Parliament highlights: Bill on autonomy to IIMs passed by Rajya Sabha

The ongoing winter session of Parliament on Tuesday took up for discussion a bill on autonomy of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). The bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha in the evening.

The Parliament session resumed a day after the Congress demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for insinuating his predecessor Manmohan Singh colluded with Pakistan in the Gujarat polls.

The winter session began on December 15 and it will conclude on January 5 next year.

Highlights:

6.33pm: Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day.

6:20pm: The Indian Institutes of Management Bill 2017 that provides autonomy to IIMs passed by Parliament.

6:14pm: Jairam Ramesh asks HRD minister to select members of the board of governors on the basis of academic and professional qualification, and there should be no political affiliation.

6:12pm: Jairam Ramesh of the Congress asks HRD minister if the existing board of governors will be recast when the IIMs get autonomy.

6:09pm: Lok Sabha adjourned for the day.

6:08pm: In Lok Sabha, Union minister of state for housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri tables amendment bill on real estate acquisition.

6:06pm: D Raja asks HRD minister Javadekar to ask cabinet to approve 10-15% of the GDP to be spent on education.

6:05pm: D Raja of the CPI asks government how will it ensure representation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes in the governing bodies of the IIMs.

5:55pm: BJD member Prasanna Acharya seeks autonomy for AIIMS and AIIMS-like institutions.

5:50pm: There are hundreds of private B-schools in India, and the government should also look into the functioning of these institues, says BJD member from Odisha Prasanna Acharya.

5:46pm: AIADMK Puducherry MP N Gokulakrishnan seeks IIMs in more states.

5:43pm: In Rajya Sabha, Trinamool Congress member from West Bengal M Nadimul Haque asks government to reconsider the financing structure of the IIMs.

5:38pm: Nitin Gadkari says that while working on new highways and waterways, the government needs to think about the environment too.

5:37pm: Nitin Gadkari says work on 10 news waterways will be completed by 2018.

5:35pm: Nitin Gadkari says work is on to build a river traffic control system between Haldia and Patna.

5:33pm: In the Lok Sabha, road transport, highways and shipping minister Nitin Gadkari replies to questions on water transport.

5:30pm: The government needs to improve the quality of education to such an extent that graduates can be assured that after getting degrees from colleges, they will get jobs, says Naresh Agarwal.

5:28pm: India spends only 1% of its GDP on education, while other countries spends more than 3%. The government needs to reply what has it done to improve the quality of education, asks Naresh Agarwal.

5:25pm: Naresh Agarwal criticises move to rename Dyal Singh College as Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya.

5:23pm: In a country where 70%people live in villages, and only around 3%people are able to speak English, what has the government done to improve quality of education in villages, asks Naresh Agarwal.

5:22pm: Samajwadi Party’s Naresh Agarwal says the quality of engineering education has come down to such a level that graduates are finding it difficult to get decent jobs.

5:20pm: Lok Sabha discusses The Central Road Fund Amendment Bill 2017.

5:20pm: Naresh Agarwal says the government has taken three and a half years to make such a move on autonomy.

5:19pm: Samajwadi Party’s Naresh Agarwal lauds the government’s move for autonomy to IIMs, asks why has the government ignored the UGC and the IITs.

5:15pm: IIMs can also introduce a course on judicial management, says BJP member Sahasrabuddhe. Says IIMs need to develop more specialised courses.

5:14pm: Vinay Sahasrabuddhe says there are thousands of temples in India, and IIMs can introduce a course on temple management.

5:09pm: BJP member Vinay Sahasrabuddhe says it is high time the authorities revisit the syllabus of IIMs. Says the students can speak and present themselves properly and know everything about modern technology, but they need to be nurtured as future leaders.

5:05pm: In Rajya Sabha, BJP member Vinay Sahasrabuddhe praises new bill on IIMs, says it reflects the Narendra Modi government’s policy on “minimum government, maximum governance”.

5:03pm: Rajeev Gowda asks government not to completely let go of the IIMs, asks government to continue nurturing these institutes.

4:55pm: Dushyant Chautala raises issue of a toll-free India, where people do not have to pay toll tax on any road.

4:54pm: In Lok Sabha, INLD member Dushyant Chautala raises issue of decreasing water in rivers, says government needs to focus on people’s water needs.

4:52pm: Rajeev Gowda raises issue of inclusion and diversity in higher institutes.

4:47pm: Rajeev Gowda also praises new IIM bill for having a clause on fixing fee for students, saying there was “great inequality” earlier.

4:46pm: MV Rajeev Gowda praises bill for proposing to have branch campuses for the IIMs, even outside India.

4:39pm: Congress member MV Rajeev Gowda praises bill on IIMs, calls it “pioneering”.

4:34pm: HRD minister Javadekar says there will be no governmental or bureaucratic interference in the functioning of IIMs.

4:30pm: Prakash Javadekar says government power on IIMs will be withdrawn, so that the institutes can perform better.

4:25pm: Human resource development minister Prakash Javadekar tables bill on national importance to IIMs.

2:50pm: Lawmaking should be the power of Parliament: Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union law minister

2:50pm: Rajya Sabha takes up Companies Amendment Act 2017, with Congress leader P Chidambaram arguing it transfers legislative powers to the executive.

2:14pm: The aim was to get rid of archaic acts, says Meenakshi Lekhi on an amendment bill introduced by the government.

2:11pm: Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tells parliamentarians the government has abolished 1,183 outdated laws since Prime Minister Modi came to power.

2pm: After an hour-long break, the Upper and Lower Houses resume discussions.

1pm: Both Houses adjourn till 2 pm for break.

12:55pm: Will bring the issue of alleged pollution of Brahmaputra river by China to the highest level, says BJP’s Anand Sharma in Lok Sabha after Bhartruhari Mahtab (BJD) raises the issue of increased level of pollutants in the river.

Brahmaputra, also known as Siang, which flows into Arunachal Pradesh from south Tibet in China before flowing through Assam. Bijoya Chakravarty (BJP), who hails from Assam, also joined him and asked the government to take up the matter with China.

12:50pm:  Jaitley responds, saying the government is in favour of bringing petroleum products under GST and would wait for consensus of the states. “Yes, we are equally concerned about petrol prices... a large part of taxes on petrol are state taxes and many BJP-ruled states brought down the prices. The UPA state, however, didn’t.”

12:48pm: Congress stages walkout from the Lok Sabha over PM Modi’s earlier remark on former PM Manmohan Singh.

12:45pm: P Chidambaram questions government what prevents it from adding petroleum products under GST. “Now that BJP is in power in 19 states and at the Centre what prevents them from bringing petroleum products under GST? When will the GST Council take up this subject.”

12:40pm: Topic of discussion shifts to GST Council. Finance minister Arun Jaitley answers questions.

12:17pm: Will certainly invite all my colleagues, including leader of the opposition and try and discuss, find a solution to the issue: Union finance minister Arun Jaitley amid Congress uproar in Rajya Sabha.

12:15pm: MPs agree to take the issue of Modi’s allegations against Manmohan Singh outside the House.

12:10pm: RS chairperson Venkaiah Naidu firmly asks parties to keep the sanctity of the House and suggests the parties should meet outside to discuss Congress’ displeasure over allegations against Manmohan Singh.

12:04pm: Ruckus in Rajya Sabha after MPs protest as Ghulam Nabi Azad starts talking about Manmohan Singh. “His loyalty to the country has been questioned.”

12pm: Lok Sabha session resumes.

Party will decide who will become the chief minister in both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh: Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar pic.twitter.com/rHiLENrmAh

— ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2017

11:45am: Issue of special courts for criminal netas raised in Rajya Sabha, Congress MP Anand Sharma says, “The government should ensure allocation of adequate funds for setting up enough number of courts so that people do not remain in prison for long periods and the trial is done.”

Read | Arun Jaitley defends special courts to deal with cases against lawmakers

11:40am: Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Singh Bajwa raises the issue of financial help for farmers to prevent stubble burning, says “should be done this year itself”

11:36am: Lok Sabha has been adjourned till noon amid protests by Opposition.

11:33am: Sumitra Mahajan appeals to protesting parliamentarians to stop making a ruckus in the Lok Sabha.

11:31am: Vivek Gupta, of AITC, asks a question about the government’s plans to reduce stubble burning and air pollution in Delhi-NCR region. He says in the Upper House that it is an issue that impacts everyone.

11:30am: BJP leader Parvesh Sahib Singh says in Lok Sabha terrorism will go down in the country if BJP is elected to power repeatedly.

11:25am: Law should be for everybody, legislators alone should not be singled out: Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad says in Rajya Sabha on special courts for politicians.

11:20am: Rajya Sabha debates about the special courts set up to try cases against politicians.

11:15am: MB Rajesh, CPI(M) leader, speaks about “ease of doing farming” in India and the rate of growth of Minimum Support Price in the country. “Will the govt implement Swaminathan board’s recommendation in a time-bound manner?”

11:12am: In Rajya Sabha, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien brings up the issue of FRDI Bill.

11:10am: Parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar appeals to Congress leaders to go back to their seats and participate in the Question-Answer round instead of gathering in the Well of the House.

Congress responds with loud slogans.

11:06am: Opposition leaders chant slogans in Lok Sabha, demanding that Prime Minister Modi apologise to Manmohan Singh.

11:04am: Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan says to protesting parliamentarians the election has ended and the results or politics shouldn’t spill into the House.

11am: Rajya Sabha begins proceedings, starting with obituary references. The Question Hour round begins in the Lower House of Parliament.