Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to move the Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2021 in Rajya Sabha for passing today, ANI reported. Parliament Live Updates: India will do away with toll booths and implement complete GPS-based toll collection within one year, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
“I want to assure the House that within one year all physical toll booths in the country will be removed. It means that toll collection will happen via GPS. The money will be collected based on GPS imaging (on vehicles),” Gadkari said during Question Hour.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will move the Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2021 in Rajya Sabha for passing today. In Lok Sabha, discussions will be held on The Appropriation Bill, 2021 and The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
Yesterday, the Opposition targeted the Centre over its handling of the pandemic while accusing it of absolving China from its blame for the spread of the coronavirus, during a discussion over Demands For Grants for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. However, the government said that its handling of the pandemic has made the country self-reliant and “future ready”.
The IT sector has contributed 8 per cent to the country's GDP and two lakh new jobs have been added in the sector since 2019, Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
He said the government also intends to lay BharatNet in villages all over India and the prime minister wants this to be accomplished in the coming 1000 days.
Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, the minister said India has attained its image in the world due to digital India.
"The IT sector has contributed 8 per cent in country's GDP. A total of 46 lakh people work in it, which include 14 lakh women. After 2019, two lakh people have got jobs in the IT sector,"he said.
Prasad said the success of online education has been confirmed by the one year of the pandemic, as school education was not interrupted even during the pandemic. (PTI)
The financial closure or tie-up of funds for the demonstrative thermal power project with Advanced Ultra Super Critical (AUSC) technology is expected to be done by month-end, Parliament was informed on Thursday.
The AUSC technology is designed to help power plants burn less coal for electricity production while reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
The sponsoring agency for the Research and Development (R&D) phase of the AUSC technology is the Department of Heavy Industries (DHI).
"A total of Rs 900 crore as grant was approved by the Government through DHI. The projected expenditure is Rs 897 crore and the financial closure for the project is targeted by end-March, 2021," Power Minister R K Singh said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.
According to the reply, phase-II of the AUSC project envisages setting up of a full scale 800 MW Technology Demonstration Plant (TDP) to establish AUSC technology for the coal fired thermal power plants.
The timeline envisaged for the TDP is 54 months from the date of approval of the project. The financing options for phase-II of the AUSC project would be worked out in consultation with the stakeholder ministries/organisations, the minister informed the House. (PTI)
Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned briefly on Thursday amid Opposition uproar over the Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2021.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman moved a bill in the Upper House to consider for further amendment of the Insurance Act 1938.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said the insurance amendment bill 2021 will put people in trouble. The Insurance Act 1938 is being amended for the third time.
He said the Act was first amended during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure when 26 per cent FDI was allowed in the insurance sector. Later in 2015 the law was amended further to allow 49 per cent FDI and now the amendment is for allowing 74 per cent.
"I want the bill to be scrutinised to address the gaps and it should be referred to a standing committee," Kharge said. (PTI)
During Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the Modi government does not believe in vote bank politics and all sections of society including minorities are reaping benefits of welfare schemes launched by it.
"Our government does not believe in vote bank politics, neither it will in the future...All sections of society including minorities are reaping benefits of welfare scheme of the Union government," Naqvi said in response to a query by KC (M) member Thomas Chazhikadan.
He also asserted that the Union government is working for the well-being of weaker sections and economically backward people
Naqvi also added that the prime minister abolished the archaic and medieval practice of triple talaq to help Muslim women. (PTI)
Union Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday told Rajya Sabha that any attempt to create "imperialism of internet" by a few companies would not be tolerated.
Speaking during Question Hour on the banning of Twitter accounts, Prasad said the government welcomes dissent but cannot allow misuse or abuse of social media.
Replying to G C Chandrashekhar (Congress), who raised the issue of climate activist Disha Ravi's arrest in the 'toolkit' document case, Prasad said India is proud to have nearly 140 crore social media users. LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook are free to do business in India. They have empowered ordinary Indians.
"The government welcomes dissent. The issue is not of use of social media, the issue is of abuse and misuse of social media.
"Internet is a powerful invention of human mind, but it should not become the monopoly of few. And we have taken a position, any attempt to create imperialism of internet by few companies is not acceptable," the Union minister said. (PTI)
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari gives a statement regarding vehicles scrapping policy in Rajya Sabha.
"The policy will benefit scrapping centres, automobile industry, component industry and common man. India will become world no.1 manufacturing hub of all the brands that are being manufactured here. Scrap material that will be manufactured, will be useful in the production of electric vehicles. New vehicles will be light weight and the maintenance will also cost less. All the interest of stake holders will be kept safe."
Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha resume proceedings
Tentative timeline for application of Vehicle Scrapping Policy
Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm
"We're introducing Voluntary Vehicle Fleet Modernisation Program, which would scrap old vehicles & support people economically while buying new vehicles. Scrap centers, auto industry, components industry will be benefitted from this policy," Gadkari said.
"We're introducing Voluntary Vehicle Fleet Modernisation Program, which would scrap old vehicles & support people economically while buying new vehicles. Scrap centers, auto industry, components industry will be benefitted from this policy," Gadkari said.
India will do away with toll booths and implement complete GPS-based toll collection within one year, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday. He said 93 per cent of the vehicles pay toll using FASTag, but the remaining 7 per cent have still not taken it despite paying a double toll.
"I want to assure the House that within one year all physical toll booths in the country will be removed. It means that toll collection will happen via GPS. The money will be collected based on GPS imaging (on vehicles)," Gadkari said in the Lok Sabha during Question Hour. The minister said he has instructed police inquiry for those vehicles which do not pay toll using FASTags.
There are cases of toll theft and GST evasion cases if FASTags are not fitted in vehicles. FASTags, which facilitate electronic payment of fee at toll plazas, was introduced in 2016. From February 16, vehicles without FASTag are required to pay double toll fee at electronic toll plazas across the country.
Making the tags compulsory would also help in ensuring that vehicles pass seamlessly through the toll plazas, as the fee payment would be done electronically. Gadkari said new vehicles have FasTags fitted in them, while the government has said it will give free FASTags for old vehicles. (PTI)
Announcing a vehicle scrapping policy in Lok Sabha, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that all personal vehicles that fail the fitness test, or have not secured re-registration in time, will be de-registered and scrapped.
BJP Rajya Sabha Member Sushil Modi speaks to The Indian Express about getting tech giants like Google and Facebook to compensate traditional media for using their content.
What are the concerns you raised in Parliament today about Google and Facebook?
Traditional media is going through its worst phase financially in the recent history — first because of the pandemic and now because of giants like Google which are eating into their revenues. Traditional media invest thousands of crores… they collect and verify the news and disseminate it. Google is using this content and earning a lot of money through advertisement revenues. This is depriving the traditional media of its revenue share.
How do you suggest the government should address this?
About two weeks ago, Australia passed a code under which these tech giants are compelled to share their revenue with print and electronic media. These platforms tried to retaliate by trying to block content from Australia but they have to relent and negotiate with the government. India should study the Australian model and draft a similar law or code…
You mentioned Facebook blocking content in retaliation. Do you think this was a warning shot to lawmakers elsewhere?
They tried but could not succeed. They had to surrender and come to the negotiation table. The Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has spoken to the leaders of India, UK and Canada. All democratic countries should study Australia’s experience… Read the full interview here.
Congress MP Manish Tewari has given an Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha demanding 'discussion on the proposed amendments to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act', ANI reported.
BJP MP KC Ramamurthy has given a Zero Hour Notice in Rajya Sabha over the 'demand for setting up of Supreme Court Bench at Bengaluru'.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday will brief both Houses of Parliament about the contours of the vehicle scrapping policy, which was announced in Union Budget this year.
At 12 noon in the Lok Sabha and thereafter at 2 pm in the Rajya Sabha, Gadkari, the Road Transport and Highways Minister, is expected to talk about the much-touted policy.
Under the policy, old vehicles are supposed to undergo mandatory fitness tests in automated fitness centres to be set up across India. The government has sanctioned 26 such centres to be set up across India either by state governments, or under PPP, or even by private players directly. Failing the test, the vehicles are to be scrapped. Government vehicles older than 15 years are also likely to be marked for mandatory scrapping. The cost of re-registration of older vehicles, like after reaching 15 years, will be significantly increased in a bid to dissuade vehicle owners. Read the report here.
Coal and Mines Minister Prahlad Joshi has introduced the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021 in Lok Sabha to streamline the renewal of the auction process for minerals and coal mining rights.
What are the key changes?
The amendment proposes to allow captive miners of both coal and other minerals to sell up to 50 per cent of their production after meeting the requirements of the end-use plant and on paying additional royalty to the state government. Operators are currently only allowed to use coal and minerals extracted from captive mines for their own industrial use. Experts note that this increased flexibility would allow miners to maximise output from captive mines as they would be able to sell output in excess of their own requirements.
The amendment also proposes to fix additional royalty payments to states for the extension of mining leases for central public sector enterprises. Disagreements over the additional royalty to be paid by state-owned NMDC to the Karnataka government for the extension of mining rights at the Donimalai mine had led to NMDC suspending operations at the mine for over two years. NMDC recently resumed operations after an interim agreement on the additional royalty to be paid to the Karnataka government.
Experts noted that state governments may object to the fixing of an additional royalty to be paid by CPSEs for such extensions as this may lead to lower revenues compared to a transparent auction process.
Another key change the Bill proposes is to empower the central government to conduct auctions or re-auction processes for the grant of a mining lease if a state government fails to complete the auction process in a specified period, decided after consultations between the Centre and state. Experts noted that industry players may welcome the move as it would likely lead to greater transparency in the auction process as there is a perception that state governments may in some cases prefer some bidders, and try to delay or cancel mining rights if their preferred bidders do not win mining rights. Read our full explainer here.