and proceedings here

RS adjourned for day as Oppn protest continues over Bihar's SIR issue

The Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned twice on Monday as Opposition protests over various issues, including electoral rolls revision in Bihar, continued to rock the House. As soon as the House reassembled for the Question Hour at 12 noon, various Opposition MPs were on their feet and Sushmita Dev (TMC) trooped into the Well, and sought to raise various issues. As the din continued, the proceedings were adjourned again till 2 pm. During the morning session (Zero Hour), Deputy Chairman Harivansh said he has received 26 notices under Rule 267 demanding discussion on various issues including Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and alleged discrimination against Bengali migrant workers in other states. He declined all the adjournment notices, and called Sudha Murty (nominated member) to make her Zero Hour mention. However, Opposition members, including from TMC and Congress were on their feet protesting the Chair's decision. They were raising slogans like 'Vote Ki Chori Band Karo' (s

Don't know the actual reason behind Dhankhar's resignation: Kharge

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge says he has no information about Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation and urges the former Vice-President to explain the reason

Rajya Sabha secy general is returning officer for vice presidential poll

In a step forward towards holding the election to appoint the 17th vice president of India, the Election Commission on Friday appointed Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody as the returning officer for the poll. The election was necessitated after Jagdeep Dhankhar's surprise resignation as vice president on Monday evening, citing health issues. His term was to end on August 10, 2027. In a statement, the Election Commission (EC) said that in consultation with the Ministry of Law and Justice and with the consent of the deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha, it has appointed Mody as the returning officer for the vice presidential election, 2025. The EC has also appointed Garima Jain, Joint Secretary, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, and Vijay Kumar, Director, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, as assistant returning officers during the course of the election. The poll authority, in consultation with the central government, appoints a returning officer, who will have his or her office in the national capital

Bihar voter list revision continues to rock Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha

The Upper House, which has been witnessing protests by opposition MPs over the SIR exercise, saw the first adjournment shortly after meeting at 11 am, when it was adjourned till noon

No plan to remove 'socialist', 'secular' from Constitution: Govt informs RS

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal stated in a written reply on Thursday that "the government's official stand is that there is no current plan or intention to reconsider or remove the words