Latest news with #18thLokSabha
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ruling party should strive for consensus on crucial issues, says Harsimrat
As the 18th Lok Sabha completes its first year, here's a look at four-time MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal's performance in the lower House of Parliament and her plans for the constituency. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal speaks in the Lok Sabha during the budget session of Parliament, in New Delhi . (Sansad TV) How do you look at your experience in the first year of the 18th Lok Sabha? Unfortunately, discussions could not be held on key bills. Many bills were pushed through. I feel the ruling party should allow healthy discussions and strive for consensus on crucial issues affecting the nation. What was the high point of the year for you personally or your party in the House? I stood up for the farmers, who still have not got justice despite being assured a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) on food grains. I also spoke on the atrocities inflicted on farmers, who were stopped from proceeding to Delhi to make their voices heard by the Haryana government. I also raised the need to build consensus amongst the Muslim community on the Waqf Board (Amendment) Bill and not give an impression that Waqf properties would be usurped for ulterior purposes under the new dispensation. I also called for the release of the Sikh prisoners besides calling for reopening of the Wagah and Hussainiwala border points for trade and grant of a special industrial package for the border belt in Punjab. Are you satisfied with the number of sittings of the Lok Sabha? It is most unfortunate that the Lok Sabha sittings are being reduced steadily. We should focus on increasing sittings, and as a single member representing the Shiromani Akali Dal, it is often difficult to get time or opportunity to speak in the present circumstances. MP report card | Ruling party should strive for consensus on crucial issues, says Harsimrat What is the most effective way to raise issues of public importance in the House? Members have the liberty to raise emergent issues during zero hour, submitting questions and filing a call attention motion. Unfortunately, due to time constraints as well as the duration of the House, often members do not get an adequate opportunity to raise issues effectively. A via media should be created to ensure more members participate in Parliament. What difference have you made to your constituency in the last one year, and what do you plan to do in the remaining term as MP? I am very focused on my constituency and its needs. I have been demanding a 300-bed trauma centre at AIIMS, Bathinda, and the establishment of a State Organ Transplant and Tissue Transplantation Organisation (SOTTO) at the medical institute. Under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), development works totalling ₹ 9.78 crore have been recommended. I have also demanded the opening of the institute's centre at Mansa and the speedy completion of the Ferozepur PGIMER satellite centre. I will be taking up these issues for redressal. --------------------------------- Updated GFX Harsimrat Kaur Badal Age: 58 years Party: Shiromani Akali Dal Constituency: Bathinda Electoral record: Four-time MP from Bathinda elected consecutively in 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024 House record Attendance: 63% Number of questions asked: 37 Special mentions: 2 Debates participated: 13 Private member's bills: 2 Committee membership Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry & Food Processing; Committee on Empowerment of Women and Consultative Committee on Home Affairs How she used MPLAD funds: Total funds: ₹ 9.80 crore Spent funds: ₹ 97.56 lakh Unspent Funds: ₹ 8.82 crore Sectors where funds were spent: Streets, drains, dharamshala, shamshan ghat, water supply, mobile water tank, gym, gaushala bhawan, stadium, public shed, for schools and cooperative societies.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Malvinder Kang bats for more training sessions for new members
How do you look at your experience in the first year of the 18th Lok Sabha? MP Malvinder Singh Kang My experience during the first year has been great. Since the Lok Sabha is the highest decision-making body in the country, and great personalities like BR Ambedkar have been members of this august House, being a part of it is a great responsibility as well. I am grateful to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha for giving me the opportunity to draw attention to matters concerning Punjab and my constituency. What was the high point of the year for you personally and your party in the House? It was a good year for me. I was able to raise important issues such as the incarceration of 'Sikh prisoners', the increase in international flights from Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali, and my state's tremendous contribution to sports. I have also been nominated as a member of the Committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers. MP Malvinder Kang says his experience during the first year in the Lok Sabha has been great. Are you satisfied with the number of sittings of the Lok Sabha? The number of sittings of the House during the year was satisfactory. I got ample opportunity to participate in the proceedings. However, I feel that more training sessions should be held for new members, particularly on the procedures, rules, and regulations of the Lower House. One training session was organised, but holding more would yield better results. What is the most effective way to raise issues of public importance in the House? Though a member can raise issues of public importance in many different ways, I found participation in debates on the President's address, the budget, bills and other important issues to be the most effective to put across one's, or the party's point of view. Advance preparation and clarity of thought are important. What difference have you made to your constituency in the last one year, and what do you plan to do in the remaining term as MP? During the election campaign, a major concern among the people was absentee MPs who did not show up for two to three years after getting elected. I have tried to change this perception by regularly meeting the people of my constituency to take feedback and understand their problems so I can raise their issues in Parliament. I have been regularly meeting the central ministers to secure projects and funds under various schemes for the area. For instance, 19 people suffering from serious ailments like cancer have received financial assistance from a central scheme for treatment. Under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), development works totalling ₹ 5 crore — the full allocation for the first year — have been recommended. In addition to making all-out efforts to fully utilise the MPLADS funds, my endeavour will be to improve the infrastructure and facilities in my constituency with the support of both state and central governments.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Digitisation, encouraging first-term MPs to raise issues hallmark of Birla's 6 years as LS Speaker
New Delhi, Digitisation of parliamentary records, special legislative briefings and giving opportunities to first-term lawmakers to raise issues have been the hallmark of Om Birla's tenure as the Lok Sabha Speaker for the sixth straight year. Digitisation, encouraging first-term MPs to raise issues hallmark of Birla's 6 years as LS Speaker Birla, a three-term Lok Sabha member, was re-elected as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha on June 26 last year and completed six years as the presiding officer of the lower house earlier this week. "The first year of the 18th Lok Sabha has marked 104 per cent productivity. The House sitting lasted well past midnight to approve key legislations," the Speaker told reporters in a recent interaction. He said the 18th Lok Sabha passed 24 bills, including the Waqf Bill, the Disaster Management Bill, and the Immigration and Foreigners Bill during the 372 hours of sittings of the lower House through the past one year. Birla was elected as the Lok Sabha Speaker for the first time on June 19, 2019. His second term as the Lok Sabha Speaker began on June 26 last year. Birla said it has been his priority to allow members to raise issues of urgent public importance in the House and a record of sorts was created on April 3 this year when 204 issues were raised in the Lok Sabha the maximum ever in a single day. He said digitisation of Parliamentary records has been another area of priority and the Lok Sabha secretariat was in the process of digitising video recordings of historic parliamentary debates of yesteryears running into more than 8,000 hours. "We have sourced these videos from Doordarshan archives as these date before Sansad TV came into existence," a senior official said. He said an AI-powered search system now allows users to find specific words or topics in videos instantly, even across multiple languages. The official said new technologies have simplified newly elected MPs' daily tasks, replacing the cumbersome process of filling 19 different forms with a unified onboarding app that saves time and reduces errors. The Parliament Digital Library has emerged as a crucial resource, offering the public digital access to vast parliamentary research and information, furthering transparency and democratic engagement. "This initiative not only puts the rich parliamentary knowledge hub in digital space for wider use but also strengthens our democratic legacy," Birla said. He also said AI-driven translation and localisation tools now automatically convert parliamentary documents into the country's constitutional languages. The indigenous AI tool "Sansad Bhashini" provides multilingual support for parliamentary work, breaking language barriers and promoting inclusivity as part of the Digital India mission, the Lok Sabha Speaker said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
India Gazette
6 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
LS Speaker Om Birla's second term marked by record productivity, digital reforms
New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): One year since his re-election as speaker of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla's second term has emerged as a defining period of transformative change, legislative productivity and digital innovation in India's parliamentary journey. With four sessions already concluded and the fifth session scheduled to begin on July 21, the first year of the 18th Lok Sabha has proven to be not just a continuation but an evolution of India's vibrant democracy. During this period, Parliament has embraced reforms, responsiveness and representation like never before. As per the record of Lok Sabha, under Birla's leadership, who assumed the office of Speaker on June 26, 2024, the house has conducted proceedings for 372 hours and 36 minutes and achieved an average productivity of 103.17%, a record in recent times. A historic milestone was achieved on April 3, 2025, when 204 issues were raised during Zero Hour in a single day, the highest ever in Lok Sabha's history. A significant parliamentary reform was also introduced by renaming 'Matters of Urgent Public Importance' to 'Matters of Public Importance', streamlining procedures to reflect the evolving priorities of the House. The tireless approach of Speaker Birla, the 18th Lok Sabha, has passed 24 key legislations aimed at national progress and public welfare. In just four sessions, which included the Waqf Board (Amendment) Bill 2024, the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill 2024, the Indian Aircraft Bill 2024 and the Immigration and Foreigners Bill 2025. These build upon landmark bills passed during the 17th Lok Sabha under Birla's leadership, such as the abrogation of Article 370, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam and the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019. Not only at the domestic front, the voice of Indian democracy echoed across the globe, and Parliamentary diplomacy worked with a renewed vigour. Om Birla has significantly elevated India's democratic voice in global forums. Representing India at key international events, including 10th BRICS Parliamentary Forum (Russia, July 2024), 149th and 150th IPU Assemblies (Geneva, Oct 2024 & Tashkent, Apr 2025), CSPOC Standing Committee Meeting (UK, Jan 2025), 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum (Brazil, June 2025) etc, Indian Parliamentary Delegations under Birla's leadership actively participated and put forth India's view point on major issues including Pahalgam terror attack. In the last one year, India has also hosted parliamentary delegations from nine nations, including Japan, UAE, Russia, Mauritius, Maldives and Armenia, strengthening bilateral ties through parliamentary diplomacy. The Speaker also reaffirmed to constitute Parliamentary Friendship Groups with foreign Parliaments, with a commitment to evolve consensus on key issues. The most transformative initiative in Speaker Birla's tenure has been the launch of the Digital Parliament Project 2.0. Aimed at making Parliament smarter, transparent and accessible, the project includes digitisation of over 8,000 hours of archival parliamentary proceedings. Also, an AI-powered video search engine was launched with the capability of multilingual speech recognition. Birla also started a digital attendance system for MPs using tablets and smart pens. During the tenure of Speaker Birla, Parliament Digital Library (PDL) and eHRMS for staff management were also introduced. With the efforts of Birla as Lok Sabha Speaker, a unified onboarding system for new MPs, replacing 19 separate forms with a single digital app, was launched, saving time and minimising errors. 'Sansad Bhashini', an indigenous AI-based translation tool to provide multilingual access to parliamentary documents and proceedings, was introduced, breaking language barriers and fostering inclusivity in line with the Digital India mission. These initiatives not only reduce paper usage and boost efficiency but also redefine public access and transparency in the world's largest democracy. Speaker Birla's focus on increasing engagement is visible in initiatives like opening Room No. 52 of the Parliament Library Building, the Parliamentary Knowledge Platform and regular briefings on important bills. Women and youth have been encouraged to participate in parliamentary discussions and fellowships, underscoring Parliament's inclusive ethos. As India's population crosses 1.4 billion, Lok Sabha continues to be a platform that echoes the concerns and aspirations of every Indian citizen. The digital initiatives, record productivity, and legislative reforms under Om Birla's leadership not only modernise procedures but also strengthen the moral and institutional foundations of Indian democracy. The 18th Lok Sabha under Om Birla has reaffirmed that democracy is not static, but it evolves, adapts, and modernizes in tune with the needs of the people it represents. India's Parliament today is not just a custodian of the past; it is a beacon for the future. And at the heart of this transformation stands a Speaker who has seamlessly blended tradition with innovation, steering the House with firmness, foresight, and an unwavering commitment to public service. (ANI)
New Indian Express
15-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Citizens' Report Cards for Bengaluru MPs, MLAs: MLA Gopalaiah's net worth jumps 1399 per cent
BENGALURU: Mahalakshmi Layout MLA K Gopalaiah's net worth witnessed a whopping 1,399 per cent jump when compared to his last term, while Rajarajeshwari Nagar MLA Muniratna's net worth surged by 959.63 per cent. Following these two MLAs is Shanthinagar MLA N A Haris, with a 318.62 per cent increase in assets. Leader of Opposition R Ashoka's net worth witnessed 104 per cent jump, compared to previous term, revealed the CIVIC Bangalore's -- Citizens' Report Cards of Elected Representatives for performance during the current term as part of the Namma Neta Namma Review (Our Leader, Our Review), released on Saturday. These report cards were released to coincide with Bengaluru's MPs completing 1 year into their term, as members of the 18th Lok Sabha on June 24 and MLAs completing 2 years into their term as members of the 16th Assembly, on May 20. They evaluated the performance of four Members of Parliament (MPs) from Bengaluru and 32 MLAs, including 28 MLAs representing Bengaluru. The report cards, compiled over six months by citizen volunteers and student interns, assessed elected representatives based on attendance, legislative participation, LAD fund utilization, criminal records, and personal asset growth.
